16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell Dovid, saying, Spend not halailah (this night) in the plains of the midbar, but speedily cross over; lest HaMelech be swallowed up, and kol haAm that are with him.
17 Now Yonatan and Achima'atz stayed by Ein-Rogel; for they dared not be seen to come into the Ir; and a shifchah went and told them; and they went and told Dovid HaMelech.
18 Nevertheless a na'ar saw them, and told Avshalom; but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a bais ish in Bachurim, which had a be'er (well) in his khatzer; to where they went down.
19 And the isha took and spread a masakh (covering, curtain) over the mouth of the be'er, and spread hulled grain thereon; and the thing was not known.
20 And when the avadim of Avshalom came to the bais to the isha, they said, Where is Achima'atz and Yonatan? And the isha said unto them, They are gone over the brook of mayim. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Yerushalayim.
21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they climbed up out of the be'er (well), and went and told Dovid HaMelech, and said unto Dovid, Arise, and cross quickly over the mayim; for thus hath Achitophel counselled against you.
22 Then Dovid arose, and kol haAm that were with him, and they crossed over Yarden; by the ohr haboker there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Yarden.