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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2 Kings 18: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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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