2 Samuel 18

1David mustered the troops who were with him and set commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds over them.

2Then David sent out the troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, “I will certainly march out with you myself.”

3But the troops said, “You must not march out. If we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So it is better for you to be ready to help us from the city.”

4The king said to them, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.

5The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “For my sake, deal gently with the young man Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give all the commanders this order about Absalom.

6So the troops marched out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.

7There the army of Israel was defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter there that day was great: twenty thousand men.

8The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword did.

9Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. He was riding on his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the oak. He was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going.

10A man saw it and told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”

11Joab said to the man who told him, “You saw him! Then why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have had to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”

12But the man said to Joab, “Even if a thousand pieces of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Whoever you are, protect the young man Absalom.’

13Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously at the risk of my own life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you yourself would have stood aloof.”

14Joab said, “I will not waste time with you like this.” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the oak.

15Then ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

16Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab held the troops back.

17They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge heap of stones over him. Meanwhile all Israel fled, each to his own home.

18During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and set it up for himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name alive.” He named the pillar after himself, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

19Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and bring the king the good news that Yahweh has delivered him from the power of his enemies.”

20But Joab told him, “You are not the man to carry news today. You may carry news another day, but today you must not, because the king’s son is dead.”

21Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran off.

22Ahimaaz son of Zadok spoke to Joab again: “Come what may, please let me run too, after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son? You have no news that will bring you a reward.”

23He said, “Come what may, I will run.” So Joab said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and he passed the Cushite.

24David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman went up to the roof over the gate by the wall, and when he looked up, he saw a man running alone.

25The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, he has news to tell.” The man kept coming closer.

26Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!” The king said, “He too is bringing news.”

27The watchman said, “I think the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man. He is coming with good news.”

28Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed be Yahweh your God, who has handed over the men who raised their hands against my lord the king!”

29The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab, the king’s servant, sent your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.”

30The king said, “Step aside and stand here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.

31Just then the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! Yahweh has delivered you today from the power of all who rose up against you.”

32The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to harm you, end up like that young man.”

33The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gate and wept, and as he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”