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 inspecteth the people who [are] with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,
2 And David sent forth a third part of the people 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 sendeth the third of the people by the hand of Joab, and the third by the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and the third by the hand of Ittai the Gittite, and the king saith unto the people, 'I certainly go out — I also — with you.'
3 But the people answered, You shall 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 now you are worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that you help us out of the city.
And the people say, 'Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set [their] heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set [their] heart unto us — for now like us [are] ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.'
4 And the king said unto them, What seems you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
And the king saith unto them, 'That which is good in your eyes I do;' and the king standeth at the side of the gate, and all the people have gone 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 chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, 'Gently — for me, for the youth, for Absalom;' and all the people heard in the king's charging all the heads concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim;
7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day — twenty thousand;
8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
and the battle is there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplieth to devour among the people more than those whom the sword hath devoured in that day.
9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
And Absalom meeteth before the servants of David, and Absalom is riding on the mule, and the mule cometh in under an entangled bough of the great oak, and his head taketh hold on the oak, and he is placed between the heavens and the earth, and the mule that [is] under him hath passed on.
10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, 'Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.'
11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, you saw him, and why did you not strike him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
And Joab saith to the man who is declaring [it] to him, 'And lo, thou hast seen — and wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earth — and on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?'
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
And the man saith unto Joab, 'Yea, though I am weighing on my hand a thousand silverlings, I do not put forth my hand unto the son of the king; for in our ears hath the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Observe ye who [is] against the youth — against Absalom;
13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.
or I had done against my soul a vain thing, and no matter is hid from the king, and thou — thou dost station thyself over-against.'
14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with you. 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 oak.
And Joab saith, 'Not right — I tarry before thee;' and he taketh three darts in his hand, and striketh them into the heart of Absalom, while he [is] alive, in the midst of the oak.
15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and stroke Absalom, and slew him.
And they go round — ten youths bearing weapons of Joab — and smite Absalom, and put him to death.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
and they take Absalom and cast him in the forest unto the great pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones, and all Israel have fled — each to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a 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 unto this day, Absalom's place.
And Absalom hath taken, and setteth up for himself in his life, the standing-pillar that [is] in the king's valley, for he said, 'I have no son to cause my name to be remembered;' and he calleth the standing-pillar by his own name, and it is called 'The monument of Absalom' unto this day.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.
And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, 'Let me run, I pray thee, and I bear the king tidings, for Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of his enemies;'
20 And Joab said unto him, You shall not bear tidings this day, but you shall bear tidings another day: but this day you shall bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
and Joab saith to him, 'Thou art not a man of tidings this day, but thou hast borne tidings on another day, and this day thou dost not bear tidings, because the king's son [is] dead.'
21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what you have seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
And Joab saith to Cushi, 'Go, declare to the king that which thou hast seen;' and Cushi boweth himself to Joab, and runneth.
22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray you, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore will you run, my son, seeing that you have no tidings ready?
And Ahimaaz son of Zadok addeth again, and saith unto Joab, 'And whatever it be, let me run, I pray thee, I also, after the Cushite.' And Joab saith, 'Why [is] this — thou art running, my son, and for thee there are no tidings found?' —
23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran Cushi.
'And, whatever it be, [said he, ] let me run.' And he saith to him, 'Run;' and Ahimaaz runneth the way of the circuit, and passeth by the Cushite.
24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
And David is sitting between the two gates, and the watchman goeth unto the roof of the gate, unto the wall, and lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, a man running by himself.
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 swiftly, and drew near.
And the watchman calleth, and declareth to the king, and the king saith, 'If by himself, tidings [are] in his mouth;' and he cometh, coming on and drawing near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the gate keeper, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings tidings.
And the watchman seeth another man running, and the watchman calleth unto the gatekeeper, and saith, 'Lo, a man running by himself;' and the king saith, 'Also this one is bearing tidings.'
27 And the watchman said, It seems to me that 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 comes with good tidings.
And the watchman saith, 'I see the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.' And the king saith, 'This [is] a good man, and with good tidings he cometh.'
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD your God, which has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
And Ahimaaz calleth and saith unto the king, 'Peace;' and he boweth himself to the king, on his face, to the earth, and saith, 'Blessed [is] Jehovah thy God who hath shut up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.'
29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
And the king saith, 'Peace to the youth — to Absalom?' And Ahimaaz saith, 'I saw the great multitude, at the sending away of the servant of the king, even thy servant [by] Joab, and I have not known what [it is].'
30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
And the king saith, 'Turn round, station thyself here;' and he turneth round and standeth still.
31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD has avenged you this day of all them that rose up against you.
And lo, the Cushite hath come, and the Cushite saith, 'Let tidings be proclaimed, my lord, O king; for Jehovah hath delivered thee to-day out of the hand of all those rising up against thee.'
32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against you to do you hurt, be as that young man is.
And the king saith unto the Cushite, 'Peace to the youth — to Absalom?' And the Cushite saith, 'Let them be — as the youth — the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee for evil.'
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 God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son!
And the king trembleth, and goeth up on the upper chamber of the gate, and weepeth, and thus he hath said in his going, 'My son! Absalom my son; my son Absalom; oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son.'
