2 Samuel 13-18

New Catholic Bible

Chapter 13

The Crime of Amnon. ¹ Sometime later the following events occurred. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and David’s son Amnon fell madly in love with her. ² Amnon was obsessed with her to the point that he became ill because of his love for his sister Tamar, since she was a virgin and Amnon felt it was impossible for him even to approach her.

³ However, Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab. He was the son of David’s brother Shimeah, and he was an extremely devious man. ⁴ He asked Amnon: “O son of the king, why do you appear to be so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon replied: “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”

⁵ Then Jonadab said to him: “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. When your father comes to visit you, say to him: ‘Please let my sister come and give me something to eat. Ask her to prepare the food in my presence for me to see and then eat it from her hand.’ ” ⁶ And so Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to visit him, Amnon said: “Please let my sister Tamar come and make some cakes before my eyes so that I can receive some nourishment from her hand.”

⁷ Then David sent a message to Tamar in the palace, saying: “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare some food for him.” ⁸ Therefore, Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon and found him lying in bed. She took dough and kneaded it, made some cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes.

⁹ Then Tamar took the pan and set out the cakes before him, but he refused to eat and ordered everyone else to leave the room. ¹⁰ Thereupon, Amnon said to Tamar: “Bring the food into the bedroom so that I may eat from your hand.” Therefore, Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the bedroom to Amnon her brother.

¹¹ However, when she offered them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said: “Come to bed with me, my sister.” ¹² She answered him: “No, my brother! Do not force me! Such repulsive acts are not done in Israel. Do not commit such a vile act! ¹³ And as for me, where could I go to hide my shame? Moreover, you would be disgraced in Israel. Therefore, I beg you to speak to the king. He will not refuse you permission to marry me.”

¹⁴ Despite her entreaty, he would not listen to her. Rather, he overpowered her and raped her. ¹⁵ Then Amnon was seized with intense hatred for her, a hatred that was far greater than the love he had had for her. “Get up and leave,” he said. ¹⁶ But she answered: “No, my brother. If you send me away, that would be an even greater wrong^[a] than the other wrong you perpetrated against me.” However, he refused to listen to her.

¹⁷ Then Amnon summoned his personal attendant and said: “Take this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her!” ¹⁸ She was wearing a long gown with sleeves, for this is how the virgin daughters of the king were clothed in those days. ¹⁹ Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long gown that she was wearing. Then, putting her hand on her head, she went away, weeping loudly.

²⁰ Her brother Absalom said to her: “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this to heart.” Then Tamar, forlorn and inconsolable, went to live in the house of her brother Absalom.

^21 [b]When King David learned about all this, he became extremely angry. However, he did not punish his son Amnon because he was his firstborn and he loved him. ²² But Absalom refused to say a single word to Amnon, either good or bad, since he hated Amnon because he had raped his sister Tamar.

²³ Absalom’s Plot. Two years later, when Absalom had sheep-shearers at Baal-hazor, near Ephraim, he invited all of the king’s sons. ²⁴ Absalom went to the king and said: “Your servant has summoned the sheep-shearers to work. Will your majesty and his retinue please come?” ²⁵ The king replied: “No, my son. If we all were to go, we would prove to be a burden to you.” Absalom continued to urge him, but the king still refused to go, although he gave him his blessing.

²⁶ Absalom then said: “If you will not come, then please allow my brother Amnon to go with us.” The king replied: “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ However, Absalom continued to urge him, until finally the king allowed Amnon and all the other princes to go.

²⁸ Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king, and he instructed his servants: “Watch carefully! When Amnon is merry with wine and I say to you: ‘Strike down Amnon,’ then slay him. Do not be afraid. You will simply be obeying my command. Be courageous and act valiantly!”

²⁹ The Death of Amnon. When the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded, then all of the king’s sons leapt to their feet, mounted their mules, and fled. ³⁰ While they were still on the road, a report came to David that Absalom had slain all of the king’s sons and that not a single one of them had survived. ³¹ The king stood up, tore his garments, and threw himself on the ground. All of his servants who were standing around him also tore their garments.

