Absalom’s Death

⁹ Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David’s soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair.^{[a] 10} One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”

¹¹ “You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed.^[b] “Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten silver pieces^[c] and a belt!”

¹² The man replied to Joab, “Even if I had the weight of a thousand pieces of silver^[d] in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. For we heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for me.’^{[e](A) 13} If I had jeopardized my own^[f] life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”

¹⁴ Joab said, “I’m not going to waste time with you!” He then took three spears^[g] in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s chest. While Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, ¹⁵ ten young men who were Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him. ¹⁶ Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab restrained them. ¹⁷ They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and raised up a huge mound of stones over him.^(B) And all Israel fled, each to his tent.^(C)

¹⁸ When he was alive, Absalom had taken a pillar and raised it up^(D) for himself in the King’s Valley,^(E) since he thought, “I have no son^(F) to preserve the memory of my name.” So he named the pillar after himself. It is still called Absalom’s Monument today.