2 Samuel 17:15-29

New International Version

¹⁵ Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. ¹⁶ Now send a message at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the wilderness;^(A) cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.^(B)’”

¹⁷ Jonathan^(C) and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel.^(D) A female servant was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. ¹⁸ But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left at once and went to the house of a man in Bahurim.^(E) He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. ¹⁹ His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.^(F)

²⁰ When Absalom’s men came to the woman^(G) at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

The woman answered them, “They crossed over the brook.”^[a] The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ After they had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, “Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you.” ²² So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

²³ When Ahithophel saw that his advice^(H) had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order^(I) and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

Absalom’s Death

²⁴ David went to Mahanaim,^(J) and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. ²⁵ Absalom had appointed Amasa^(K) over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether,^[b](L) an Ishmaelite^[c] who had married Abigail,^[d] the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab. ²⁶ The Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash^(M) from Rabbah^(N) of the Ammonites, and Makir^(O) son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai^(P) the Gileadite^(Q) from Rogelim ²⁸ brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils,^{[e] 29} honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat.^(R) For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.^(S)”