Absalom Slain

18 Then David ^[a]numbered the people who were with him and ^(A)set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ² David sent the people out, ^(B)one third under the ^[b]command of Joab, one third under the ^[c]command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the ^[d]command 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 care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But ^[e]you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.” ⁴ Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So ^(E)the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. ⁵ The king charged 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 charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.

⁶ Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in ^(G)the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ The people of Israel were ^[f]defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. ⁸ For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For 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 ^[g]left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. ¹⁰ When 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 The man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king’s son; for ^(I)in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘^[h]Protect 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 ^[i]waste time here with you.” ^(K)So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the ^[j]midst of the oak. ¹⁵ And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.

¹⁶ Then ^(L)Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. ¹⁷ They took Absalom and cast him into ^[k]a deep pit in the forest and ^(M)erected 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 said, “^(Q)I have no son ^[l]to preserve my name.” So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

David Is Grief-stricken

¹⁹ Then ^(R)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the king news ^(S)that the Lord has ^[m]freed him from the hand of his enemies.” ²⁰ But Joab said to him, “You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king’s son is dead.” 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 up 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 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 The watchman said, “I ^[n]think 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 Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “^[o]All is well.” And ^(Y)he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, “^(Z)Blessed is the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” ²⁹ The king said, “^(AA)Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz answered, “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)the Lord has ^[p]freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” ³² Then the king said to the Cushite, “^(AD)Is it well 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 [q]The king was deeply moved 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!”

“Preach the Word”

4 ^(A)I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to ^(B)judge the living and the dead, and by His ^(C)appearing and His kingdom: ² preach ^(D)the word; be ready in season and out of season; ^(E)reprove, rebuke, exhort, with ^[a]great ^(F)patience and instruction. ³ For ^(G)the time will come when they will not endure ^(H)sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, ⁴ and ^(I)will turn away their ears from the truth and ^(J)will turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, ^(K)be sober in all things, ^(L)endure hardship, do the work of an ^(M)evangelist, fulfill your ^(N)ministry.

⁶ For I am already being ^(O)poured out as a drink offering, and the time of ^(P)my departure has come. ^7 (Q)I have fought the good fight, I have finished ^(R)the course, I have kept ^(S)the faith; ⁸ in the future there ^(T)is laid up for me ^(U)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on ^(V)that day; and not only to me, but also to ^(W)all who have loved His ^(X)appearing.

Personal Concerns

^9 (Y)Make every effort to come to me soon; ¹⁰ for ^(Z)Demas, having loved ^(AA)this present ^[b]world, has deserted me and gone to ^(AB)Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to ^[c](AC)Galatia, ^(AD)Titus to Dalmatia. ^11 (AE)Only ^(AF)Luke is with me. Pick up ^(AG)Mark and bring him with you, ^(AH)for he is useful to me for service. ¹² But ^(AI)Tychicus I have sent to ^(AJ)Ephesus. ¹³ When you come bring the cloak which I left at ^(AK)Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. ^14 (AL)Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; ^(AM)the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵ Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our ^[d]teaching.

¹⁶ At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; ^(AN)may it not be counted against them. ¹⁷ But the Lord stood with me and ^(AO)strengthened me, so that through me ^(AP)the proclamation might ^[e]be ^(AQ)fully accomplished, and that all ^(AR)the Gentiles might hear; and I was ^(AS)rescued out of ^(AT)the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will ^[f](AU)bring me safely to His ^(AV)heavenly kingdom; ^(AW)to ^[g]Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁹ Greet Prisca and ^(AX)Aquila, and ^(AY)the household of Onesiphorus. ^20 (AZ)Erastus remained at ^(BA)Corinth, but ^(BB)Trophimus I left sick at ^(BC)Miletus. ^21 (BD)Make every effort to come before ^(BE)winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.

^22 (BF)The Lord be with your spirit. ^(BG)Grace be with you.