18:1 David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
18:2 David sent the troops out–a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.”
18:3 But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”
18:4 The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate while all the men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands.
18:5 The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.
18:6 The army marched into the field to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
18:7 There the army of Israel was defeated by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great–twenty thousand men.
18:8 The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword.
18:9 Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.
18:10 When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”
18:11 Joab said to the man who had told him this, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt.”
18:12 But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lift my hand against the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
18:13 And if I had put my life in jeopardy–and nothing is hidden from the king–you would have kept your distance from me.”
18:14 Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.
18:15 And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.
18:16 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them.
18:17 They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.
18:18 During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
18:19 Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.”
18:20 “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
18:21 Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.
18:22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.” But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”
18:23 He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
18:24 While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone.
18:25 The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the man came closer and closer.
18:26 Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!” The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.”
18:27 The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”
18:28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”
18:29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”
18:30 The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.
18:31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The LORD has delivered you today from all who rose up against you.”
18:32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”
18:33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you–O Absalom, my son, my son!”
18:1 Then David mustered the people who were with him, and he set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
18:2 And David sent the people out, a third under the hand of Joab and a third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, I myself will surely go forth with you also.
18:3 But the people said, You shall not go forth; for if we flee off, they will not care about us; and if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore it is better for you to be available to help us from the city.
18:4 And the king said to them, What seems best in your sight I will do. So the king stood at the side of the gate, and all the people went forth by hundreds and by thousands.
18:5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave the command to all the captains concerning Absalom.
18:6 And the people went forth into the field against Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
18:7 And the people of Israel were struck there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter of twenty thousand there on that day.
18:8 And the battle was spread there over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
18:9 And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David, and Absalom was riding upon his mule. And the mule went under the tangled branches of a great terebinth; and his head was caught in the terebinth, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth while the mule that was under him went on.
18:10 And a certain man saw this; and he told Joab and said, I have just seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
18:11 And Joab said to the man who told him this, And you have just seen this. Why did you not strike him down to the ground there? For I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.
18:12 And the man said to Joab, Though I would receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put forth my hand against the son of the king; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care of the young man Absalom, whoever you be.
18:13 On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously with his life (there is nothing hidden from the king), you would have set yourself against me.
18:14 Then Joab said, I will not linger here with you. And he took three staves in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth.
18:15 And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom and struck him, and they killed him.
18:16 And Joab blew the trumpet; and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab restrained the people.
18:17 And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest, and they cast up over him a very great mound of stones. And all Israel fled, every man to his tent.
18:18 Now Absalom, while he was alive, had taken a pillar which was in the king’s valley and raised it up for himself, for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. And he called the pillar by his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
18:19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me now run and announce the news to the king, that Jehovah has avenged him of his enemies.
18:20 And Joab said to him, You shall not be the bearer of the news this day, but you shall announce the news on another day; yet on this day you shall not announce the news, for the king’s son is dead.
18:21 And Joab said to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what you have seen. And the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.
18:22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, But come what may, let me also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?
18:23 But come what may, he said, I will run. And he said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed the Cushite.
18:24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up on the roof of the gate to the wall; and lifted up his eyes and looked, and there came a man running alone.
18:25 And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there is news in his mouth. And he continued coming and drew near.
18:26 Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called out to the gatekeeper and said, Here comes a man running alone. And the king said, This one also brings news.
18:27 And the watchman said, I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man and comes with good news.
18:28 And Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, All is well; and he bowed down to the king on his face to the ground. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah your God, who has delivered up the men who have lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
18:29 And the king said, Is all well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, When Joab sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.
18:30 And the king said, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside and stood there.
18:31 Just then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Good news for my lord the king, for today Jehovah has avenged you of all who have risen up against you.
18:32 And the king said to the Cushite, Is all well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite said, May the enemies of my lord the king and all those who rise up against you to harm you be like that young man!
18:33 And the king was badly shaken, and he went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he spoke thus, O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son!