2 Samuel 18
18
1David mustered the people who were with him, and he set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2Then David dispatched the people, one-third under the command of Joab, one-third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah and brother of Joab, and one-third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. # Jdg 7:16; 2Sa 15:19–22 Then David said to the people, “I myself will go out with you.”
3But the people said, “You should not go, for if we retreat, they will not be concerned about us. Even if half of us die, they will not be concerned about us. But now you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, it would be better to assist us from the city.”
4The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.”
So the king stood beside the gate # 2Sa 18:24 while all of the people went out by hundreds and thousands. 5The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Deal gently with the young man Absalom.” All of the people heard the king instruct the commanders concerning Absalom.
6So the people went out toward Israel in the field, but the fighting occurred in the forest # Jos 17:15, 18 of Ephraim. 7The people of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David. That day the defeat was extensive, twenty thousand men. 8The fighting spread across the land, and the people consumed by the forest were more numerous than those consumed by the sword that day.
9Absalom was encountered by some of the servants of David. Now Absalom was riding on his mule. When the mule went under the branches of a very large tree, his head was caught in the tree. # 2Sa 14:26 He was left in midair while the mule that was under him kept going.
10And a certain man saw him and told Joab, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.”
11Joab said to the man who was reporting to him, “What? You saw him? Why did you not strike him on the spot, sending him to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels # 18:11 About 4 ounces, or 115 grams. of silver and a belt.”
12The man said to Joab, “Not even if I had felt the weight of a thousand shekels # 18:12 About 25 pounds, or 12 kilograms. of silver in my hand would I have laid a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you, Abishai, and Ittai saying: Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom! 13Otherwise, I would have worked falsehood against my own life. For nothing is hidden from the king, # 2Sa 14:19–20 and you yourself would have set yourself against me.”
14Then Joab said, “I will not waste any more time with you.” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the midst of the tree. 15Then ten young men, armor bearers for Joab, gathered around and struck down Absalom, killing him.
16When Joab blew the horn, # 2Sa 2:28; 20:22 the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held back the people. 17Then they took Absalom, disposed of him in a large pit in the forest, and piled over him a very large heap of stones. # Jos 7:26; 8:29 Then all Israel fled, everyone to his home.
18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial stone # 1Sa 15:12 in the Valley of the King, # Ge 14:17 for he said, “I have no son by whom my name may be remembered.” # 2Sa 14:27 So he named the memorial stone after himself; and to this day, it is called the monument of Absalom.
David Mourns
19Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok # 2Sa 15:36 said, “Allow me to run and bring the news to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.” # 2Sa 18:31
20But Joab said to him, “You will not be a man who bears news today; you may bear news another day. Today you will not bear news because the king’s son is dead.”
21Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, report to the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab, then ran off.
22Ahimaaz again said to Joab, “Whatever may happen, let me run also, after the Cushite.”
Then Joab said, “Why is it that you want to run, my son? There is no messenger’s reward for you to obtain.”
23“Whatever happens, I want to run.”
So he said to him, “Run.” So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed the Cushite.
24Now David was sitting between the two gates # 2Sa 19:8 when the watchman went up to the roof of the gate, to the city wall. He lifted his eyes and saw a man running by himself. 25The watchman called and told the king.
The king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came ever closer.
26Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Look there is another man running alone.”
The king said, “He also is bringing news.”
27The watchman said, “I think that the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz.” # 2Ki 9:20
The king said, “He is a good man and comes with good news.” # 1Ki 1:42
28Then Ahimaaz called to the king and said, “All is well.” He bowed down to the ground before the king # 2Sa 14:4 and said, “Blessed be the Lord your God # Ge 14:20 who has handed over the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.”
29The king said, “Is it well for the young man Absalom?”
Ahimaaz # 2Sa 18:22 said, “I saw a great commotion when Joab sent the servant of the king, your servant, but I do not know what it was.”
30The king said, “Step aside and stand here.” So he stepped aside and stood in position.
31And behold, the Cushite came and said, “Good news for my lord the king, for today the Lord has delivered you from those who rose up against you.” # 2Sa 18:19
32The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well for the young man Absalom?”
