Parallel Bible results for "2 samuel 18"

2 Samuel 18

The Message Bible MSG

1 David organized his forces. He appointed captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.

2 Then David deployed his troops, a third under Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king then announced, "I'm marching with you."

3 They said, "No, you mustn't march with us. If we're forced to retreat, the enemy won't give it a second thought. And if half of us die, they won't do so either. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It will be better for us if you stay in the city and help from there."

4 "If you say so," said the king. "I'll do what you think is best." And so he stood beside the city gate as the whole army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 Then the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." The whole army heard what the king commanded the three captains regarding Absalom.

6 The army took the field to meet Israel. It turned out that the battle was joined in the Forest of Ephraim.

7 The army of Israel was beaten badly there that day by David's men, a terrific slaughter - twenty thousand men!

8 There was fighting helter-skelter all over the place - the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword!

9 Absalom ran into David's men, but was out in front of them riding his mule, when the mule ran under the branches of a huge oak tree. Absalom's head was caught in the oak and he was left dangling between heaven and earth, the mule running right out from under him.

10 A solitary soldier saw him and reported it to Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree!"

11 Joab said to the man who told him, "If you saw him, why didn't you kill him then and there? I'd have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a fancy belt."

12 The man told Joab, "Even if I'd had a chance at a thousand pieces of silver, I wouldn't have laid a hand on the king's son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, 'For my sake, protect the young man Absalom.'

13 Why, I'd be risking my life, for nothing is hidden from the king. And you would have just stood there!"

14 Joab said, "I can't waste my time with you." He then grabbed three knives and stabbed Absalom in the heart while he was still alive in the tree;

15 by then Absalom was surrounded by ten of Joab's armor bearers; they hacked away at him and killed him.

16 Joab then blew the ram's horn trumpet, calling off the army in its pursuit of Israel.

17 They took Absalom, dumped him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled an immense mound of rocks over him. Meanwhile the whole army of Israel was in flight, each man making his own way home.

18 While alive, Absalom had erected for himself a pillar in the Valley of the King, "because," he said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He inscribed the pillar with his own name. To this day it is called "The Absalom Memorial."

19 Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, said, "Let me run to the king and bring him the good news that God has delivered him from his enemies."

20 But Joab said, "You're not the one to deliver the good news today; some other day, maybe, but it's not 'good news' today." (This was because the king's son was dead.)

21 Then Joab ordered a Cushite, "You go. Tell the king what you've seen." "Yes sir," said the Cushite, and ran off.

22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok kept at it, begging Joab, "What does it matter? Let me run too, following the Cushite." Joab said, "Why all this 'Run, run'? You'll get no thanks for it, I can tell you."

23 "I don't care; let me run." "Okay," said Joab, "run." So Ahimaaz ran, taking the lower valley road, and passed the Cushite.

24 David was sitting between the two gates. The sentry had gone up to the top of the gate on the wall and looked around. He saw a solitary runner.

25 The sentry called down and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, it must be good news!"

26 the sentry saw another runner and called down to the gate, "Another runner all by himself." And the king said, "This also must be good news."

27 Then the sentry said, "I can see the first man now; he runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." "He's a good man," said the king. "He's bringing good news for sure."

28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "Peace!" Then he bowed deeply before the king, his face to the ground. "Blessed be your God; he has handed over the men who rebelled against my master the king."

29 The king asked, "But is the young man Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz said, "I saw a huge ruckus just as Joab was sending me off, but I don't know what it was about."

30 The king said, "Step aside and stand over there." So he stepped aside.

31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, "Good news, my master and king! God has given victory today over all those who rebelled against you!"

32 "But," said the king, "is the young man Absalom all right?" And the Cushite replied, "Would that all of the enemies of my master the king and all who maliciously rose against you end up like that young man."

33 The king was stunned. Heartbroken, he went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he wept he cried out, O my son Absalom, my dear, dear son Absalom! Why not me rather than you, my death and not yours, O Absalom, my dear, dear son!

New Century Version NCV

1 David counted his men and placed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

2 He sent the troops out in three groups. Joab commanded one-third of the men. Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah commanded another third. And Ittai from Gath commanded the last third. King David said to them, "I will also go with you."

3 But the men said, "You must not go with us! If we run away in the battle, Absalom's men won't care. Even if half of us are killed, Absalom's men won't care. But you're worth ten thousand of us! You can help us most by staying in the city."

4 The king said to his people, "I will do what you think is best." So the king stood at the side of the gate as the army went out in groups of a hundred and a thousand.

5 The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "Be gentle with young Absalom for my sake." Everyone heard the king's orders to the commanders about Absalom.

6 David's army went out into the field against Absalom's Israelites, and they fought in the forest of Ephraim.

7 There David's army defeated the Israelites. Many died that day -- twenty thousand men.

8 The battle spread through all the country, but that day more men died in the forest than in the fighting.

9 Then Absalom happened to meet David's troops. As Absalom was riding his mule, it went under the thick branches of a large oak tree. Absalom's head got caught in the tree, and his mule ran out from under him. So Absalom was left hanging above the ground.

10 When one of the men saw it happen, he told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"

11 Joab said to him, "You saw him? Why didn't you kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and four ounces of silver!"

12 The man answered, "I wouldn't touch the king's son even if you gave me twenty-five pounds of silver. We heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, 'Be careful not to hurt young Absalom.'

13 If I had killed him, the king would have found out, and you would not have protected me!"

14 Joab said, "I won't waste time here with you!" Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, so Joab took three spears and stabbed him in the heart.

15 Ten young men who carried Joab's armor also gathered around Absalom and struck him and killed him.

16 Then Joab blew the trumpet, so the troops stopped chasing the Israelites.

17 Then Joab's men took Absalom's body and threw it into a large pit in the forest and filled the pit with many stones. All the Israelites ran away to their homes.

18 When Absalom was alive, he had set up a pillar for himself in the King's Valley. He said, "I have no son to keep my name alive." So he named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument even today.

19 Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab, "Let me run and take the news to King David. I'll tell him the Lord has saved him from his enemies."

20 Joab answered Ahimaaz, "No, you are not the one to take the news today. You may do it another time, but do not take it today, because the king's son is dead."

21 Then Joab said to a man from Cush, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran to tell David.

22 But Ahimaaz son of Zadok begged Joab again, "No matter what happens, please let me go along with the Cushite!" Joab said, "Son, why do you want to carry the news? You won't get any reward."

23 Ahimaaz answered, "No matter what happens, I will run." So Joab said to Ahimaaz, "Run!" Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the Jordan Valley and passed the Cushite.

24 David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the walls, and as he looked up, he saw a man running alone.

25 He shouted the news to the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing good news!" The man came nearer and nearer to the city.

26 Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called to the gatekeeper, "Look! Another man is running alone!" The king said, "He is also bringing good news!"

27 The watchman said, "I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "Ahimaaz is a good man. He must be bringing good news!"

28 Then Ahimaaz called a greeting to the king. He bowed facedown on the ground before the king and said, "Praise the Lord your God! The Lord has defeated those who were against you, my king."

29 The king asked, "Is young Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent me, I saw some great excitement, but I don't know what it was."

30 The king said, "Step over here and wait." So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.

31 Then the Cushite arrived. He said, "Master and king, hear the good news! Today the Lord has punished those who were against you!"

32 The king asked the Cushite, "Is young Absalom all right?" The Cushite answered, "May your enemies and all who come to hurt you be like that young man!"

33 Then the king was very upset, and he went to the room over the city gate and cried. As he went, he cried out, "My son Absalom, my son Absalom! I wish I had died and not you. Absalom, my son, my son!"