2 Samuel 18

1Then DavidH1732 reviewedH6485 his troopsH5971 and appointedH7760 over themH5921 commandersH8269 of thousandsH505 and of hundredsH3967H8269. 2HeH1732 sent outH7971 the troopsH5971, a thirdH7992H3027 under JoabH3097, a thirdH7992H3027 under Joab’sH3097 brotherH251 AbishaiH52 sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870, and a thirdH7992H3027 under IttaiH863 the GittiteH1663. And the kingH4428 saidH559 toH413 the troopsH5971, “IH589 will surely march outH3318 with youH5973 as wellH1571.”

3But the peopleH5971 pleadedH559, “You must notH3808 go outH3318! ForH3588 ifH518 we have to fleeH5127, they will not careH3808H7760H3820 about usH413. Even ifH518 half of usH2677 dieH4191, they will notH3808 careH7760H3820. ButH3588 you are worthH3644 tenH6235 thousand of usH505.1 It is betterH2896 nowH6258 ifH3588 youH1961 supportH5826 us from the cityH5892.”

4“I will doH6213 whateverH834 seems bestH3190 to youH5869,” the kingH4428 repliedH559. So heH4428 stoodH5975 besideH413H3027 the gateH8179, while allH3605 the troopsH5971 marched outH3318 by hundredsH3967 and by thousandsH505.

5Now the kingH4428 had commandedH6680 JoabH3097, AbishaiH52, and IttaiH863H559, “Treat the young manH5288 AbsalomH53 gentlyH328 for my sake.” And allH3605 the peopleH5971 heardH8085 the king’sH4428 ordersH6680 to eachH3605 of the commandersH8269 regardingH5921H1697 AbsalomH53.

6So David’s armyH5971 marchedH3318 into the fieldH7704 to engageH7122 IsraelH3478, and the battleH4421 took placeH1961 in the forestH3293 of EphraimH669. 7ThereH8033 the peopleH5971 of IsraelH3478 were defeatedH5062 byH6440 David’sH1732 servantsH5650, and the slaughterH4046 wasH1961H8033 greatH1419 thatH1931 dayH3117—twentyH6242 thousandH505 men. 8The battleH4421 spreadH6327 overH5921H6440 the wholeH3605 countrysideH776, and thatH1931 dayH3117 the forestH3293 devouredH398 moreH7235 peopleH5971 thanH834H398 the swordH2719.

9Now AbsalomH53H6440 was ridingH7392 onH5921 his muleH6505 when heH53 metH7122 the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732, and as the muleH6505 wentH935 underH8478 the thick branchesH7730 of a largeH1419 oakH424,2 Absalom’s headH7218 was caught fastH2388 in the treeH424. The muleH6505 under himH8478 kept goingH5674, so that he was suspendedH5414 in midairH996H8064H776. 10When oneH259 of the menH376 saw thisH7200, he toldH5046 JoabH3097, “I justH2009 sawH7200 AbsalomH53 hangingH8518 in an oak treeH424!”

11“You justH2009 saw himH7200!” JoabH3097 exclaimedH559. “WhyH4069 did you notH3808 strike himH5221 to the groundH776H5921 right thereH8033? I would have givenH5414 you tenH6235 shekels of silverH37013 and aH259 warrior’s beltH2290!”

12The manH376 repliedH559, “Even ifH3863 a thousandH505 shekels of silverH37014 were weighed outH8254 intoH5921 my handsH3709, I would notH3808 raiseH7971 my handH3027 againstH413 the sonH1121 of the kingH4428. ForH3588 we heardH241 the kingH4428 command youH6680 and AbishaiH52 and IttaiH863H559, ‘ProtectH8104 the young manH5288 AbsalomH53 for my sake.5’ 13IfH176 I had jeopardizedH6213H8267H3605H1697 my own lifeH53156—and nothingH3808 is hiddenH3582 fromH4480 the kingH4428—youH859 would have abandonedH3320 meH5048.”

14But JoabH3097 declaredH559, “I am notH3808 going to waitH3176 like thisH3651 with youH6440!” And he tookH3947 threeH7969 spearsH7626 in his handH3709 and thrust themH8628 through the heartH3820 of AbsalomH53 while he was stillH5750 aliveH2416H3820 in the oak treeH424. 15And tenH6235 young menH5288 who carriedH5375 Joab’sH3097 armorH3627 surroundedH5437 AbsalomH53, struckH5221 himH853, and killed himH4191.

16Then JoabH3097 blewH8628 the ram’s hornH7782, and the troopsH5971 broke offH7725 their pursuitH7291H310 of IsraelH3478 becauseH3588 JoabH3097 had restrained themH2820H5971. 17They tookH3947 AbsalomH53, castH7993 himH853 intoH413 a largeH1419 pitH6354 in the forestH3293, and piledH5324 a hugeH1419H3966 moundH1530 of stonesH68 over himH5921. Meanwhile, allH3605 the IsraelitesH3478 fledH5127, eachH376 to his homeH168.

18During his lifetimeH2416, AbsalomH53H3947 had set upH5324 for himself a pillarH4678 in the King’sH4428 ValleyH6010, forH3588 he had saidH559, “I have noH369 sonH1121 toH5668 preserve the memoryH2142 of my nameH8034.” So he gaveH7121 the pillarH4678H5921 his nameH8034, and toH5704 thisH2088 dayH3117 it is calledH7121 Absalom’sH53 MonumentH3027.

David Mourns for Absalom

19Then AhimaazH290 sonH1121 of ZadokH6659 saidH559, “PleaseH4994 let me runH7323 and tell the kingH4428 the good newsH1319 thatH3588 the LORDH3068 has avenged himH8199 ofH3027 his enemiesH341.”

20But JoabH3097 repliedH559, “YouH859 are notH3808 the manH376 to take good newsH1309 todayH3117H2088. You may doH1319 it anotherH312 dayH3117, but you must notH3808 do so todayH3117H2088, becauseH3588H5921 the king’sH4428 sonH1121 is deadH4191.”

21So JoabH3097 saidH559 to a CushiteH3569, “GoH1980, tellH5046 the kingH4428 whatH834 you have seenH7200.” The CushiteH3569 bowedH7812 to JoabH3097 and took off runningH7323.

22AhimaazH290 sonH1121 of ZadokH6659, however, persistedH3254H5750 and saidH559 toH413 JoabH3097H1961, “No matter whatH4100, pleaseH4994 let meH589 alsoH1571 runH7323 behindH310 the CushiteH3569!”

“My sonH1121,” JoabH3097 repliedH559, “whyH4100H2088 do youH859 want to runH7323, since you will notH369 receiveH4672 a rewardH1309?”

23“No matter whatH4100, I want to runH7323!” he repliedH1961.

“Then runH7323!” Joab toldH559 him.

So AhimaazH290 ranH7323 by wayH1870 of the plainH36037 and outranH5674 the CushiteH3569.

24Now DavidH1732 was sittingH3427 betweenH996 the twoH8147 gatesH8179 when the watchmanH6822 went upH1980 toH413 the roofH1406 of the gatewayH8179 byH413 the wallH2346, looked outH5375, and sawH7200H2009 a manH376 running aloneH7323H905. 25SoH6822 he called outH7121 and toldH5046 the kingH4428.

“If he is aloneH518H905,” the kingH4428 repliedH559, “he bearsH6310 good newsH1309.”

As the first runner drewH1980 nearH7131, 26the watchmanH6822 sawH7200 anotherH312 manH376 runningH7323, and he called outH7121H6822 toH413 the gatekeeperH7778, “LookH2009! Another manH376 is running aloneH7323H905!”

“ThisH2088 one alsoH1571 brings good newsH1319,” saidH559 the kingH4428.

27The watchmanH6822 saidH559, “The first manH7223 appearsH7200 to meH589 to be runningH4794 like AhimaazH290 sonH1121 of ZadokH6659.”

“ThisH2088 is a goodH2896 manH376,” saidH559 the kingH4428. “He comesH935 withH413 goodH2896 newsH1309.”

28Then AhimaazH290 called outH7121 toH413 the kingH4428, “All is wellH7965!” And he bowedH7812 facedownH639H776 before the kingH4428.

He continuedH559, “BlessedH1288 be the LORDH3068 your GodH430! He has delivered upH5462 the menH582 whoH834 raisedH5375 their handsH3027 against my lordH113 the kingH4428.”

29The kingH4428 askedH559, “Is the young manH5288 AbsalomH53 all rightH7965?”

And AhimaazH290 repliedH559, “When JoabH3097 sentH7971 the king’sH4428 servantH5650 and your servantH5650, I sawH7200 a greatH1419 tumultH1995, but I do notH3808 knowH3045 what it wasH4100.”

30“Move asideH5437,” saidH559 the kingH4428, “and standH3320 hereH3541.”

So he steppedH5975 asideH5437.

31Just thenH2009 the CushiteH3569 cameH935 and saidH559H3569, “May my lordH113 the kingH4428H3588 hear the good newsH1319: TodayH3117 the LORDH3068 has avenged youH8199 ofH3027 allH3605 who rose upH6965 against youH5921!”

32The kingH4428H413 askedH559 the CushiteH3569, “Is the young manH5288 AbsalomH53 all rightH7965?”

And the CushiteH3569 repliedH559, “May the enemiesH341 of my lordH113 the kingH4428 and allH3605 whoH834 rise upH6965 against youH5921 to harm youH7451 beH1961 like that young manH5288.”

33The kingH4428 was shakenH7264 and went upH5927 to the chamberH5944 overH5921 the gateH8179 and weptH1058. And asH3541 he walkedH1980, he cried outH559, “O my sonH1121 AbsalomH53! My sonH1121, my sonH1121 AbsalomH53! If onlyH4310H5414 IH589 had diedH4191 instead of youH8478, O AbsalomH53, my sonH1121, my sonH1121!”