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!”
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2 Samuel 18: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
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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