³² However, Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said: “Let not my lord think that all the young princes, the sons of the king, have been killed. Amnon alone is dead, for Absalom has been determined to exact vengeance ever since the day that Amnon raped his sister Tamar. ³³ Therefore, my lord the king should not believe the report that all of the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”

³⁴ Meanwhile Absalom had fled. When the man on sentry duty looked up, he saw a large group of people coming down the hill from the direction of Horonaim. Immediately he hastened to the king and reported: “I have seen men coming down the hill from Horonaim.”

³⁵ Jonadab said to the king: “Behold, the king’s sons have returned, just as I said they would.” ³⁶ No sooner had he finished speaking than the king’s sons arrived, weeping aloud. The king and all his servants also wept bitterly.

³⁷ Absalom, who had taken flight, went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur, ³⁸ and he remained in Geshur for three years.

³⁹ Efforts for Absalom’s Return. During all that time, David mourned over his son, but once he became reconciled to the death of Amnon, he yearned to be reconciled with Absalom.

Chapter 14

¹ Joab, the son of Zeruiah, ascertained that the king, in his heart, longed for Absalom, ² so he sent to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her: “Pretend to be a mourner. Dress yourself in mourning garments and do not anoint yourself with oil. Simply pretend to be a woman who has been grieving for the dead for many days. ³ Then go to the king and speak to him as I instruct you.” After that, Joab told her what she was to say.

⁴ When the woman of Tekoa approached the king, she fell prostrate to the ground in homage and said: “Please help me, O king.” ⁵ The king asked: “What can I do for you?” She replied: “As you can see I am a widow. My husband is dead. ⁶ Your servant had two sons, and they fought with one another in the field. There was no one around to separate them, and one of them struck the other and killed him.

⁷ “Now the entire family has risen against your servant and demanded: ‘Give up the man who killed his brother, so that we can put him to death to atone for the life of the brother whom he killed. Thus we shall get rid of the heir as well.’ Should they do this, they will extinguish my one remaining ember and leave my husband neither name nor posterity on the face of the earth.” ⁸ The king said to the woman: “Return home. I myself shall issue orders on your behalf.”

⁹ Then the woman of Tekoa said to the king: “My lord, let the guilt be on me and on my father’s house. The king and his throne will be without guilt.” ¹⁰ The king replied: “If anyone says something further that is threatening to you, have him brought to me, and he will never trouble you again.” ^11 [c]Then she said: “May the king keep the Lord, your God, in mind so that the avenger of blood will be prevented from killing any further and my son will not be destroyed.” The king swore: “As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

¹² The woman continued further; “Please permit your servant to speak a further word to my lord the king.” He replied: “Speak.” ¹³ She said: “In pronouncing this verdict, has not the king condemned himself by devising something like this against the people of God, since you have refused to bring back your banished son? ¹⁴ We all must die. We are like water that is spilled on the ground and cannot be gathered up again. However, God does not take away a life. Rather, he devises ways that will enable us to avoid being estranged forever from him.

¹⁵ “I have dared to speak in this way to your majesty because the people have intimidated me. I thought: ‘Perhaps if I can speak to the king, he will grant the request of his servant. ¹⁶ He will surely listen to me and deliver his servant from the hands of those who seek to cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’ ¹⁷ And I further thought: ‘Perhaps the word of my lord the king will restore my peace of mind, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning between good and evil.’ May the Lord, your God, be with you.”

¹⁸ Then in reply the king said to the woman: “Do not be evasive in replying to the question I will now ask you.” The woman answered: “Let my lord the king present his question.” ¹⁹ Then the king asked: “Is not the hand of Joab behind you in all this?” The woman asserted: “As you live, my lord the king, no one can avoid being completely truthful in responding to what you ask. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me and taught your servant all the things she was to say. ²⁰ Your servant Joab did this to present the situation in a different light. But my lord has the wisdom of an angel of God and is fully aware of everything that happens in the land.”

²¹ Absalom’s Return. Then the king said to Joab: “Very well. I grant this request. Go forth and bring back the young man Absalom.” ²² Then Joab fell prostrate to the ground in homage and blessed the king, saying: “My lord the king, today your servant knows that I have found favor with you, since the king has granted his servant’s request.”

²³ Then Joab set out immediately for Geshur and brought back Absalom to Jerusalem. ²⁴ But the king said: “Let him go to his own house. He shall not come into my presence.” Therefore, Absalom went to his own house and was not received by the king.

²⁵ In all Israel there was no one who was so highly praised for his beauty as Absalom, who did not have a single blemish from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. ²⁶ When he would cut the hair of his head—something he used to do at the close of every year because his hair became too heavy for him—the hair weighed two hundred shekels according to the royal standard. ²⁷ To Absalom three sons were born, and also one daughter whose name was Tamar and who was truly beautiful.^[d]

²⁸ Absalom Is Pardoned. Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without coming into the king’s presence. ²⁹ Then Absalom summoned Joab, wishing to send him with a message to the king, but Joab refused to come. He then sent for him a second time, but Joab still refused to come. ³⁰ Then Absalom instructed his servants: “Joab’s field adjoins mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” Therefore, Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³¹ Then Joab went to Absalom’s house and asked him: “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” ³² Absalom replied: “I sent word to you to come here so that I could send you to the king to give him this message from me: ‘Why did you summon me to come back from Geshur. I believe that I would be better off if I were still there. Let me now appear before the king. If I am guilty of anything, let him kill me.’ ”

³³ Joab then went before the king and reported this to him. Thereupon the king summoned Absalom, who came and prostrated himself before him, with his face to the ground. Then the king welcomed Absalom with a kiss.

Chapter 15

Absalom’s Plot. ¹ After this, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run on ahead of him. ² Absalom was accustomed to arise early and stand by the side of the road that led to the city gate. If someone had a lawsuit to bring before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out and ask him: “Which town do you come from?” and that person would answer: “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”

³ Then Absalom would reply: “Your petition may be clearly valid and just, but there is no one who is authorized by the king to hear you.” ⁴ He would further add: “If only I were appointed as judge in the land, then everyone who has a lawsuit or a claim to be arbitrated could come to me, and I would ensure that he would have his case judged fairly.”

⁵ Moreover, whenever a man came before him and prostrated himself, Absalom would stretch out his hand, embrace him, and kiss him. ⁶ By behaving in such a manner to every Israelite who approached the king to seek justice, Absalom captured the affectionate loyalty of the people.

Conspiracy in Hebron. ⁷ After a period of four years had elapsed, Absalom said to the king: “Please allow me to go to Hebron so that I may fulfill the vow that I have made to the Lord. ⁸ For while I lived at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I shall worship the Lord in Hebron.’ ” ⁹ The king replied: “Depart in peace.” Therefore, Absalom arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ Then Absalom sent messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel with this message: “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’ ”

¹¹ Two hundred men had accompanied Absalom from Jerusalem. They had been invited as guests and had gone with him in complete innocence, totally unaware of what was going on. ¹² Absalom also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, who was David’s counselor, and asked him to come from his town of Giloh to join him in offering the sacrifices. Thus the conspiracy grew in strength, and Absalom’s supporters continued to increase in numbers.

¹³ David Flees from Jerusalem. A messenger came to David with this report: “The men of Israel have transferred their allegiance to Absalom.” ¹⁴ Upon hearing this, David said to all of his officials who were with him in Jerusalem: “Get ready to depart! If we do not flee, then none of us will be able to escape from Absalom. Depart as quickly as you can, or he will soon overtake us and inflict disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”^[e]

¹⁵ The king’s officials then replied: “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are prepared to follow your commands.” ¹⁶ Then the king set forth, followed by his entire household, aside from ten concubines whom he left behind to take care of the palace.

¹⁷ As the king moved on, followed by all the people, he halted at the last house, with the officials at his side. ¹⁸ As he watched, all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all of the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath passed on before him.

¹⁹ David and Ittai. Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite: “Why should you also come with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. For you are a foreigner, and in addition you are also an exile from your own country. ²⁰ You arrived only yesterday. How can I ask you to wander about with us today when truly I do not know where I am going? Go back home, therefore, and take your countrymen with you, and may the Lord grant you his kindness and his faithful love.”

²¹ However, Ittai replied to the king: “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there your servant will also be.”

²² David then said to Ittai: “Go ahead, then, and march on!” Therefore, Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him. ²³ Everyone in the countryside wept aloud as the king and all the people crossed the Wadi Kidron and moved on toward the desert wilderness.^[f]

²⁴ David and the Priests. Zadok was also there, as well as all the Levites with him, as they carried the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God beside Abiathar until all those who were with them had marched out of the city.

²⁵ Then the king said to Zadok: “Take the Ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and permit me to see both the Ark and the place where it dwells. ²⁶ But if he says: ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then here I am. Let him do with me as he sees fit.”

²⁷ The king also said to Zadok the priest: “Aren’t you a seer? You and Abiathar can return safely into the city with your sons, your own son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. ²⁸ I shall wait at the fords of the wilderness until I receive word from you.” ²⁹ Therefore, Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there.

³⁰ David then ascended to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot. All the people with him also covered their heads and wept as they went. ³¹ When it was revealed to David that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom, he said: “O Lord, I beg you to turn the counsel of Ahithophel into folly.”

³² David and Hushai. When David arrived at the summit where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came forth to meet him with his tunic torn and with dirt upon his head. ³³ David said to him: “If you come with me, you will only be a burden to me. ³⁴ However, if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, O king. As I was formerly your father’s servant, now I will be your servant,’ you will make it possible for me to frustrate the advice of Ahithophel.

³⁵ “The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. Report to them everything that you hear in the royal palace. ³⁶ Their two sons are there with them: Zadok’s son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. Through them you shall send word to me of everything you hear.”

³⁷ So David’s friend Hushai came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

Chapter 16

David and Ziba. ¹ When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, he was met by Ziba, the servant of Meribbaal. Ziba had with him a pair of saddled donkeys laden with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred bunches of summer fruits, and one skin of wine. ² The king said to Ziba: “What are you planning to do with these?” Ziba replied: “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on, the bread and the fruit are for the soldiers to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who fall exhausted in the desert.”

³ The king then asked: “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba replied: “He is staying in Jerusalem, for he said: ‘Today the house of Israel will restore to me my father’s kingdom.’ ” ⁴ Therefore, the king said to Ziba: “Everything that belonged to Meribbaal is yours.” Then Ziba replied: “I humbly pay you homage, my lord the king. May I always be considered to be worthy of being granted your favor.”

David and Shimei. ⁵ As King David was nearing Horonaim, he was approached by a man of the family of Saul. His name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and he was cursing as he drew near. ⁶ He threw stones at David and his servants, as well as at all the people and the soldiers on his right and on his left.

⁷ As he cursed, Shimei shouted: “Get out, get out, you murderous scoundrel! ⁸ The Lord has repaid all of you for the blood of the house of Saul whose sovereignty you have stolen, and the Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Now your wickedness has caught up with you, for you are a man of blood.”

⁹ Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king: “Why should this dead dog be allowed to curse my lord the king? Let me go over and behead him.” ¹⁰ However, the king said: “What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord told him: ‘Curse David,’ who will then dare to say: ‘Why have you done so?’ ”

¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and all his servants: “If my own son who was conceived from my loins is now seeking my life, how much more understandable is it that this Benjaminite is prepared to do so! Let him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has instructed him to do so. ¹² Perhaps the Lord will look upon my wretched condition and grant me a blessing to repay me for the curses that I have been forced to endure this day.”

¹³ Therefore, David and his men resumed their journey, while Shimei kept abreast of him on the opposite hillside, cursing as he went and throwing stones and flinging dust at him. ¹⁴ When the king and all the people with him reached the Jordan, they stopped there to rest, for they were exhausted.

¹⁵ Absalom’s Counselors.^[g] Meanwhile Absalom and all of the Israelites entered Jerusalem, and accompanying him was Ahithophel. ¹⁶ Then Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, approached Absalom and said to him: “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷ Then Absalom asked Hushai: “Is this the way you show loyalty to your friend?” ¹⁸ Hushai replied to Absalom: “I intend to follow the man whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, and I will remain with him. ¹⁹ Besides, whom should I serve if not his son? Just as I served your father, so will I serve you.”

²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel: “Give us your counsel on what you think we should do.” ²¹ Ahithophel replied to Absalom: “Go to your father’s concubines whom he left behind to take care of the palace and have relations with them. As a result, all Israel will hear that you have greatly antagonized your father, and the courage of all your supporters will be strengthened.” ²² Therefore, a tent was pitched for Absalom upon the roof, and in the sight of all Israel Absalom lay with his father’s concubines.

