²⁰ And Joab said to him, “You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king’s son is dead.”

David’s Mourning for Absalom

³³ Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ^(A)“O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, ^(B)my son!”

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

Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about.”

²⁷ So the watchman said, ^[a]“I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”

And the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with ^(A)good news.”

⁵ Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” ^(A)And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.

¹⁶ Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend this night ^(A)in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’ ” ^17 (B)Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz ^(C)stayed at ^(D)En Rogel, for they dared not be seen coming into the city; so a female servant would come and tell them, and they would go and tell King David. ¹⁸ Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom. But both of them went away quickly and came to a man’s house ^(E)in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down into it. ^19 (F)Then the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known. ²⁰ And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

So ^(G)the woman said to them, “They have gone over the water brook.”

And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. ²¹ Now it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said to David, ^(H)“Arise and cross over the water quickly. For thus has Ahithophel advised against you.”