2 Samuel 18
1 David organized the men who were with him and put commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds in charge of them.
Then David mustered the people that were with him, —and set over them, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds.
2 David sent the army out divided into three sections. One third was commanded by Joab, one third was commanded by Abishai, son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third was commanded by Ittai the Gittite. The king told the men, “I myself will go out into battle with you.”
And David sent forth the people—a third part, under the hand of Joab, and, a third part, under the hand of Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and, a third part, under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. Then said the king, unto the people, I myself, will, surely go forth, with you.
3 But the men replied, “No, you must not go out into battle! For if we have to run away, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care about that either. But you are worth ten thousand of us, so it's better if you stay here and send us help from the town.”
But the people said—Thou must not go forth, for, if we, flee, they will not regard us, neither, if half of us die, will they regard us, for, thou, compared with us, [art worth] ten thousand, —now, therefore, it will be better that thou come to us out of the city, with succour.
4 “I will do whatever you think best,” the king replied. The king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
And the king said unto them, Whatever is best in your eyes, I will do. And the king stood beside the gate, while, all the people, came out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 The king ordered Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Treat young Absalom gently for me.” All the men heard the king giving orders to each of his commanders about Absalom.
And the king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even Absolom. And, all the people, heard when the king charged all the captains, for the sake of Absolom.
6 David's army marched out to face the Israelites in battle, which was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
So the people went forth into the field against Israel, —and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 The Israelites were defeated by David's men and many were killed that day—some twenty thousand.
Then were the people of Israel defeated there, before he servants of David, —and the slaughter there was great, on that day—twenty thousand.
8 The battle covered the whole countryside, and that day more died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
And the battle there was spread out over the face of all the land, —and the forest devoured more of the people than the sword devoured on that day.
9 Absalom ran into some of David's men while he was riding on his mule. As the mule went under the twisted branches of a large oak tree, Absalom's hair got caught in the tree. The mule he was riding kept going, leaving him hanging between earth and sky.
Now, when Absolom met the servants of David, Absolom, was riding upon a mule, and the mule came under the thick branches of a large oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, the mule that was under him passing on.
10 One of David's men saw what happened, so he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree!”
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, —and said—Lo! I saw Absolom suspended in an oak.
11 “What! You saw him like that?” Joab said to the man. “Why didn't you kill him right then and there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a soldier's belt as a reward!”
Then said Joab to the man that was telling him, Lo! since thou sawest him, why didst thou not smite him there, to the ground? then should I have been bound to give thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.
12 But the man replied, “Even if you gave me a thousand shekels of silver, I wouldn't hurt the king's son. We all heard the king give the order to you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Look after young Absalom for me.’
And the man said unto Joab, Though I were weighing upon my palm a thousand pieces of silver, yet would I not put forth my hand against the son of the king, —for, in our hearing, the king Charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Watch any man who [would touch] the young man Absolom.
13 If I had disobeyed and killed Absalom—and the king finds out everything—you yourself wouldn't have defended me.”
Otherwise, had I dealt with my life falsely (and nothing can be hid from the king), then, thou thyself, wouldst have stood aloof.
14 “I'm not going to waste time waiting around like this with you!” Joab told him. He grabbed three spears and drove them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive, hanging from the oak tree.
And Joab said, Not thus, may I tarry before thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absolom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
15 Ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom and hacked him to death.
Then came round ten young men who bare Joab’s armour, —and smote Absolom, and slew him.
16 Then Joab blew the ram's horn, and his men stopped chasing the Israelites because Joab had signaled them to stop.
Then Joab blew with a horn, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, —for Joab had restrained the people.
17 They took Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest, and piled a large heap of stones over him. All the Israelites ran away to their homes.
And they took Absolom, and cast him, in the forest, into a large pit, and raised up over him a very great heap of stones, —and, all Israel, fled, every man to his home.
18 Absalom while he was alive had made a stone pillar and set it up in the King's Valley as a memorial to himself, for he thought to himself, “I don't have a son to keep the memory of my name alive.” He named the pillar after himself, and it's called Absalom's Monument even today.
But, Absolom, had taken, and raised up for himself, in his lifetime, the pillar that is in the king’s vale, for he said, I have no son, to keep in remembrance my name, so he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absolom’s monument unto this day.
