2 Samuel 18
Legacy Standard Bible
Joab Puts Absalom to Death
18 Then David [a]numbered the people who were with him and (A)set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 And David sent the people out, (B)one-third under the hand of Joab, one-third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one-third under the hand of (C)Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you also.” 3 But the people said, “(D)You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not set their heart on us; even if half of us die, they will not set their heart on us. But now [b]you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.” 4 Then the king said to them, “Whatever is good in your sight I will do.” So (E)the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. 5 Then the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And (F)all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders concerning Absalom.
6 Then the people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle took place in (G)the forest of Ephraim. 7 And the people of Israel were [c]defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. 8 And the battle there was scattered over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 Then Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Now Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And (H)his head caught fast in the oak, so he was [d]left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him passed onward. 10 Then a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” 11 Then Joab said to the man who had told him, “Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” 12 So the man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive one thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not send forth my hand against the king’s son; for (I)in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘[e]Keep for me the young man Absalom!’ 13 Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and (J)there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” 14 Then Joab said, “I will not wait around here before you.” (K)So he took three [f]spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the [g]midst of the oak. 15 And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and put him to death.
16 Then (L)Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. 17 And they took Absalom and cast him into [h]a deep pit in the forest and (M)set over him a very great heap of stones. And (N)all Israel fled, each to his tent. 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and (O)set up for himself a pillar which is in (P)the King’s Valley, for he had said, “(Q)I have no son [i]to preserve my name.” So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
David Weeps Over Absalom
19 Then (R)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and proclaim the good news to the king (S)that Yahweh has judged to save him from the hand of his enemies.” 20 But Joab said to him, “You are not the man for the good news this day, but you shall proclaim the good news another day; however, you shall not proclaim the good news today because the king’s son has died.” 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. 22 Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why would you run, my son, since (T)you will have no reward for going?” 23 “But whatever happens,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed the Cushite.
24 Now (U)David was sitting between the two gates; and (V)the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. 25 And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer. 26 Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” 27 And the watchman said, “I see that the running of the first one (W)is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “(X)This is a good man and comes with good news.”
28 And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “Peace!” And (Y)he prostrated himself before the king with his [j]face to the ground. And he said, “(Z)Blessed is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” 29 Then the king said, “(AA)Is there peace with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but (AB)I did not know what it was.” 30 Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
31 Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for (AC)Yahweh has judged to save you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” 32 Then the king said to the Cushite, “(AD)Is there peace with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “(AE)Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!”
33 [k]Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “(AF)O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! (AG)Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 18:1 Lit mustered
- 2 Samuel 18:3 As in some ancient versions; M.T. for now there are ten thousand like us
- 2 Samuel 18:7 Lit smitten
- 2 Samuel 18:9 Lit placed
- 2 Samuel 18:12 As in some mss and the ancient versions; M.T. Take care whoever you are of
- 2 Samuel 18:14 Or rods
- 2 Samuel 18:14 Lit heart
- 2 Samuel 18:17 Lit the great
- 2 Samuel 18:18 Lit for the sake of remembering
- 2 Samuel 18:28 Lit nose
- 2 Samuel 18:33 Ch 19:1 in Heb
2 Samuel 18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Defeat and Death of Absalom
18 Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.(A) 2 And David sent forth the army: one third under the command of Joab; one third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother; and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the men, “I myself will also go out with you.”(B) 3 But the men said, “You shall 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;[a] therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.”(C) 4 The king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.(D) 5 The king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom.(E)
6 So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.(F) 7 The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.
9 Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging[b] between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.(G) 10 A man saw it and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” 11 Joab said to the man who told him, “What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” 12 But the man said to Joab, “Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son, for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘For my sake protect the young man Absalom!’(H) 13 On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life[c] (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” 14 Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak.(I) 15 And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.
16 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the troops.(J) 17 They took Absalom, threw him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Meanwhile all the Israelites fled to their homes.(K) 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 called the pillar by his own name; it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.(L)
David Hears of Absalom’s Death
19 Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and carry tidings to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the power of his enemies.”(M) 20 Joab said to him, “You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall not do so 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 before Joab and ran. 22 Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said again to Joab, “Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, seeing that you have no reward[d] for the tidings?” 23 “Come what may,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain and outran the Cushite.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. The sentinel went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he looked up he saw a man running alone.(N) 25 The sentinel shouted and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth.” He kept coming and drew near. 26 Then the sentinel saw another man running, and the sentinel called to the gatekeeper and said, “See, another man running alone!” The king said, “He also is bringing tidings.” 27 The sentinel said, “I think the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man and comes with good tidings.”
28 Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well!” He prostrated himself 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.”(O) 29 The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a great tumult when the king’s servant Joab sent your servant, but I do not know what it was.”(P) 30 The king said, “Turn aside, and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
31 Then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.”(Q) 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 to do you harm be like that young man.”(R)
David Mourns for Absalom
33 [e]The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept, and as he went he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”(S)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.