²⁷ The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look,^[a] here is my plan. You and Abiathar^[b] should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan.

¹⁷ Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David.

⁹ (In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, “Let’s go and ask the seer,” for prophets used to be called seers.)

⁵ All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s seer, for God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters.

¹¹ The next morning the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message:

³⁶ and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”

³⁴ Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice.