2 Samuel 18
18
David Gets Ready for Battle
1David counted his men and chose captains over 1000 and captains over 100 to lead them. 2He separated the people into three groups and sent them out. Joab led a third of the men. Joab’s brother, Abishai son of Zeruiah, led another third. And Ittai from Gath led the last third.
King David said to the people, “I will also go with you.”
3But they said, “No! You must not go with us. If we run away in the battle, Absalom’s men will not care. No, even if only half of us are killed, Absalom’s men will not care. But you are worth 10,000 of us! It is better for you to stay in the city. Then, if we need help, you can come to help us.”
4The king said to them, “I will do what you think is best.”
Then the king stood by the gate as the army went out in groups of 100 and 1000.
5The king gave a command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He said, “Do this for me: Be gentle with young Absalom!” Everyone heard the king’s orders about Absalom to the captains.
David’s Army Defeats Absalom’s Army
6David’s army went out into the field against Absalom’s Israelites. They fought in the forest of Ephraim. 7David’s army defeated the Israelites. It was a great defeat because 20,000 men were killed that day. 8The battle spread throughout the country, but more men died in the forest than by the sword.
9It so happened that David’s officers found Absalom. Absalom jumped on his mule and tried to escape, but the mule went under the branches of a large oak tree. The branches were thick, and Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. His mule ran out from under him, so Absalom was left hanging above the ground.#18:9 above the ground Literally, “between heaven and earth.”
10Someone saw this happen and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”
11Joab said to the man, “Why didn’t you kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and ten pieces of silver!”
12The man said to Joab, “I would not try to hurt the king’s son even if you gave me 1000 pieces of silver. We heard the king’s command to you, Abishai, and Ittai. The king said, ‘Be careful not to hurt young Absalom.’ 13If I had killed Absalom, the king himself would find out, and you would punish me.#18:13 you would punish me Or “you would have opposed me.””
14Joab said, “I will not waste my time here with you!”
Absalom was still alive and hanging in the oak tree. Joab took three sticks in his hand and hit him in the heart. 15Ten of Joab’s young helpers gathered around Absalom and killed him.
16Joab blew the trumpet and called the people to stop chasing Israelites. 17Then Joab’s men took Absalom’s body and threw it into a large hole in the forest and covered it with stones.
All the Israelites ran away and went home.
18While Absalom was alive he put up a memorial stone in King’s Valley. He said, “I have no son to keep my name alive.” So he named that monument after himself. It is called “Absalom’s Monument” even today.
Joab Sends the News to David
19Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said to Joab, “May I run and take the news to King David? I’ll tell him the Lord has destroyed the enemy for him.”
20Joab answered Ahimaaz, “No, you will not carry the message today. You can do it some other time, but not today because it is the king’s son who is dead.”
21Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.”
So the Ethiopian bowed to Joab and ran to tell David.
22But Ahimaaz son of Zadok begged Joab again, “No matter what happens, please let me also run after the Ethiopian!”
Joab said, “Son, why do you want to carry the news? You will not get any reward for the news you bring.”
23Ahimaaz answered, “No matter what happens, I will run to David.”
Joab said to Ahimaaz, “All right, run to David!”
Then Ahimaaz ran through Jordan Valley and passed the Ethiopian.
David Hears the News
24David was sitting between the two gates of the city. The watchman went up to the roof over the gate walls and saw a man running alone. 25The watchman shouted to tell King David.
King David said, “If the man is alone, he is bringing news.”
The man came closer and closer to the city. 26But then the watchman saw another man running. He called to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone.”
The king said, “He is also bringing news.”
27The watchman said, “I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”
The king said, “Ahimaaz is a good man, he must be bringing good news.”
28Ahimaaz called to the king, “All is well!” Ahimaaz bowed with his face to the ground in front of the king and said, “Praise the Lord your God! The Lord has defeated the men who were against you, my lord and king.”
29The king asked, “Is young Absalom all right?”
Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent me, I saw some great excitement, but I don’t know what it was.”
30Then the king said, “Step over here and wait.” Ahimaaz went there and stood waiting.
31The Ethiopian arrived and said, “News for my lord and king. Today the Lord has punished all those who were against you!”
32The king asked the Ethiopian, “Is young Absalom all right?”
The Ethiopian answered, “May your enemies, or whoever tries to hurt you, suffer the same as this young man did.”
33So the king knew Absalom was dead and he became very upset. He went upstairs to the room over the gate, crying, “O my son Absalom! My son Absalom, I wish I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Currently Selected:
2 Samuel 18: ERV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Samuel 18
18
1David mustered the people who were with him, and he set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2#Jdg 7:16; 2Sa 15:19–22Then 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. Then David said to the people, “I myself will go out with you.”
3#2Sa 21:17But 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.”
4#2Sa 18:24The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.”
So the king stood beside the gate 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.
6#Jos 17:18; 17:15So the people went out toward Israel in the field, but the fighting occurred in the forest 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.
9#2Sa 14:26Absalom 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. He was left in midair while the mule that was under him kept going.
10One man saw him and reported it to Joab, saying, “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#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#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! 13#2Sa 14:19–20Otherwise, I would have worked falsehood against my own life. For nothing is hidden from the king, 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.
16#2Sa 2:28; 20:22When Joab blew the horn, the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held back the people. 17#Jos 7:26; 8:29Then they took Absalom, disposed of him in a large pit in the forest, and piled over him a very large heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his home.
18#1Sa 15:12; Ge 14:17; 2Sa 14:27Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial stone in the Valley of the King, for he said, “I have no son by whom my name may be remembered.” So he named the memorial stone after himself; and to this day, it is called the monument of Absalom.
David Mourns
19#2Sa 15:36; 18:31Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Allow me to run and bring the news to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.”
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.
24#2Sa 19:8Now David was sitting between the two gates 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.”
27#2Ki 9:20; 1Ki 1:42The watchman said, “I think that the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz.”
The king said, “He is a good man and comes with good news.”
28#Ge 14:20; 2Sa 14:4Then Ahimaaz called to the king and said, “All is well.” He bowed down to the ground before the king and said, “Blessed be the Lord your God who has handed over the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.”
29#2Sa 18:22The king said, “Is it well for the young man Absalom?”
Ahimaaz 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.
31#2Sa 18:19Then 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.”
32#Jdg 5:31; 1Sa 25:26The 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.”
33#2Sa 19:4The 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! If only I could have given my death in your stead, Absalom, my son, my son!”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Military Bible Association