2 Samuel 17:17–29

¹⁷Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, because they dared not be seen entering the city. ¹⁸However, a young man did see them and informed Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. ¹⁹Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.

²⁰Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

“They passed by toward the water,”^I the woman replied to them. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹After they had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well and went and informed King David. They told him, “Get up and immediately ford the river, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.” ²²So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one who had not crossed the Jordan.

²³When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He set his house in order and hanged himself.^a So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

²⁴David had arrived at Mahanaim by the time Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. ²⁵Now Absalom had appointed Amasa^b over the army in Joab’s place. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra^A the Israelite;^Bc Ithra had married Abigail daughter of Nahash.^C Abigail was a sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. ²⁶And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. ²⁷When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash^d from Rabbah^e of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar,^f and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim^{g 28}brought beds, basins,^D and pottery items. They also brought wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,^{E 29}honey, curds, sheep, goats, and cheese^F from the herd for David and the people with him to eat. They had reasoned, “The people must be hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”