11. So I would advise that all the Israelites, from Dan to Beer-sheba—a group as countless as sand on the seashore—be summoned to join you, and that you yourself go into battle.
12. When we attack him wherever he might be, we will fall on him like dew that falls on the ground. No one will survive—not him and not one of the soldiers who are with him!
13. If he retreats into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into a valley until not even a pebble of it will be found."
14. Then Absalom and everyone in Israel agreed, "The advice of Hushai from Erek is better than Ahithophel’s advice." This was because the Lord had decided to counter Ahithophel’s good advice so that the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.
15. Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "Here is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the Israelite elders, and here is what I advised.
16. Now send word immediately to David and tell him, ‘Don’t spend the night in the desert plains. You must cross over immediately. Otherwise, the king and all the troops who are with him will be swallowed up whole.’"
17. Jonathan and Ahimaaz were standing by at En-rogel. A female servant would come and report to them, and they would then travel and report to King David because they couldn’t risk being seen entering the city.
18. But a boy saw them and reported it to Absalom. So the two of them left immediately and came to a man’s house at Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.
19. The man’s wife took a covering and spread it over the well’s opening, then scattered grain over it so no one would notice.
20. When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house they demanded, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?"The woman told them, "They crossed over the stream." They looked for them but found nothing, so they returned to Jerusalem.
21. After they had left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went and reported to King David, "Get up! Cross the water immediately because Ahithophel has made plans against you!"
22. So David and all the troops who were with him got up and crossed the Jordan River. By daybreak there was no one left who hadn’t crossed the Jordan.
23. Meanwhile, once Ahithophel saw that his advice hadn’t been followed, he saddled his donkey and went home to his own town. He gave instructions to his household, then hanged himself and died. He was buried in his father’s tomb.
24. David had reached Mahanaim by the time Absalom and all the Israelites who were with him crossed the Jordan River.
25. Absalom had put Amasa in charge of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, an Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, who was Nahash’s daughter and the sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.
26. Israel and Absalom camped in the territory of Gilead.