2 Samuel 18
1 David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
And David inspecteth the people who [are] with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,
2 David sent the people out, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I will also surely go out with you myself.”
and David sendeth the third of the people by the hand of Joab, and the third by the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and the third by the hand of Ittai the Gittite, and the king saith unto the people, 'I certainly go out — I also — with you.'
3 But the people said, “You shall not go out, for if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die, will they care for us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.”
And the people say, 'Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set [their] heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set [their] heart unto us — for now like us [are] ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.'
4 The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
And the king saith unto them, 'That which is good in your eyes I do;' and the king standeth at the side of the gate, and all the people have gone out by hundreds and by thousands,
5 The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom.
and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, 'Gently — for me, for the youth, for Absalom;' and all the people heard in the king's charging all the heads concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim;
7 The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day — twenty thousand;
8 For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
and the battle is there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplieth to devour among the people more than those whom the sword hath devoured in that day.
9 Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was hanging between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.
And Absalom meeteth before the servants of David, and Absalom is riding on the mule, and the mule cometh in under an entangled bough of the great oak, and his head taketh hold on the oak, and he is placed between the heavens and the earth, and the mule that [is] under him hath passed on.
10 A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”
And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, 'Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.'
11 Joab said to the man who told him, “Behold, you saw it, and why did not you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a sash.”
And Joab saith to the man who is declaring [it] to him, 'And lo, thou hast seen — and wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earth — and on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?'
12 The man said to Joab, “Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I still would not stretch out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware that no one touch the young man Absalom.’
And the man saith unto Joab, 'Yea, though I am weighing on my hand a thousand silverlings, I do not put forth my hand unto the son of the king; for in our ears hath the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Observe ye who [is] against the youth — against Absalom;
13 Otherwise, if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against me.”
or I had done against my soul a vain thing, and no matter is hid from the king, and thou — thou dost station thyself over-against.'
14 Then Joab said, “I am not going to wait like this with you.” He took three darts in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the oak.
And Joab saith, 'Not right — I tarry before thee;' and he taketh three darts in his hand, and striketh them into the heart of Absalom, while he [is] alive, in the midst of the oak.
15 Ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.
And they go round — ten youths bearing weapons of Joab — and smite Absalom, and put him to death.
16 Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held the people back.
And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;
17 They took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, each to his own tent.
and they take Absalom and cast him in the forest unto the great pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones, and all Israel have fled — each to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day.
And Absalom hath taken, and setteth up for himself in his life, the standing-pillar that [is] in the king's valley, for he said, 'I have no son to cause my name to be remembered;' and he calleth the standing-pillar by his own name, and it is called 'The monument of Absalom' unto this day.
19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run and carry the king news, how the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, 'Let me run, I pray thee, and I bear the king tidings, for Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of his enemies;'
20 Joab said to him, “You must not be the bearer of news today, but you must carry news another day. But today you must carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.”
and Joab saith to him, 'Thou art not a man of tidings this day, but thou hast borne tidings on another day, and this day thou dost not bear tidings, because the king's son [is] dead.'
21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
And Joab saith to Cushi, 'Go, declare to the king that which thou hast seen;' and Cushi boweth himself to Joab, and runneth.
22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, “But come what may, please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, since you will have no reward for the news?”
And Ahimaaz son of Zadok addeth again, and saith unto Joab, 'And whatever it be, let me run, I pray thee, I also, after the Cushite.' And Joab saith, 'Why [is] this — thou art running, my son, and for thee there are no tidings found?' —
23 “But come what may,” he said, “I will run.” He said to him, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.
'And, whatever it be, [said he, ] let me run.' And he saith to him, 'Run;' and Ahimaaz runneth the way of the circuit, and passeth by the Cushite.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
And David is sitting between the two gates, and the watchman goeth unto the roof of the gate, unto the wall, and lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, a man running by himself.
25 The watchman shouted and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” He came closer and closer.
And the watchman calleth, and declareth to the king, and the king saith, 'If by himself, tidings [are] in his mouth;' and he cometh, coming on and drawing near.
26 The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, a man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.”
And the watchman seeth another man running, and the watchman calleth unto the gatekeeper, and saith, 'Lo, a man running by himself;' and the king saith, 'Also this one is bearing tidings.'
27 The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.”
And the watchman saith, 'I see the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.' And the king saith, 'This [is] a good man, and with good tidings he cometh.'
28 Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, “All is well.” He bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, “Blessed is the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king!”
And Ahimaaz calleth and saith unto the king, 'Peace;' and he boweth himself to the king, on his face, to the earth, and saith, 'Blessed [is] Jehovah thy God who hath shut up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.'
29 The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”
And the king saith, 'Peace to the youth — to Absalom?' And Ahimaaz saith, 'I saw the great multitude, at the sending away of the servant of the king, even thy servant [by] Joab, and I have not known what [it is].'
30 The king said, “Come and stand here.” He came and stood still.
And the king saith, 'Turn round, station thyself here;' and he turneth round and standeth still.
31 Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king, for the LORD has avenged you today of all those who rose up against you.”
And lo, the Cushite hath come, and the Cushite saith, 'Let tidings be proclaimed, my lord, O king; for Jehovah hath delivered thee to-day out of the hand of all those rising up against thee.'
32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you harm, be as that young man is.”
And the king saith unto the Cushite, 'Peace to the youth — to Absalom?' And the Cushite saith, 'Let them be — as the youth — the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee for evil.'
33 The king was much moved, and went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
And the king trembleth, and goeth up on the upper chamber of the gate, and weepeth, and thus he hath said in his going, 'My son! Absalom my son; my son Absalom; oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son.'
