SECOND
SAMUEL
2 Samuel Chapter 18
1
¶ David numbered the men who were with him, and appointed commanders
over thousands and commanders over hundreds.
2
And David sent out one third of the army under the leadership of Joab, one third under the leadership of Abishai
the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s
brother, and one third under the leadership of Ittai
the Gittite. And the king said to the men, I myself
will also go out with you.
3
But the men insisted, You should not go: for if we
flee, they will not care about us; if half of us die, they will not care about
us: but you are worth ten thousand of us: therefore it would be
better for you to send us help from the city.
4
So the king said to them, I will do whatever seems best to you. Then the king
stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by
thousands.
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 orders
to the commanders concerning Absalom.
6
So the army went out into the field against
7
Where the men of
8
For the battle spread over the entire region: and the forest claimed more men
that day than the sword.
9
¶ Then Absalom, who was riding on a mule, encountered the servants of David.
And his mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught
fast in the oak, and the mule he was riding ran away, leaving him hanging
between the heavens and the earth.
10
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab,
saying, I saw Absalom hanging from an oak.
11
And Joab said to the man who told him, You saw him,
why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you
ten shekels of silver, and a belt.
12
And the man said to Joab, Even if a thousand shekels
of silver were placed in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s
son: for we heard the king command you Abishai and Ittai, saying, Make sure that no one harms the young
man Absalom.
13
Otherwise I would have jeopardized my own life: for nothing is hidden from the
king, and you yourself would have sided against me.
14
Then Joab said, I will not
waste time like this with you. And he took three spears in his hand, and thrust
them through the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive in the midst
of the oak.
15
And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded
and struck Absalom, and killed him.
16
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops returned
from pursuing
17
And they took Absalom, and threw him into a great pit in the forest, and piled
a very great heap of stones on him: and all of
18
Now in his lifetime Absalom had raised 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 named the pillar after himself: and to this day it is
called, Absalom’s place.
19
¶ Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok
said, Let me now run, and carry the news to the king, that the LORD has avenged
him on his enemies.
20
But Joab said to him, You
shall not carry the news today, you may carry the news another
day: but on this day you shall carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.
21
Then Joab said to Cushi, Go
tell the king what you have seen. And Cushi bowed
himself to Joab, and ran.
22
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok
again said to Joab, But, I beg you, at least let me
follow Cushi. But Joab
said, Why would you go, my son, seeing that you have
no additional news?
23
But, he said, let me run after him anyway. And he said, Run. Then
Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and got ahead of
Cushi.
24
Now David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the
roof over the gate by the wall, and looked out, and saw a man running alone.
25
And the watchman shouted to the king. And the king said, If
he is alone, he has news to tell. And he came on, and drew near.
26
And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called to the
porter, and said, I see another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings news.
27
And the watchman said, I think that the man in front runs like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the
king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news.
28
And Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face
before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD
your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord
the king.
29
And the king asked, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz
answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, sent me
your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.
30
And the king said to him, Turn aside, and stand
here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
31
And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi
said, News, my lord the king: for today the LORD has avenged you on all those
who rose up against you.
32
And the king said to Cushi, Is the young man Absalom
safe? And Cushi answered, May the enemies of my lord
the king, and all who rise against you to do you harm, be as that
young man is.
33
And the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and
wept: and as he went, he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! if only I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son!