17
And they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest and laid a very great heap of stones upon him; and all Israel fled each one to his tent.
18
Now Absalom, while he was alive, had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which
is in the king’s valley; 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 unto this day, Absalom’s place. {Heb. hand}
19
Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me now run and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD has vindicated him of his enemies.
20
And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings today, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings because the king’s son is dead.
21
And Joab said to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab and ran.
22
Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said yet again unto Joab, Be what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt receive no reward for the tidings?
23
But,
said he, let me run, be what may. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and overran Cushi.
24
And David sat between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold a man running alone.
25
And the watchman cried and told the king. And the king said, If he
is alone, he brings good news.
And while he kept on drawing near,
26
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.
27
And 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 comes with good tidings.