⁹ Absalom was found in the presence of the servants of David as he was riding on the mule. The mule went under the thicket of the great oak tree, and his head was caught in the tree. He was left hanging between heaven and earth, and the mule which was under him went on. ¹⁰ When a certain man saw it, he told Joab, and he said, “Look, I saw Absalom hanging in the oak tree!” ¹¹ Then Joab said to the man who was telling him, “Look, if you saw, why did you not strike him down to the ground there? I would have gladly given you^[a] ten pieces of silver and a leather belt.” ¹² The man said to Joab, “Even if I felt the weight^[b] of a thousand pieces of silver in my palms, I would not have sent my hand against the son of the king, for in our ears the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Whoever you may be, protect the young man Absalom.’ ¹³ If I had dealt treacherously against his life, and there is not any matter hidden from the king, you would have presented yourself aloof.”^{[c] 14} Joab said, “No longer will I wait in your presence.” Then he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree. ¹⁵ Then ten of the young men who bore the weapons of Joab surrounded him and struck and killed Absalom. ¹⁶ Then Joab blew on the trumpet and the troops returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab kept back the troops. ¹⁷ They took Absalom and they threw him into the large pit in the forest and raised a very great heap of stones over him. Then all of Israel fled, each to his tent.

¹⁸ (Now Absalom had taken and set up for himself in his lifetime a stone pillar that is in the valley of the king, because he said, “I have no son in order to remember my name,” and he called the stone pillar by his name. It is called the monument of Absalom until this day).