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
Shemu’ĕl Bĕt (2 Samuel) 18
18
1And Dawiḏ mustered the people who were with him, and set commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds over them.
2And Dawiḏ sent out one third of the people under the hand of Yo’aḇ, and one third under the hand of Aḇishai son of Tseruyah, Yo’aḇ’s brother, and one third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the sovereign said to the people, “I shall certainly go out with you too.”
3But the people answered, “Do not go out, for if we flee away, they would not set heart upon us. Even if half of us die, they would not set heart upon us. For now, ten thousand are like us. Therefore, it is better for you to support us from the city.”
4And the sovereign said to them, “That which is good in your eyes I do.” And the sovereign stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5And the sovereign ordered Yo’aḇ, and Aḇishai and Ittai, saying, “Be gentle with the young man Aḇshalom for my sake.” And all the people heard when the sovereign gave all the commanders orders concerning Aḇshalom.
6So the people went out into the field to meet Yisra’ĕl. And the battle was in the forest of Ephrayim,
7and the people of Yisra’ĕl were smitten there before the servants of Dawiḏ. And the slaughter there that day was great – twenty thousand.
8And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9And when Aḇshalom met the servants of Dawiḏ, Aḇshalom was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught hold in the terebinth. And he was suspended between the heavens and earth while the mule which was under him passed on.
10And a certain man saw it and informed Yo’aḇ, and said, “Look, I saw Aḇshalom hanging in a terebinth tree!”
11And Yo’aḇ said to the man who informed him, “Now look, you saw, and why did you not strike him to the earth there? Then I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”
12But the man answered Yo’aḇ, “Though I were to receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the son of the sovereign. Because in our hearing the sovereign commanded you and Aḇishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Take heed, you who go against the youth, against Aḇshalom!’
13“Otherwise I would have been untrue to my own life. For no matter is hidden from the sovereign, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.”
14And Yo’aḇ said, “Let me not waste time here with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Aḇshalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree.
15And ten young men who bore Yo’aḇ’s armour went around, and struck Aḇshalom and put him to death.
16And Yo’aḇ blew with the shophar, and the people returned from pursuing Yisra’ĕl, for Yo’aḇ had held the people back.
17And they took Aḇshalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest, and heaped a very large pile of stones over him. And all Yisra’ĕl fled, each one to his tent.
18And Aḇshalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a monument for himself, which is in the Sovereign’s Valley. For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” And he called the monument after his own name. And to this day it is called Aḇshalom’s Monument.
19And Aḥima‛ats son of Tsaḏoq said, “Please let me run and take the news to the sovereign, for יהוה has avenged him of his enemies.”
20But Yo’aḇ said to him, “You are not the man to take the news today, but you shall take the news another day. But today you do not take news, because the sovereign’s son is dead.”
21And Yo’aḇ said to the Kushite, “Go, inform the sovereign what you have seen.” And the Kushite bowed himself to Yo’aḇ and ran.
22And Aḥima‛ats son of Tsaḏoq said again to Yo’aḇ, “And whatever might be, please let me also run after the Kushite.” And Yo’aḇ said, “Why would you run, my son, there is no news to bring you reward.”
23“And whatever might be,” he said, “let me run.” So he said to him, “Run.” And Aḥima‛ats ran by the way of the plain, and passed the Kushite.
24Now Dawiḏ was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, and lifted his eyes and looked and saw a man, running alone.
25So the watchman called out and told the sovereign. And the sovereign said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer.
26And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called out to the gatekeeper and said, “See, a man, running by himself!” And the sovereign said, “This one is also bringing news.”
27And the watchman said, “I see the running of the first is like the running of Aḥima‛ats son of Tsaḏoq.” And the sovereign said, “This is a good man, and he comes with good news.”
28And Aḥima‛ats called out and said to the sovereign, “Peace!” Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the sovereign, and said, “Blessed be יהוה your Elohim, who has surrendered the men who raised their hand against my master the sovereign!”
29And the sovereign said, “Peace to the young man, to Aḇshalom?” And Aḥima‛ats answered, “When Yo’aḇ sent the sovereign’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great crowd, but I did not know why.”
30And the sovereign said, “Turn aside and stand here.” And he turned aside and stood still.
31And see, the Kushite came, and the Kushite said, “Receive news, my master the sovereign! For יהוה has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.”
32And the sovereign said to the Kushite, “Peace to the young man, to Aḇshalom?” And the Kushite answered, “Let the enemies of my master the sovereign, and all who rise against you for evil, be as that young man is!”
33And the sovereign was shaken, and went up to the room over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said this, “O my son Aḇshalom! My son, my son Aḇshalom, if only I had died instead of you! O Aḇshalom my son, my son!”
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