²⁰ “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

³³ The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died^(A) instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”^[a](B)

²⁹ The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”

²⁷ The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like^(A) Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”

“He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”

⁵ The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.

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.”