Parallel Bible results for "2 samuel 18"

2 Samuel 18

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!"

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 David took a census of the people who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.

2 Then David dispatched the people, a third of them under the command of Yo'av, a third under Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah, Yo'av's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gitti; and the king said to the people, "I will also go out with you, myself."

3 But the people replied, "Don't go out; because if we flee, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; so it is better now that you stay in the city and be ready if we need help."

4 The king answered them, "I will do whatever you think best." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 The king gave orders to Yo'av, Avishai and Ittai, "For my sake, deal gently with young Avshalom."All the people were listening when the king gave all the commanders this order concerning Avshalom.

6 So the people went out into the field against Isra'el; the battle took place in the forest of Efrayim.

7 The people of Isra'el were defeated there by David's servants; there was a terrible slaughter that day of 20,000 men.

8 For the battle there was spread all over the countryside; the forest devoured more people that day than did the sword.

9 Avshalom happened to meet some of David's servants. Avshalom was riding his mule, and as the mule walked under the thick branches of a big terebinth tree, his head got caught in the terebinth, so that he was left hanging between earth and sky, as the mule went on from under him.

10 Someone saw it and told Yo'av, "I saw Avshalom hanging in a terebinth."

11 Yo'av asked the man who told him, "Here now, you saw it; so why didn't you strike him to the ground then and there? I would have had to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt besides."

12 The man replied to Yo'av, "Even if I were to get a thousand pieces of silver, I still wouldn't raise my hand against the son of the king! After all, while we were listening, the king ordered you, Avishai and Ittai, 'Be careful that no one touches young Avshalom.'

13 Or, if I had pretended that I didn't know, the king would have known otherwise anyway; and you wouldn't have interceded for me either."

14 Yo'av said, "I can't waste time arguing with you!" He took three darts in his hand and rammed them through Avshalom's heart while he was still alive, hanging from the terebinth.

15 Then Yo'av's ten young armor-bearers surrounded Avshalom, struck him and killed him.

16 Yo'av sounded the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing Isra'el, because Yo'av held back the troops.

17 They took Avshalom and threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled a big heap of stones over him. All Isra'el fled, each one to his tent.

18 In his own lifetime Avshalom had taken and raised for himself the pillar which stands in the King's Valley; because he said, "I don't have a son to preserve the memory of my name." So he named the pillar after himself, and it's called Avshalom's Monument to this day.

19 Then Achima'atz the son of Tzadok said, "Let me run now and bring news to the king that ADONAI has judged in his favor by releasing him from his enemies."

20 Yo'av said to him, "You are not to be the one to bring the news today; you can convey news another day; but today you will not bring news, because the king's son is dead."

21 Then Yo'av said to the Ethiopian, "Go, tell the king what you saw."The Ethiopian bowed to Yo'av, then ran off.

22 But Achima'atz the son of Tzadok said again to Yo'av, "Come what may, please let me also run after the Ethiopian." Yo'av answered, "Why do you want to run, my son? You won't receive any reward for bringing the news."

23 "I don't care - whatever happens, I want to run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Achima'atz ran by the road through the desert flats and outran the Ethiopian.

24 David was sitting between the two gates. A watchman went up to the roof of the gate and out onto the wall, raised his eyes, looked, and saw there a man running by himself.

25 The watchman cried out and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, he has good news to tell."As he ran along and came close,

26 the watchman saw another man running and called to the gatekeeper, "There's another man running by himself."The king said, "He too must have good news."

27 The watchman said, "The first one runs like Achima'atz the son of Tzadok."The king said, "He's a good man, he comes with good news."

28 Achima'atz called to the king, "Shalom," prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Blessed be ADONAI your God, who has handed over the men who rebelled against my lord the king."

29 The king asked, "Is everything all right with young Avshalom?" Achima'atz answered, "When Yo'av sent the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a big commotion; but I didn't know what it was."

30 The king said, "Go, and stand over there." So he went and stood there.

31 Then up came the Ethiopian, and the Ethiopian said, "There's good news for my lord the king, for ADONAI has judged in your favor and rid you of all those who rebelled against you."

32 The king asked the Ethiopian, "Is everything all right with young Avshalom?"The Ethiopian answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you in order to harm you be as that young man is."

33 Trembling, the king went up to the room over the gate, weeping and crying, "Oh, my son Avshalom! My son! My son Avshalom! If only I had died instead of you! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!"