1
And David mustered the people that were with◦ him, and he set over them commanders◦ of thousands and commanders◦ of hundreds.
2
And David sent the people, a third in the hand of Joab, and a third in the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, and a third in the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to▵ the people, Going··out, I will go··out with▵ you myself◦ also.
3
But the people said, Thou shalt not go··out; for if fleeing we flee, they will not set their heart to▵ us; and if half of us die, they will not set their heart to▵ us; for thou◦ art as▵ ten thousand of us; and now it is better that thou shouldest help us from the city.
4
And the king said unto▵ them, What is··good in your eyes I will do. And the king stood at▵ the side* of the gate, and all the people went··out by hundreds and by thousands.
5
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for me with the lad, with Absalom. And all the people heard, when the king commanded all the commanders◦ concerning the matter of Absalom.
6
And the people went··out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
7
And the people of Israel were stricken there before the servants of David, and there was a great striking there on that◦ day of twenty thousand.
8
And the battle was scattered there over the faces of all the land; and the forest ate··up many more among◦ the people than those that the sword ate··up on◦ that◦ day.
9
And Absalom happened upon the servants* of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule; and the mule came under a thick··bough of a great oak, and his head held··firm in the oak, and he was put◦ between the heavens and the earth; and the mule that was under him passed on.
10
And one man◦ saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
11
And Joab said unto the man◦ that told him, And behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the earth? and it would have been upon me to give thee ten pieces of silver and one girdle.
12
And the man◦ said to▵ Joab, If◦ there were weighed out on my palms a thousand pieces of silver, I▵ would not put··forth◦ my hand against▵ the son of the king, for in our ears the king commanded thee, and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take··heed, whoever◦ you be, with the lad, with Absalom.
13
Otherwise I would have done a falsehood against◦ my soul; and there is not any word concealed◦ from the king, and thou◦ wouldest have stood··forth against me.
14
And Joab said, I will not wait* thus◦ before thee. And he took three staves◦ in the palm of his hand and fixed them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the heart of the oak.
15
And ten lads’ that bore the arms of Joab, turned··around and smote Absalom, and put· him ·to··death.
16
And Joab sounded with the shophar*, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab kept··back the people.
17
And they took Absalom and cast him in the forest, into▵ the great chasm; and set··up upon him an exceedingly great heap of stones; and all Israel fled each··man◦ to his tent.
18
And Absalom during his life had taken and set··up for himself a statue, which is in the King’s Valley; for he said, I have no son in··order to cause my name to be remembered: and he called the statue by◦ his own name, and the space for it is called Absalom to◦ this day.
19
And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me run, I pray◦, and bring· good ·tidings to the king, that Jehovah has judged him from the hand of his enemies.
20
And Joab said to him, Thou◦ shalt not be a man◦ to bring good tidings this day; but thou shalt bring· good ·tidings another day; but this day thou shalt not bring· good ·tidings, for the son of the king is··dead.
21
And Joab said to Cushi, Go, tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed· himself ·down unto Joab and ran.
22
And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok said yet again to▵ Joab, And what would it be? Let me run, I pray◦, me◦ also, after Cushi. And Joab said, Why is this that thou◦ wouldest run, my son? And for thee no good tidings are··found.
23
And what would it be if I ran? And he said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and he passed by Cushi.
24
And David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went to▵ the roof of the gate to▵ the wall, and lifted··up his eyes and saw, and behold, a man◦ running alone.
25
And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there are tidings in his mouth, and he went◦, walking◦ and drawing··near.
26
And the watchman saw another man◦ running; and the watchman called to▵ the gatekeeper, and said, Behold, a man◦ running alone. And the king said, This also brings··tidings.
27
And the watchman said, I◦ see the running of the first is as the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man◦ and comes with good tidings.
28
And Ahimaaz called and said unto▵ the king, Peace! And he bowed··down before the king on his face◦ to▫ the earth, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God who has closed··in the men◦ who lifted··up their hand against◦ my lord the king.
29
And the king said, Is it peace with the lad, with Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult, when Joab sent the king’s servant and thy servant, but I knew not what it was.
30
And the king said, Turn··around, stand··forth here▫. And he turned··around and stood.
31
And behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king; for Jehovah has judged for thee this day from the hand of all that rose··up against thee.
32
And the king said unto▵ Cushi, Is it peace with the lad, with Absalom? And Cushi said, The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise··up against thee to do thee evil, be as that lad.
33
19:1 And the king trembled and went··up to the upper··room of the gate and wept; and as he went, thus he said, My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! O that one* might grant for me◦ to die instead of thee, Absalom, my son, my son!
