2 Samuel 18

Absalom Killed

1Then DavidH1732 1tookH6485 aH6485 countH6485 of the peopleH5971 whoH834 were with him and 2appointedH7760 overH5921 them commandersH8269 of thousandsH505 and commandersH8269 of hundredsH3967. 2And DavidH1732 sentH7971 the peopleH5971 outH7971, 3a thirdH7992 4under the commandH3027 of JoabH3097, a thirdH7992 5under the commandH3027 of AbishaiH52 the sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870, Joab’sH3097 brotherH251, and a thirdH7992 6under the commandH3027 of 7IttaiH863 the GittiteH1663. And the kingH4428 saidH559 to the peopleH5971, “I myselfH589 will certainlyH3318 goH3318 outH3318 with you alsoH1571.” 3But the peopleH5971 saidH559, “8You should not goH3318 outH3318; for ifH518 inH5127 factH5127 we fleeH5127, they will not careH7760H3820 aboutH413 us; and ifH518 halfH2677 of us dieH4191, they will not careH7760H3820 aboutH413 us. But 9you are 10worth tenH6235 thousandH505 of us; so nowH6258 it is betterH2896 that you will be ready to helpH5826 us from the cityH5892.” 4Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to them, “WhateverH834 seemsH3190 bestH3190 to you I will doH6213.” So 11the kingH4428 stoodH5975 besideH413H3027 the gateH8179, and allH3605 the peopleH5971 wentH3318 outH3318 by hundredsH3967 and thousandsH505. 5But the kingH4428 commandedH6680 JoabH3097, AbishaiH52, and IttaiH863, sayingH559, “Deal gentlyH328 with the youngH5288 manH5288 AbsalomH53 for my sake.” And 12allH3605 the peopleH5971 heardH8085 when the kingH4428 commandedH6680 allH3605 the commandersH8269 regardingH5921H1697 AbsalomH53.

6Then the peopleH5971 wentH3318 outH3318 to the fieldH7704 againstH7122 IsraelH3478, and the battleH4421 tookH1961 placeH1961 in 13the forestH3293 of EphraimH669. 7The peopleH5971 of IsraelH3478 were 14defeatedH5062 thereH8033 by the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732, and the slaughterH4046 thereH8033 that dayH3117 was greatH1419, twentyH6242 thousandH505 men. 8For the battleH4421 thereH8033 was spreadH6327 overH5921H6440 the wholeH3605 countrysideH776, and the forestH3293 devouredH398 moreH7235 peopleH5971 that dayH3117 thanH4480H834 the swordH2719 devouredH398.

9Now AbsalomH53 encounteredH7122 the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732. AbsalomH53 was ridingH7392 on his muleH6505, and the muleH6505 wentH935 underH8478 the branchesH7730 of a massiveH1419 oakH424. Then 15his headH7218 caughtH2388 firmlyH2388 in the oakH424, and he was 16leftH5414 hangingH5414 betweenH996 the skyH8064 and earthH776, while the muleH6505 that was underH8478 him keptH5674 goingH5674. 10When a certainH259 manH376 sawH7200 him, he informedH5046 JoabH3097 and saidH559, “BeholdH2009, I sawH7200 AbsalomH53 hangingH8518 in an oakH424.” 11Then JoabH3097 saidH559 to the manH376 who had informedH5046 him, “So beholdH2009, you sawH7200 him! WhyH4069 then did you not strikeH5221 him thereH8033 to the groundH776? And it would have been 17my dutyH5921 to giveH5414 you tenH6235 pieces of silverH3701 and a beltH2290.” 12But the manH376 saidH559 to JoabH3097, “Even ifH3863 I were to 18receiveH8254 a thousandH505 pieces of silverH3701 in my handH3709, I would not putH7971 outH7971 my handH3027 againstH413 the king’sH4428 sonH1121; for 19in our hearingH241 the kingH4428 commandedH6680 you, AbishaiH52, and IttaiH863, sayingH559, ‘20ProtectH8104 the youngH5288 manH5288 AbsalomH53 for me!’ 13OtherwiseH176, if I had dealtH6213 treacherouslyH8267 against 21his lifeH5315 (and 22there is nothingH3605H1697H3808 hiddenH3582 from the kingH4428), then you yourselfH859 would have 23avoidedH3320H4480H5048 me.” 14Then JoabH3097 saidH559, “I will not 24wasteH3176 timeH3176 hereH3651 with you.” 25So he tookH3947 threeH7969 spearsH7626 in his handH3709 and thrustH8628 them through the heartH3820 of AbsalomH53 while he was stillH5750 aliveH2416 in the 26midstH3820 of the oakH424. 15And tenH6235 youngH5288 menH5288 who carriedH5375 Joab’sH3097 armorH3627 gatheredH5437 aroundH5437 and struckH5221 AbsalomH53 and killedH4191 him.

16Then 27JoabH3097 blewH8628 the trumpetH7782, and the peopleH5971 returnedH7725 from pursuingH7291 IsraelH3478, for JoabH3097 restrainedH2820 the peopleH5971. 17And they tookH3947 AbsalomH53 and threwH7993 him into 28a deepH1419 pitH6354 in the forestH3293, and 29erectedH5324 overH5921 him a veryH3966 largeH1419 pileH1530 of stonesH68. And 30allH3605 IsraelH3478 fledH5127, eachH376 to his own tentH168. 18Now AbsalomH53 in his lifetimeH2425 had takenH3947 and 31setH5324 upH5324 for himself a memorialH4676 stoneH4676, whichH834 is in 32the King’sH4428 ValleyH6010, for he saidH559, “33I haveH369 noH369 sonH1121 to 34continueH2142 my nameH8034.” So he namedH7121 the memorialH4676 stoneH4676 afterH5921 his own nameH8034, and it is calledH7121 Absalom’sH53 MonumentH3027 to thisH2088 dayH3117.

