17 (A)Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz (B)stayed at (C)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 (D)in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down into it. 19 (E)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 (F)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.

Read full chapter

17 Jonathan(A) and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel.(B) 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.(C) 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.(D)

20 When Absalom’s men came to the woman(E) 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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 17:20 Or “They passed by the sheep pen toward the water.”