19 Then Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, “Please let me run and take the good news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him over his enemies.”
Then, Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, Let me run, I pray thee, and carry tidings unto the king, —how that Yahweh hath vindicated him, at the hand of his enemies.
20 “You're not the man to take the good news today,” Joab replied. “You can do it some other time, but don't do it today, because the king's son is dead.”
And Joab said to him—Not a man to bear tidings, art thou this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day, —but, this day, shalt thou not bear tidings, for this cause, that, the king’s son, is dead.
21 So Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” He bowed to Joab and ran off.
Then said Joab to a Cushite, Go tell the king, what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed himself down to Joab, and ran.
22 Ahimaaz asked Joab again, “Never mind what happens, please let me run too, after the Ethiopian!” “Son, why do you want to run—you won't get anything for it?” Joab replied.
Then, yet again, said Ahimaaz son of Zadok unto Joab. But, be what may, do, I pray thee, let, me also, run, after the Cushite. And Joab said—Wherefore is it that, thou, wouldst run, my son, when, thou, hast no tidings of, any profit?
23 “Doesn't matter, I want to run anyway,” he said. “Fine, start running!” Joab told him. Ahimaaz took the route over flatter ground and overtook the Ethiopian.
But, be what may, I will run. So he said to him—Run. Then ran Ahimaaz by the way of the plain, and got beyond the Cushite.
24 David was sitting between the inside and outside gates. The watchman climbed up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. He looked out, and saw a man running by himself.
Now, David, was sitting between the two gates, —and the watchman went on to the top of the gate-house, upon the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and lo! a man, running alone.
25 So he shouted down to tell the king. “If he's by himself then he's bringing good news,” the king replied. As the first runner got closer,
So the watchman called out, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth. And he came on nearer and nearer.
26 the watchman saw someone else running, and he shouted down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There's another man running by himself!” “He'll also be bringing good news,” said the king.
Then saw the watchman another man, running, so he called out unto the porter, Lo! a man, running alone. And the king said. This one also, beareth tidings.
27 “The first man seems to me to be running like Ahimaaz, son of Zadok,” said the watchman. “He's a good man,” he king replied. “He'll bring good news.”
Then said the watchman, It seemeth, to me, that, the running of the foremost, is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok. And the king said, A good man, is he, and, with good tidings, he cometh.
28 Ahimaaz shouted out greetings to the king, Then he came and he bowed facedown before the king. “Blessed be the Lord your God!” he said. “He has defeated the men who rebelled against Your Majesty!”
Then called out Ahimaaz, and said unto the king, Peace! And he bowed himself down to the king, with his face to the earth, —and said—Blessed, be Yahweh thy God, who hath surrendered the men who were lifting up their hand, against my lord the king.
29 “How is young Absalom? Is he alright?” the king asked. Ahimaaz answered, “It was very chaotic when your officer Joab sent me, your servant. I really don't know what was happening.”
And the king said, Is it, well, with the young man—Absolom? Then said Ahimaaz—I saw a great crowd, when Joab sent the king’s servant and [me] thy servant, but I knew not what [it meant].
30 “Stand to one side and wait,” the king told him. So Ahimaaz stood to one side and waited.
And the king said, Aside! stand, here. So he turned aside, and stood.
31 Right then the Ethiopian arrived and said, “Your Majesty, listen to the good news! Today the Lord has defeated all those who rebelled against you!”
Then lo! the Cushite, coming in, —and the Cushite said—Tidings, getteth my lord the king, how that Yahweh hath vindicated thee to-day, at the hand of all them who had risen up against thee.
32 “How is young Absalom? Is he alright?” the king asked. The Ethiopian replied, “May what has happened to the young man happen to Your Majesty's enemies, and to everyone who rebels against you!”
And the king said unto the Cushite—Is it, well, with the young man—Absolom? Then said the Cushite—Be, like the young man, the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee, for harm.
33 The king broke down. He went up to the room over the gate and cried. As he walked, he sobbed out, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I'd died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
Then was the king deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept, —and, thus, he said as he went—O my son Absolom, my son—my son—Absolom! could, I, but have died in thy stead, O Absolom, my son—my son!