David Is Grief-stricken

19Then 35AhimaazH290 the sonH1121 of ZadokH6659 saidH559, “PleaseH4994 let me runH7323 and bringH1319 the kingH4428 newsH1319 36that the LordH3068 has 37freedH8199 him from the handH3027 of his enemiesH340!” 20But JoabH3097 saidH559 to him, “You are not the manH376 to bring newsH1309 thisH2088 dayH3117, but you shall bringH1319 newsH1319 anotherH312 dayH3117; however, you shall bringH1319 noH3808 newsH1319 thisH2088 dayH3117, becauseH3588H5921 the king’sH4428 sonH1121 is deadH4191.” 21Then JoabH3097 saidH559 to the CushiteH3569, “GoH1980, tellH5046 the kingH4428 whatH834 you have seenH7200.” So the CushiteH3569 bowedH2331 to JoabH3097 and ranH7323. 22However, AhimaazH290 the sonH1121 of ZadokH6659 saidH559 onceH3254H5750 moreH3254H5750 to JoabH3097, “But whateverH4100 happensH1961, pleaseH4994 let me alsoH1571 runH7323 afterH310 the CushiteH3569.” And JoabH3097 saidH559, “WhyH4100H2088 would you runH7323, my sonH1121, since 38you will haveH369 noH369 messenger’sH1309 rewardH1309 for goingH3318?” 23“But whateverH4100 happensH1961,” he said, “I will runH7323.” So he saidH559 to him, “RunH7323.” Then AhimaazH290 ranH7323 by wayH1870 of the plainH3603 and passedH5674 byH5674 the CushiteH3569.

24Now 39DavidH1732 was sittingH3427 betweenH996 the twoH8147 gatesH8179; and 40the watchmanH6822 wentH1980 to the roofH1406 of the gateH8179 by the wallH2346, and raisedH5375 his eyesH5869 and lookedH7200; and beholdH2009, a manH376 was runningH7323 byH905 himselfH905. 25So the watchmanH6822 calledH7121 outH7121 and toldH5046 the kingH4428. And the kingH4428 saidH559, “IfH518 he is byH905 himselfH905 there is goodH1309 newsH1309 in his mouthH6310.” And he cameH1980 nearerH7131H1980 and nearerH7131. 26Then the watchmanH6822 sawH7200 anotherH312 manH376 runningH7323; and the watchmanH6822 calledH7121 to the gatekeeperH7778 and saidH559, “BeholdH2009, another manH376 is runningH7323 byH905 himselfH905.” And the kingH4428 saidH559, “ThisH2088 oneH2088 alsoH1571 is bringingH1319 goodH1319 newsH1319.” 27The watchmanH6822 saidH559, “I 41thinkH7200 the runningH4794 formH4794 of the firstH7223 oneH7223 42is like the runningH4794 formH4794 of AhimaazH290 the sonH1121 of ZadokH6659.” And the kingH4428 saidH559, “43ThisH2088 is a goodH2896 manH376, and he is comingH935 with goodH2896 newsH1309.”

28Then AhimaazH290 calledH7121 outH7121 and saidH559 to the kingH4428, “44All is wellH7965.” And 45he prostratedH2331 himself before the kingH4428 with his faceH639 to the groundH776. And he saidH559, “46BlessedH1288 is the LordH3068 your GodH430, whoH834 has turnedH5462 overH5462 the menH376 whoH834 raisedH5375 their handsH3027 against my lordH113 the kingH4428.” 29But the kingH4428 saidH559, “47Is it wellH7965 with the youngH5288 manH5288 AbsalomH53?” And AhimaazH290 answeredH559, “When JoabH3097 sentH7971 the king’sH4428 servantH5650, and your servantH5650, I sawH7200 a greatH1419 commotionH1995, but 48I did not knowH3045 whatH4100 it was.” 30Then the kingH4428 saidH559, “TurnH5437 asideH5437 and standH3320 hereH3541.” So he turnedH5437 asideH5437 and stoodH5975 stillH5975.

31Then beholdH2009, the CushiteH3569 arrivedH935, and the CushiteH3569 saidH559, “Let my lordH113 the kingH4428 receiveH1319 goodH1319 newsH1319, for 49the LordH3068 has 50freedH8199 you this dayH3117 from the handH3027 of allH3605 those who roseH6965 upH6965 againstH5921 you.” 32Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to the CushiteH3569, “51Is it wellH7965 with the youngH5288 manH5288 AbsalomH53?” And the CushiteH3569 answeredH559, “52May the enemiesH340 of my lordH113 the kingH4428, and allH3605 whoH834 riseH6965 upH6965 againstH5921 you for evilH7463, be like that youngH5288 manH5288!”

3353Then the kingH4428 trembledH7264 and wentH5927 upH5927 to the chamberH5944 overH5944 the gateH8179 and weptH1058. And thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 he saidH559 as he walkedH1980: “54My sonH1121 AbsalomH53, my sonH1121, my sonH1121 AbsalomH53! 55IfH4310H5414 onlyH4310H5414 I had diedH4191 insteadH8478 ofH8478 you, AbsalomH53, my sonH1121, my sonH1121!”