²³ Counsel of Ahithophel. Now in those days the counsel offered by Ahithophel was regarded as counsel presented by God himself. And that was how the counsel of Ahithophel was regarded by both David and Absalom.

Chapter 17

¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom: “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set forth in pursuit of David this very night. ² I plan to overtake him when he is weary and discouraged and to throw him into a panic. Then, when all the people who are with him flee, I will strike down only the king. ³ After that, I will bring all the people back to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You are seeking the death of only one man. The rest of the people will be unharmed.” ⁴ Absalom and all the elders of Israel found this plan to be satisfactory.

Counsel of Hushai. ⁵ Then Absalom said: “Now also summon Hushai the Archite, and let us hear what he has to say.” ⁶ When Hushai arrived, Absalom said to him: “This is what Ahithophel suggested. Shall we do as he advises? If not, give us your ideas in this regard.”

⁷ Hushai replied to Absalom: “On this particular occasion Ahithophel has not offered good advice.” ⁸ Then he went on to say: “You well know that your father and his men are warriors and that they are as fierce as a bear in the wilderness who has been robbed of her cubs. In addition, your father is unsurpassed in devising strategy, and he will not spend the night with the troops.

⁹ “You can be certain that even now he has concealed himself in a cave or some other place. And if some of our troops should be slain during the first attack, the word will quickly spread that the followers of Absalom have been slaughtered. ¹⁰ Then even the most valiant of our warriors, with courage like that of a lion, will shrink away in fear. For all Israel well knows that your father is a warrior and that those who serve with him are brave.

¹¹ “This is the advice that I offer to you. Summon all Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, to be gathered in support of you, and be at their side as they march into battle. ¹² When we catch up with him, wherever he may be found, we shall then attack him and descend upon him as the dew falls upon the ground. He will not survive, nor will any of those with him. ¹³ And if he should withdraw into a town, all Israel shall bring ropes into that town, and we shall drag it down into a gorge so that not even a single remnant of it can be found there.”

¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the Israelites declared: “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is superior to that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had determined to frustrate the shrewd advice of Ahithophel and thereby bring disaster on Absalom.

¹⁵ David Told of the Plan. Then Hushai said to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “This is the counsel that Ahithophel gave to Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I advised. ¹⁶ Therefore, send a warning to David without delay and tell him: ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the desert, but cross over as quickly as you can. Otherwise the king and all the people with him may be annihilated.’ ”

¹⁷ Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A servant girl used to go there and report to them what was happening, and then they would go and inform King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. ¹⁸ However, a young lad saw them and informed Absalom. Therefore, the two of them ran off quickly and went to the house of a man in Horonaim. He had a cistern in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.

¹⁹ The man’s wife then took a covering, stretched it out over the cistern, and strewed crushed grain on it so that nothing would be noticed. ²⁰ When the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house, they asked: “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman replied: “They went by here a short while ago and went toward the water.” They continued their pursuit, but when they found no sight of them, they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ After they had departed, the two men climbed out of the cistern and went to warn King David. “Leave immediately and cross the water quickly,” they said, as they related to him how Ahithophel had decided to proceed against him. ²² Therefore, David and all of the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By dawn there was not a single one left who had not crossed to the opposite bank of the Jordan.

²³ When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and departed straight home to his own town. Then, having left detailed instructions to ensure the well-being of his family, he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

²⁴ By the time that Absalom had crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel, David had already reached Mahanaim. ²⁵ Absalom had appointed Amasa to be commander of the army in Joab’s place. Amasa was the son of a man called Ithra the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab’s mother Zeruiah. ²⁶ The Israelites and Absalom encamped in the territory of Gilead.

²⁷ When David came to Mahanaim, he was greeted by Shobi, the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir, the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim. ²⁸ They brought bedding, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, ²⁹ honey and curds, and cheese from the flocks and herds for David and the people with him to eat, as they said: “Your troops must have been hungry and thirsty and exhausted in the desert.”

Chapter 18

Preparation for Battle. ¹ David mustered the men who were with him, and he appointed commanders to be in charge of units of a thousand and units of a hundred.^{[h] 2} Then David divided his army into three groups: one under the command of Joab, another under the command of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah and the brother of Joab, and the third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. After that, the king said to the soldiers: “I myself will also march forth with you.”

