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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2 Samuel 18: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
2 Kings 18
18
1And David, having reviewed his people, appointed over them captains of thousands and of hundreds.
2And sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abisai the son of Sarvia Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ethai, who was of Geth. And the king said to the people: I also will go forth with you.
3And the people answered: Thou shalt not go forth; for if we flee away they will not much mind us. Or if half of us should fall, they will not greatly care: for thou alone art accounted for ten thousand. It is better therefore that thou shouldst be in the city to succour us.
4And the king said to them: What seemeth good to you, that will I do. And the king stood by the gate: and all the people went forth by their troops, by hundreds and by thousands.
5And the king commanded Joab, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me the boy Absalom. And all the people heard the king giving charge to all the princes concerning Absalom.
6So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
7And the people of Israel were defeated there by David's army: and a great slaughter was made that day of twenty thousand men.
8And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country: and there were many more of the people whom the forest consumed, than whom the sword devoured that day.
9And it happened that Absalom met the servants of David, riding on a mule. And as the mule went under a thick and large oak his head stuck in the oak: and while he hung between the heaven and he earth the mule on which he rode passed on.
10And one saw this and told Joab, saying: I saw Absalom hanging upon an oak.
11And Joab said to the man that told him: If thou sawest him, why didst thou not stab him to the ground, and I would have given thee ten sicles of silver, and belt?
12And he said to Joab: If thou wouldst have paid down in my hands a thousand pieces of silver, I would not lay my hands upon the king's son. For in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me the boy Absalom.
13Yea, and if I should have acted boldly against my own life, this could not have been hid from the king. And wouldst thou have stood by me?
14And Joab said: Not as thou wilt, but will set upon him in thy sight. So he took three lances in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom. And whilst he yet panted for life, sticking on the oak,
15Ten young men, armourbearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him slew him.
16And Joab sounded the trumpet, and kept back the people from pursuing after Israel in their flight, being willing to spare the multitude.
17And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the forest: and they laid an exceeding great heap of stones upon him. But all Israel fled to their own dwellings.
18Now Absalom had reared up for himself, in his lifetime, a pillar, which is in the king's valley. For he said: I have no son; and this shall be the monument of my name. And he called the pillar by is own name, and it is called the hand of Absalom, to this day.
19And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said: I will run and tell the king, that the Lord hath done judgment for him from the hand of his enemies.
20And Joab said to him: Thou shalt not be the messenger this day, but shalt bear tidings another day. This day I will not have thee bear tidings, because the king's son is dead.
21And Joab said to Chusai: Go, and tell the king what thou hast seen. Chusai bowed down to Joab, and ran.
22Then Achimaas the son of Sadoc said to Joab again: Why might not I also run after Chusai? And Joab said to him: Why wilt thou run, my son? Thou wilt not be the bearer of good tidings.
23He answered: But what if I run? And he said to him: Run. Then Achimaas running by a nearer way passed Chusai.
24And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman that was on the top of the gate upon the wall, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running alone.
25And crying out he told the king. And the king said: If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And as he was coming apace, and drawing nearer,
26The watchman saw another man running; and crying aloud from above, he said: I see another man running alone. And the king said: He also is a good messenger.
27And the watchman said: The running of the foremost seemeth to me like the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said: He is a good man; and cometh with good news.
28And Achimaas crying out said to the king: God save thee, O king. And falling down before the king with his face to the ground, he said: Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath shut up the men that have lifted up their hands against the lord my king.
29And the king said: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Achimaas said: I saw a great tumult, O king, when thy servant Joab sent me thy servant. I know nothing else.
30And the king said to him: Pass, and stand here.
31And when he had passed, and stood still, Chusai appeared. And coming up he said: I bring good tidings, my lord; the king, for the Lord hath judged for thee this day from the hand of all that have risen up against thee.
32And the king said to Chusai: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Chusai answering him, said: Let the enemies of my lord, the king, and all that rise against him unto evil, be as the young man is.
33The king therefore being much moved, went up to the high chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went he spoke in this manner: My son Absalom, Absalom my son! Would to God that I might die for thee, Absalom my son, my son Absalom!
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.