2 Samuel 18
1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
And David numbered the people with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
2 And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people: 'I will surely go forth with you myself also.'
And David sent away the people, the third part under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son of Saruia, the brother of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethi the Gittite. And David said to the people, I also will surely go out with you.
3 But the people said: 'Thou shalt not go forth; for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; but thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succour us out of the city.'
And they said, You shall not go out: for if we should indeed flee, they will not care for us; and if half of us should die, they will not mind us; for you [are] as ten thousand of us: and now [it is] well that you shall be to us an aid to help us in the city.
4 And the king said unto them: 'What seemeth you best I will do.' And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
And the king said to them, Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I will do. And the king stood by the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying: 'Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.' And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom. And all the people heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Abessalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
And all the people went out into the wood against Israel; and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim.
7 And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter in that day, [even] twenty thousand men.
8 For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed amongst the people in that day.
9 And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth, and his head caught hold of the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went on.
And Abessalom went to meet the servants of David: and Abessalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head was entangled in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth; and the mule passed on from under him.
10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said: 'Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.'
And a man saw it, and reported to Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak.
11 And Joab said unto the man that told him: 'And, behold, thou sawest it, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have had to give thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.'
And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, And, behold, you did see him: why did you not strike him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten [pieces] of silver, and a girdle.
12 And the man said unto Joab: 'Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying: Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
And the man said to Joab, Were I even to receive a thousand shekels of silver, I would not lift my hand against the king's son; for in our ears the king charged you and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Take care of the young man Abessalom for me,
13 Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against mine own life — and there is no matter hid from the king — then thou thyself wouldest have stood aloof.'
so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and you will set yourself against me.
14 Then said Joab: 'I may not tarry thus with thee.' And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth.
And Joab said, I will begin this; I will not thus remain with you. And Joab took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.
15 And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed Abessalom, and struck him and killed him.
16 And Joab blew the horn, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones; and all Israel fled every one to his tent. —
And he took Abessalom, and cast him into a great cavern in the wood, into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled every man to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his life-time had taken and reared up for himself the pillar, which is in the king's dale; for he said: 'I have no son to keep my name in remembrance'; and he called the pillar after his own name; and it is called Absalom's monument unto this day.
Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken and set up for himself the pillar near which he was taken, and set it up so as to have the pillar in the king's dale; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance: and he called the pillar, Abessalom's hand, until this day.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok: 'Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.'
And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said, Let me run now and carry glad tidings to the king, for the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto him: 'Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, forasmuch as the king's son is dead.'
And Joab said to him, You [shall] not [be] a messenger of glad tidings this day; you shall bear them another day; but on this day you shall bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
21 Then said Joab to the Cushite: 'Go tell the king what thou hast seen.' And the Cushite bowed down unto Joab, and ran.
And Joab said to Chusi, Go, report to the king all that you have seen. And Chusi did obeisance to Joab, and went out.
22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab: 'But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite.' And Joab said: 'Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no reward for the tidings?'
And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said again to Joab, Nay, let me also run after Chusi. And Joab said, Why would you thus run, my son? attend, you have no tidings for profit if you go.
23 'But come what may, said he, I will run.' And he said unto him: 'Run.' Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and overran the Cushite.
And he said, Why should I not run? and Joab said to him, Run. And Achimaas ran along the way of Kechar, and outran Chusi.
24 Now David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
And David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone before him.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said: 'If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth.' And he came apace, and drew near.
And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, [there are] good tidings in his mouth. And the man came and drew near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the porter, and said: 'Behold another man running alone.' And the king said: 'He also bringeth tidings.'
And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman cried at the gate, and said, And look, another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings glad tidings.
27 And the watchman said: 'I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.' And the king said: 'He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.'
And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said, He [is] a good man, and will come to [report] glad tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king: 'All is well.' And he bowed down before the king with his face to the earth, and said: 'Blessed be the LORD thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.'
And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, Peace. And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground, and said, Blessed [be] the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hands against my lord the king.
29 And the king said: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And Ahimaaz answered: 'When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.'
And the king said, [Is] the young man Abessalom safe? and Achimaas said, I saw a great multitude [at the time] of Joab's sending the king's servant and your servant, and I knew not what was there.
30 And the king said: 'Turn aside, and stand here.' And he turned aside, and stood still.
And the king said, Turn aside, stand still here. And he turned aside, and stood.
31 And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said: 'Tidings for my lord the king; for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.'
And, behold, Chusi came up, and said to the king, Let my lord the king hear glad tidings, for the Lord has avenged you this day upon all them that rose up against you.
32 And the king said unto the Cushite: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And the Cushite answered: 'The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.'
And the king said to Chusi, Is it well with the young man Abessalom? and Chusi said, Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all whoever have risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he said: 'O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!'
And the king was troubled, and went to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and thus he said as he went, My son Abessalom, my son, my son Abessalom; would God I had died for you, [even] I [had died] for you, Abessalom, my son, my son!
