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
2 Samuel 18
18
David Gets Ready for Battle
1David divided his soldiers into groups of 100 and groups of 1,000. Then he chose officers to be in command of each group. 2He sent out one third of his army under the command of Joab, another third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, and the rest under the command of Ittai from Gath. He told the soldiers, “I'm going into battle with you.”
3But the soldiers said, “No, don't go into battle with us! It won't matter to our enemies if they make us all run away, or even if they kill half of us. But you are worth 10,000 of us. It would be better for you to stay in town and send help if we need it.”
4-6David said, “All right, if you think I should.”
Then in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, “Joab! Abishai! Ittai! For my sake, be sure that Absalom comes back unharmed.”
David stood beside the town gate as his army marched past in groups of 100 and in groups of 1,000.
Joab Kills Absalom
The war with Israel took place in Ephraim Forest. 7-8Battles were being fought all over the forest, and David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed#18.7,8 Twenty … killed: This may refer to the total number or to the number of Absalom's soldiers who were killed. that day, and more of them died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting itself.
9Absalom was riding his mule under a huge tree when his head#18.9 head: Or “hair.” caught in the branches. The mule ran off and left Absalom hanging in midair. Some of David's soldiers happened by, 10and one of them went and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree!”
11Joab said, “You saw Absalom? Why didn't you kill him? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a special belt.”
12The man answered, “Even if you paid me 1,000 pieces of silver here and now, I still wouldn't touch the king's son. We all heard King David tell you and Abishai and Ittai not to harm Absalom. 13He always finds out what's going on. I would have been risking my life to kill Absalom, because you would have let me take the blame.”
14Joab said, “I'm not going to waste any more time on you!”
Absalom was still alive, so Joab took three spears and stuck them through Absalom's chest. 15Ten of Joab's bodyguards came over and finished him off. 16Then Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers. 17They threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and put a big pile of rocks over it.
Meanwhile, the people of Israel had all run back to their own homes.
18When Absalom was alive, he had set up a stone monument for himself in King's Valley. He explained, “I don't have any sons#18.18 I don't have any sons: According to 14.27, Absalom had three sons. But they could have died young or been put to death for Absalom's murder of Amnon. to keep my name alive.” He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.#18.18 today: That is, at the time of writing. This monument is not the same as the structure now known as “Absalom's Tomb,” which was built at least 600 years later.
Ahimaaz Wants To Tell David
19Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Joab, let me run and tell King David that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20Joab answered, “You're not the one to tell the king that his son is dead. You can take him a message some other time, but not today.”
21Someone from Ethiopia#18.21 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan. was standing there, and Joab told him, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” The man knelt down in front of Joab, then got up and started running.
22Ahimaaz spoke to Joab again, “No matter what happens, I still want to go. And besides, the Ethiopian has already left.”
Joab said, “Why should you go? You won't get a reward for the news you have!”
23“I'll run no matter what!” Ahimaaz insisted.
“All right then, run!” Joab said.
Ahimaaz took the road through the Jordan Valley and outran the Ethiopian.
24Meanwhile, David was sitting between the inner and outer gates#18.24 between … gates: The city gate was often like a tower in the city wall, with one gate on the outside of the wall and another gate on the inside of the wall. in the city wall. One of his soldiers was watching from the roof of the gate-tower. He saw a man running toward the town 25and shouted down to tell David.
David answered, “If he's alone, he must have some news.”
The runner was getting closer, 26when the soldier saw someone else running. He shouted down to the gate, “Look! There's another runner!”
David said, “He must have some news too.”
27The soldier on the roof shouted, “The first one runs just like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”
This time David said, “He's a good man. He must have some good news.”
28Ahimaaz called out, “We won! We won!” Then he bowed low to David and said, “Your Majesty, praise the Lord your God! He has given you victory over your enemies.”
29“Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.
Ahimaaz said, “When Joab sent your personal servant and me, I saw a noisy crowd. But I don't know what it was all about.”
30David told him, “Stand over there and wait.”
Ahimaaz went over and stood there. 31The Ethiopian came and said, “Your Majesty, today I have good news! The Lord has rescued you from all your enemies!”
32“Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.
The Ethiopian replied, “I wish that all Your Majesty's enemies and everyone who tries to harm you would end up like him!”
David Cries for Absalom
33David started trembling. Then he went up to the room above the city gate to cry. As he went, he kept saying, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I could have died instead of you! Absalom, my son, my son!”#18.33 son: In Hebrew, this verse is 19.1.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.