II Samuel 18

¹And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

²And 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.

³But 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 succor us out of the city.

⁴And 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.

⁵And 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.

⁶So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.

⁷And 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.

⁸For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹And 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 oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between heaven and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.

¹⁰And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.

¹¹And 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 given thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.

¹²And 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.

¹³Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hid from the king), then thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

¹⁴Then 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 oak.

¹⁵And ten young men that bare Joab’s armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

¹⁶And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime 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.

¹⁹Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that Jehovah hath avenged him of his enemies.

²⁰And 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, because the king’s son is dead.

²¹Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

²²Then 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?

²³But come what may, said he, I will run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.

²⁴Now David was sitting 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.

²⁵And 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.

²⁶And 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.

²⁷And 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.

²⁸And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.

²⁹And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

³⁰And the king said, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.

³¹And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Tidings for my lord the king; for Jehovah hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

³²And 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.

³³And 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!

II Samuel 18

¹And David inspecteth the people who are with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,

²and 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 outI alsowith you.'

³And 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 usfor now like us are ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.'

⁴And 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,

⁵and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, `Gentlyfor me, for the youth, for Absalom;' and all the people heard in the king's charging all the heads concerning Absalom.

⁶And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim;

⁷and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that daytwenty thousand;

⁸and 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.

⁹And 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.

¹⁰And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, `Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.'

¹¹And Joab saith to the man who is declaring it to him, `And lo, thou hast seenand wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earthand on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?'

¹²And 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 youthagainst Absalom;

¹³or I had done against my soul a vain thing, and no matter is hid from the king, and thouthou dost station thyself over-against.'

¹⁴And Joab saith, `Not rightI 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.

¹⁵And they go roundten youths bearing weapons of Joaband smite Absalom, and put him to death.

¹⁶And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;

¹⁷and 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 fledeach to his tent.

¹⁸And 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.

¹⁹And 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;'

²⁰and 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.'

²¹And Joab saith to Cushi, `Go, declare to the king that which thou hast seen;' and Cushi boweth himself to Joab, and runneth.

²²And 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 thisthou art running, my son, and for thee there are no tidings found?'

²³`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.

²⁴And 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.

²⁵And 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.

²⁶And 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.'

²⁷And 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.'

²⁸And 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.'

²⁹And the king saith, `Peace to the youthto 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 .'

³⁰And the king saith, `Turn round, station thyself here;' and he turneth round and standeth still.

³¹And 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.'

³²And the king saith unto the Cushite, `Peace to the youthto Absalom?' And the Cushite saith, `Let them beas the youththe enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee for evil.'

³³And 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.'