2 Samuel 18

¹ David mustered the troops who were with him and appointed commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds over them.

² David sent out the troops—a third under the command of Joab, a third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, "I myself will surely march out with you."

³ But the troops said, "You must not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So it is better that you be ready to help us from the city."

⁴ The king said to them, "I will do what seems best to you." So the king stood beside the gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.

⁵ The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the troops heard when the king gave all the commanders orders concerning Absalom.

⁶ The troops went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

⁷ The people of Israel were defeated there by David's servants, and the slaughter that day was great—twenty thousand men.

⁸ The battle spread over the face of the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ Absalom happened to meet David's servants. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head got caught in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth while the mule that was under him kept going.

¹⁰ A man saw it and told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak!"

¹¹ Joab said to the man who told him, "You saw him! Why didn't you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten silver pieces and a belt."

¹² But the man said to Joab, "Even if I felt the weight of a thousand silver pieces in my hands, I would not reach out my hand against the king's son. For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.'"

¹³ "Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you yourself would have stood aloof."

¹⁴ Joab said, "I will not waste time like this with you." He took three shafts in his hand and thrust them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.

¹⁵ Then ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.

¹⁶ Joab blew the ram's horn, and the troops turned back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the troops.

¹⁷ They took Absalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest and raised a very large heap of stones over him. And all Israel fled, each to his tent.

¹⁸ Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar that is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.

¹⁹ Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Let me run and bring the king the news that the LORD has vindicated him against his enemies."

²⁰ But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to bring news today. You may bring news another day, but today you will not bring news, because the king's son is dead."

²¹ Then Joab said to a Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.

²² Ahimaaz son of Zadok said again to Joab, "Whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." Joab said, "Why would you run, my son? You will have no reward for the news."

²³ "Whatever happens, let me run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

²⁴ David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone.

²⁵ The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." The man kept coming closer.

²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called to the gatekeeper, "Look, another man running alone!" The king said, "This one also brings news."

²⁷ The watchman said, "I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man and comes with good news."

²⁸ Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "All is well!" He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king."

²⁹ The king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz said, "I saw a great commotion when Joab sent the king's servant and your servant, but I do not know what it was."

³⁰ The king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹ Then the Cushite arrived and said, "Let my lord the king receive the news: the LORD has vindicated you today against all who rose up against you."

³² The king said to the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" The Cushite said, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man."

³³ The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he went, he said, "My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—Absalom, my son, my son!"