# Now the advice of Ahithophel ... was as if a man heard "Now people trusted the advice of Ahithophel in those days in the same way they would have trusted it if had come" # as if a man heard from the mouth of God himself "as if God had said it with his own mouth" or "as if a man heard it spoken by God himself" # all of Ahithophel's advice was viewed by both David and Absalom "both David and Absalom viewed all of Ahithophel's advice" # was viewed "was thought of"