2 Samuel 18
1 Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of hundreds and of thousands.
And so David, having reviewed his people, appointed over them tribunes and centurions.
2 He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”
And he placed a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Ittai, who was from Gath. And the king said to the people, “I, too, will go forth with you.”
3 But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better for now if you support us from the city.”
And the people responded: “You shall not go out. For if we flee, there will not be great concern in them for us. Or if one half part of us will fall, they will not care much. For you are considered as one for ten thousand. Therefore, it is better that you should be in the city to strengthen us.”
4 “I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
And the king said to them, “I will do whatever seems good to you.” Therefore, the king stood beside the gate. And the people went out by their troops, by hundreds and by thousands.
5 Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.
And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Preserve for me the boy Absalom.” And all the people heard the king commanding all the leaders on behalf of Absalom.
6 So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel in the battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.
And so, the people departed into the field against Israel. And the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.
And the people of Israel were cut down in that place by the army of David. And a great slaughter occurred on that day: twenty thousand men.
8 The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.
Now the battle in that place was dispersed over the face of all the land. And there were many more of the people whom the forest had consumed, than the sword had devoured, on that day.
9 Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair.
Then it happened that Absalom, riding on a mule, met the servants of David. And when the mule had entered under a thick and large oak tree, his head became trapped in the oak. And while he was suspended between heaven and earth, the mule on which he had been sitting continued on.
10 When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
Then a certain one saw this and reported it to Joab, saying, “I saw Absalom hanging from an oak.”
11 “You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!”
And Joab said to the man who had reported it to him, “If you saw him, why did you not stab him to the ground, and I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt?”
12 The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
And he said to Joab: “Even if you weighed out to my hands one thousand silver coins, I would never lay my hands on the son of the king. For in our hearing the king ordered you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Keep for me the boy Absalom.’
13 If I had jeopardized my own life —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”
Then too, if I had acted with such audacity, against my own life, this would never have been able to be hidden from the king. And would you then have stood by my side?”
14 But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.
And Joab said, “It will not be as you wish. Instead, I will be assailing him in your sight.” Then he took three lances in his hand, and he fixed them in the heart of Absalom. And while he was still clinging to life upon the oak,
15 And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
ten young men, armor bearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him, they killed him.
16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.
Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and he held back the people, lest they pursue Israel in their flight, for he was willing to spare the multitude.
17 They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home.
And they took Absalom, and they threw him into a great pit in the forest. And they piled an exceedingly great heap of stones over him. But all of Israel fled to their own tents.
18 During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.
Now Absalom had raised up for himself, when he was still alive, a monument, which is in the Valley of the King. For he said, “I have no son, and so this shall be the memorial to my name.” And he called the monument by his own name. And it is called the Hand of Absalom, even to this day.
19 Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, “I will run and report to the king that the Lord has accomplished judgment for him, from the hand of his enemies.”
20 But Joab replied, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
And Joab said to him: “You shall not be the messenger on this day. Instead, you shall report on another day. I am not willing for you to give the report today, because the son of the king is dead.”
21 So Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.
Then Joab said to Hushai, “Go, and report to the king what you have seen.” Hushai reverenced Joab, and he ran.
22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “Regardless of whatever may happen, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” “My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?”
And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab again, “What prevents me from running after Hushai also?” And Joab said to him: “Why do you want to run, my son? You would not be the bearer of good news.”
23 “No matter what, I want to run!” he replied. “Then run!” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
And he responded, “But what if I do run?” And he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz, running along a shorter way, passed Hushai.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone.
Now David was sitting between the two gates. Truly, the watchman, who was at the summit of the gate upon the wall, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running alone.
25 So he called out and told the king. “If he is alone,” the king replied, “he bears good news.” As the first runner drew near,
And crying out, he told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth.” But as he was advancing and drawing nearer,
26 the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” “This one also brings good news,” said the king.
the watchman saw another man running. And so, crying out from the height, he said: “Another man has appeared, running alone.” And the king said, “This one also is a good messenger.”
27 The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”
Then the watchman said, “The running of the closest one seems like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man, and he arrives bearing good news.”
28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” And he bowed facedown before the king. He continued, “Blessed be the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.”
Then, Ahimaaz, crying out, said to the king, “Be well, O king.” And reverencing the king prone on the ground before him, he said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has enclosed the men who had lifted up their hands against my lord the king.”
29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”
And the king said, “Is there peace for the boy Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said: “I saw a great tumult, O king, when your servant Joab sent me, your servant. I know nothing else.”
30 “Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside.
And the king said to him, “Pass, and stand here.” And when he had passed and stood still,
31 Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!”
Hushai appeared. And approaching, he said: “I bear good news, my lord the king. For today the Lord has judged for you, from the hand of all who had risen up against you.”
32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And the Cushite replied, “May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you to harm you.”
But the king said to Hushai, “Is there peace for the boy Absalom?” And responding, Hushai said to him, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against him for evil, be as the boy is.”
33 The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
And so the king, being greatly saddened, ascended to the upper room of the gate, and he wept. And as he went, he was speaking in this manner: “My son Absalom! Absalom my son! Who can grant to me that I may die on your behalf? Absalom, my son! My son, Absalom!”