³ However, the soldiers replied: “You must not come with us. If we are forced to flee, they will not be concerned about us, not even if half of us should die. However, you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better if you remain in the city to supply whatever help we may need.”

⁴ The king said to them: “I shall do whatever seems best to you.” Then he stood beside the gate while all the soldiers marched out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵ He also gave this order to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with the young man Absalom.” And all of the soldiers heard the king give this directive to the commanders in regard to Absalom.

Defeat of Absalom. ⁶ Then the army marched into the field against Israel, and a battle was fought in the forest near Mahanaim. ⁷ The Israelite forces were defeated there by the forces of David, and the casualties numbered twenty thousand men. ⁸ The battle spread over the entire countryside, and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.

Death of Absalom. ⁹ Meanwhile, Absalom, by chance, happened to encounter some of David’s men. He was riding on his mule, and as it passed under the thick branches of a large oak, his head became caught in its branches, and he was left hanging in midair while the mule he had been riding continued on. ¹⁰ Someone who had seen this reported to Joab: “I saw Absalom hanging from an oak.”

¹¹ Joab said to the man who had informed him: “If you actually saw him, why then did you not strike him to the ground then and there? I would have willingly given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”

¹² However, the man replied to Joab: “Even if you were to weigh out a thousand shekels of silver and place them in the palm of my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. For in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai: ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ ¹³ On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously with Absalom and thereby placed my life in jeopardy—and nothing is hidden from the king—then you would have dissociated yourself from me.”

¹⁴ Joab then answered him bluntly: “I cannot waste my time arguing with you.” Thereupon he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive, hanging in midair from the oak tree. ¹⁵ Then ten young men who served as Joab’s armor-bearers closed in on Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

¹⁶ After that, Joab ordered the trumpet to be sounded, and the soldiers ceased their pursuit of Israel because he had ordered them to halt. ¹⁷ They picked up Absalom, flung his body into a large pit in the forest, and piled up a great mound of stones over him. Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their tents.

¹⁸ During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it for himself in the King’s Valley, for he said: “I have no son to perpetuate the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and to the present day it is still called Absalom’s Monument.

¹⁹ David Told of Absalom’s Death. Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab: “Grant me permission to take the good news to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the power of his enemies.” ²⁰ But Joab replied: “Today you would not be the bearer of good news. On some other day, you may do so, but you shall not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

²¹ Then Joab said to an Ethiopian: “Go forth and report to the king what you have witnessed.” The Ethiopian bowed down before Joab and ran off. ²² Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, again said to Joab: “Come what may, allow me to run after the Ethiopian.”

Joab replied: “My son, why do you wish to go? You will not receive any reward for the news you bring.” ²³ “Come what may,” he answered, “I want to run.” Joab finally relented, and he said: “I grant you leave to depart.” Then Ahimaaz sped off by way of the plain of the Jordan and outran the Ethiopian.

²⁴ While David was sitting between the inner and the outer wall, a sentry went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he looked up, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵ The sentry called down to the king and reported this to him. “If he is alone,” said the king, “he has some news to tell us.”

²⁶ As the man continued to draw nearer, the sentry beheld another man running, and he shouted to the gatekeeper, saying: “Look! Here comes another man running alone.” The king asserted: “He must also be bringing good news.” ²⁷ The sentry added: “The first one runs just like Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok.” The king replied: “He is a good man, and I feel certain that he comes with good news to report.”

²⁸ Then Ahimaaz called out to the king: “All is well!” After that he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground and said: “Blessed be the Lord, your God, for he has delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king.”

²⁹ Thereupon the king asked: “Is all well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered: “When the king’s servant Joab sent your servant forth, I was aware of a great commotion, but I do not know what it was all about.” ³⁰ The king said: “Stand off to the side and wait over there.” Therefore, he stepped aside and remained there.

³¹ When the Ethiopian arrived, he said: “I bring good news for my lord the king. For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all those who rebelled against you.” ³² Then the king asked the Ethiopian: “Has all gone well with the young man Absalom?” The Ethiopian answered: “May the enemies of my lord the king and all those who rise up to harm you share the fate of that young man.”

³³ Greatly shaken, the king went up to the chamber over the gate, weeping incessantly. And as he went, he cried out: “O my son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”^[i]