11. I give the advice that all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba should be completely gathered to you, as the sand which is on the seashore for abundance, with you personally going into the battle.
12. Then we will come to him in one of the places where he may be found, and we shall come upon him as the dew falls on the ground. He and all the men who are with him will not survive, not even one!
13. Even if he withdraws to a city, all Israel will bring up ropes to that city, and they will drag him away to the valley until there is not even a pebble to be found.”
14. Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” (Now Yahweh had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel in order for Yahweh to bring misery upon Absalom).
15. Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “Thus and so Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, but thus and so I have advised.
16. So then, send quickly and tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night at the fords of the wilderness! Moreover, by all means cross over lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’ ”
17. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel, so a servant girl used to go and tell them, then they would go and tell King David, for they were not able to be seen coming to the city.
18. But a young man saw them and told Absalom, so both of them went quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim. Now he had a well in his courtyard, so they went down there.
19. Then the woman took and spread a covering over the opening of the well; then she spread out dried grain on it, so nothing was discovered.
20. When the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And she said to them, “They crossed over the brook of water.” So they searched but could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
21. After they left, they came up from the well and went and told King David. They said to David, “Set out and cross over the water quickly, for thus Ahithophel has advised against you.”
22. So David and all the people who were with him set out, and they crossed over the Jordan until morning light until there was no one missing who had not crossed over the Jordan.
23. When Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled the donkey, and he set out and went up to his house in his city. After he set his house in order, he hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors.
24. Now David had come to Mahanaim, and Absalom had crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.