2 Samuel 18 (New American Standard)

Absalom Slain

1 Then David ^anumbered the people who were with him and ¹set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 David sent the people out, ²one third under the ^bcommand of Joab, one third under the ^ccommand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the ^dcommand of ³Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, "I myself will surely go out with you also." 3 But the people said, "⁴You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But ^eyou are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city." 4 Then the king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So ⁵the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. 5 The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And ⁶all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom. 6 Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in ⁷the forest of Ephraim. 7 The people of Israel were ^fdefeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. 8 For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. 9 Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And ⁸his head caught fast in the oak, so he was ^gleft hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. 10 When a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak." 11 Then Joab said to the man who had told him, "Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground ? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt." 12 The man said to Joab, "Even if I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king's son ; for ⁹in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, '^hProtect for me the young man Absalom !' 13 "Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and ¹⁰there is nothing hidden from the king ), then you yourself would have stood aloof ." 14 Then Joab said, "I will not ⁱwaste time here with you." ¹¹So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the ^jmidst of the oak. 15 And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him. 16 Then ¹²Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. 17 They took Absalom and cast him into ^ka deep pit in the forest and ¹³erected over him a very great heap of stones. And ¹⁴all Israel fled, each to his tent. 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and ¹⁵set up for himself a pillar which is in ¹⁶the King's Valley, for he said, "¹⁷I have no son ^lto preserve my name." So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.

David Is Grief-stricken

19 Then ¹⁸Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Please let me run and bring the king news ¹⁹that the LORD has ^mfreed him from the hand of his enemies." 20 But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day ; however, you shall carry no news today because the king's son is dead." 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. 22 Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why would you run, my son, since ²⁰you will have no reward for going ?" 23 "But whatever happens," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed up the Cushite. 24 Now ²¹David was sitting between the two gates ; and ²²the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. 25 The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer. 26 Then the watchman saw another man running ; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "Behold, another man running by himself." And the king said, "This one also is bringing good news." 27 The watchman said, "I ⁿthink the running of the first one ²³is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "²⁴This is a good man and comes with good news." 28 Ahimaaz called and said to the king, "^oAll is well." And ²⁵he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, "²⁶Blessed is the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king." 29 The king said, "²⁷Is it well with the young man Absalom ?" And Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but ²⁸I did not know what it was." 30 Then the king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still. 31 Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, "Let my lord the king receive good news, for ²⁹the LORD has ^pfreed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you." 32 Then the king said to the Cushite, "³⁰Is it well with the young man Absalom ?" And the Cushite answered, "³¹Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man !" 33 ^qThe king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, "³²O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom ! ³³Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son !"