15 Then Hushay told the two priests Tsadok and Evyatar what Ahitofel had suggested to Abshalom and the Israeli elders and what he’d countered it with. 16 Then he told them, “Get that message to David quickly. Tell him not to overnight at the fords in the wilderness, but to cross over otherwise he’ll be killed along with everyone else with him.”

17 Their sons Yonatan and Ahimaats were waiting at Eyn-Rogel where a female servant would come and pass the message onto them, because it wouldn’t be safe for them to be seen entering the city. Then they themselves would go and inform King David. 18 But a young man saw them and informed Abshalom, but meanwhile the two of them went quickly and got to the house of a man in Bahurim where they went down into the well in his courtyard. 19 The woman there stretched a covering over the top of the well, and then spread grain over it to dry, so it wasn’t obvious. 20 Some of Abshalom’s servants arrived at the house and asked the woman, “Where’s Ahimaats and Yonatan?”

“They crossed over the creek,” she replied.

So they continued searching for them, but gave up after a while and returned to Yerushalem.

21 After they’d gone, the two men climbed out of the well, and went on and informed King David, “Pack up and quickly cross over the river, because Ahitofel suggested attacking you all immediately.” 22 So David and everyone with him moved on and crossed the Yordan in the night, and by dawn there were all across.

23 When Ahitofel saw that his advice hadn’t been taken, he saddled his donkey and rode to his city. He gave instructions to his household, then he hanged himself. His body was buried in his father’s tomb.

24 Meanwhile, David arrived at Mahanayim, but Abshalom and all his men had crossed over the Yordan. 25 As the replacement for Yoav as army commander, Abshalom had appointed Amasa. (He was Yeter’s son, and his mother was Nahash’s daughter Abigail who was the sister of Yoav’s mother Tseruyah.) 26 Abshalom and his men camped in the Gilead region.

27 While David was in Mahanayim, Shovi (Nahash’s son from Rabbah), Machir (Ammiyel’s son from Lo-Debar), and Barzillai (the Gileadite from Rogelim) 28 brought bedding and basins, clay pots, wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, 29 honey and yogurt, sheep and cheese for David and the people with him to eat because they knew that they’d be hungry and tired and thirsty there in the wilderness.