The Cushite said, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who would rise up against you to do harm become as the young man is.” # Jdg 5:31; 1Sa 25:26
33The king was deeply moved and went up to the upper chamber of the gate and wept. As he went he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! # 2Sa 19:4 If only I could have given my death in your stead, Absalom, my son, my son!”
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2 Samuel 18: MEV
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
2 Samuel 18
18
Absalom’s Defeat
1David reviewed his troops and appointed commanders of thousands and of hundreds over them. 2He then sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai of Gath. The king said to the troops, “I must also march out with you.”
3“You must not go!” #2Sm 21:17 the people pleaded. “If we have to flee, they will not pay any attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not pay any attention to us because you are worth#18:3 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read because there would now be about ten thousand of us. Therefore, it is better if you support us from the city.”
4“I will do whatever you think is best,” the king replied to them. So he stood beside the city gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and thousands. 5The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the people heard the king’s orders to all the commanders about Absalom.
6Then David’s forces marched into the field to engage Israel in battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7Israel’s army was defeated by David’s soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day — twenty thousand dead. 8The battle spread over the entire area, and that day the forest claimed more people than the sword.
Absalom’s Death
9Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David’s soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair.#18:9 Lit was between heaven and earth 10One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11“You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed.#18:11 Lit Joab said to the man who told him “Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten silver pieces#18:11 About four ounces of silver and a belt!”
12The man replied to Joab, “Even if I had the weight of a thousand pieces of silver#18:12 About 25 pounds of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. For we heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for me.’#18:12 Some Hb mss, LXX, Tg, Vg; other Hb mss read ‘Protect, whoever, the young man Absalom’; Hb obscure#2Sm 18:5 13If I had jeopardized my own#18:13 Alt Hb tradition reads jeopardized his life — and nothing is hidden from the king — you would have abandoned me.”
14Joab said, “I’m not going to waste time with you!” He then took three spears#18:14 Lit rods in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s chest. While Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, 15ten young men who were Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him. 16Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab restrained them. 17They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and raised up a huge mound of stones over him.#Jos 7:24–26; 8:29 And all Israel fled, each to his tent.#1Sm 4:10; 2Sm 19:8; 20:1,22; 2Kg 8:21
18When he was alive, Absalom had taken a pillar and raised it up#Gn 28:18; Dt 16:22; 1Sm 15:12; 2Kg 18:4 for himself in the King’s Valley,#Gn 14:17 since he thought, “I have no son#2Sm 14:27 to preserve the memory of my name.” So he named the pillar after himself. It is still called Absalom’s Monument today.
19Ahimaaz son of Zadok#2Sm 15:36 said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him by freeing him from his enemies.”
20Joab replied to him, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but today you aren’t taking good news, because the king’s son is dead.” 21Joab then said to a Cushite, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.
22However, Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!”
Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to run since you won’t get a reward?” #18:22 Or you have no good news?
23“No matter what, I want to run!”
“Then run!” Joab said to him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
24David was sitting between the city gates#2Sm 19:8 when the watchman went up to the roof of the city gate and over to the wall.#2Sm 13:34; 2Kg 9:17 The watchman looked out and saw a man running alone. 25He called out and told the king.
The king said, “If he’s alone, he bears good news.”
As the first runner came closer, 26the watchman saw another man running. He called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!”
“This one is also bringing good news,” said the king.
27The watchman said, “The way the first man runs looks to me like the way Ahimaaz son of Zadok runs.”#2Kg 9:20
“This is a good man; he comes with good news,”#1Kg 1:42 the king commented.
28Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well,” and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. He continued, “Blessed be the Lord your God! He delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king.”
29The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?”
Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a big disturbance, but I don’t know what it was.”
30The king said, “Move aside and stand here.” So he stood to one side.
31Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: The Lord has vindicated you today by freeing you from all who rise against you!”
32The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?”
The Cushite replied, “I wish that the enemies of my lord the king, along with all who rise up against you with evil intent, would become like that young man.”#1Sm 25:26
33The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber above the city gate and wept. As he walked, he cried, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!” #2Sm 19:4
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