Psalm 3

How Many Are My Foes, But You Are My Shield

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A psalm by David. When he fled from Absalom,^[a] his son.

Many Enemies

One Protector

Peaceful Rest

Certain Victory

Absalom’s Rebellion

15 After this, Absalom acquired for himself a chariot, horses, and fifty men to run in front of him. ² Absalom would get up early and stand beside the road by the gatehouse. Absalom would call out to every man who had a legal issue to bring before the king for judgment, and he would say, “What city are you from?” The person would say, “Your servant is from such-and-such of the tribes of Israel.” ³ Absalom would say to him, “Your claims are good and valid, but there is no one from the king to listen to you.” ⁴ Then Absalom would say, “I wish someone would make me a judge in the land. Then everyone who has a legal issue or needs a judgment could come to me, and I would give him justice.”

⁵ Whenever someone approached to bow down to him, he would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. ⁶ Absalom acted this way to everyone of Israel who came to the king for judgment. In this way Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ After four^[a] years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron and fulfill my vow, which I have made to the Lord, ⁸ because when I was at Geshur in Aram, your servant vowed, ‘If the Lord will really return me to Jerusalem, I will serve the Lord.’”

⁹ The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he set out and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ But Absalom sent agents throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’” ¹¹ Two hundred men from Jerusalem who had been invited went along with Absalom. They went innocently, since they did not know what was going on.

¹² While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom summoned David’s advisor, Ahithophel of Giloh, to come from Giloh, his hometown. The conspiracy gained strength as more and more people were going over to Absalom.

¹³ A messenger came to David and said, “The hearts of the men of Israel are following Absalom.”

¹⁴ So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Get ready. We must flee, or we will not escape from Absalom. Hurry up and go, so that he does not come quickly, overtake us, bring down disaster on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

¹⁵ The officials of the king said to him, “Here we are. We, your servants, will do everything our lord the king decides.” ¹⁶ So the king set out with his entire household, but he left ten concubines^[b] to watch over the house. ¹⁷ The king and all his people set out. They stopped at a house some distance away.

David’s Flight

¹⁸ All his troops were passing by in front of David. All the Kerethites, Pelethites, and Gittites—six hundred men from Gath who had come under his command—were passing by in front of the king. ¹⁹ The king said to Ittai from Gath, “Why are you going with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom, because you are a foreigner and an exile from your home. ²⁰ You arrived just yesterday. Today should I cause you to wander with us, when I myself do not have a plan as to where I am going? Go back and take your fellow soldiers with you. May the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness be with you.”^[c]

²¹ Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king will be, whether it leads to death or life, there your servant will be.”

²² David said to Ittai, “Go ahead then. March on.” So Ittai from Gath and all his men and all the dependents who were with them marched by.

²³ All the people of the land wept loudly as all the troops were marching by. The king crossed over the stream bed of the Kidron. All the people kept marching by in the direction of the wilderness.

²⁴ Next came Zadok and all the Levites with him, who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered up sacrifices until all the people finished passing by, as they left the city. ²⁵ The king said to Zadok, “Return the Ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see it in its proper dwelling place. ²⁶ But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ look, here I am. Let him do to me whatever is good in his eyes.”

²⁷ The king said to Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer?^[d] Go back to the city in peace. You two priests, take your sons with you—your son Ahima’az and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. ²⁸ Listen, I will be waiting at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” ²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar carried the Ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

³⁰ David went up along the ascent to the top of the Mount of Olives. As he walked along with his head covered, he was weeping, and he was walking barefoot. All the people who were with him also covered their heads. As they went up, they were weeping as they walked along.

³¹ David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David said, “Please, Lord, make the advice of Ahithophel foolish.”

³² David arrived at the summit, where he worshipped God.^[e]

Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him. His robe was torn, and he had dirt on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you cross over with me, you will become a burden to me. ³⁴ But if you return to the city and you say to Absalom, ‘Let me be your servant, O King. In the past I was a servant of your father. Now I will be your servant,’ then you can defeat the advice of Ahithophel for me. ³⁵ Are not Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, with you there? Tell every word that you hear in the house of the king to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. ³⁶ Their two sons, Zadok’s son Ahima’az and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, are there with them. Through those two, the three of you will be able to send me every word that you hear.” ³⁷ Hushai, the friend and advisor of David, went to the city, just as Absalom also was entering into Jerusalem.

16 David moved a little beyond the summit. There Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him with a string of saddled donkeys. On them there were two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred cakes of raisins, one hundred cakes of summer fruit, and a container^[f] of wine.

² The king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?”

Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the household of the king to ride on. The bread and fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is to provide something to drink for those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”

³ The king said, “So where is the grandson of your master?”

Ziba said to the king, “Well, he is staying in Jerusalem because he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will return the kingdom of my grandfather to me.’”

⁴ The king said to Ziba, “All right then. Everything that was Mephibosheth’s belongs to you.”

Ziba said, “I bow down before you. May I find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

⁵ King David came to Bahurim. There he was confronted by a man from the family of the house of Saul. His name was Shimei son of Gera. He was rushing out and calling down curses. ⁶ He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, as well as at all the people and all the warriors on David’s right and on his left. ⁷ This is what Shimei said as he cursed: “Get out! Get out, you bloody, worthless man! ⁸ The Lord has avenged upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, whom you replaced as king. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. Just look at you now, sunk in disaster, because you are a bloody man.”

⁹ Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.”

¹⁰ The king said, “What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who can say, ‘Why have you done this?’” ¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and to all his followers, “Listen to me! My son, who came from my own body, is seeking my life. How much more now, this Benjaminite! Leave him alone. Let him curse. Perhaps the Lord has told him to do so. ¹² Perhaps the Lord will look on my misery and will return something good to me in exchange for his cursing this day.”

¹³ So David and his men kept traveling down the road, and Shimei kept following along, on the side of the hill opposite him, walking along, cursing, throwing stones, and flinging dirt at him.

¹⁴ The king and all the people who were with him traveled until they became exhausted, and then they stopped in order to recover.

Absalom’s Plans

¹⁵ Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, arrived at Jerusalem. Ahithophel was with him.

¹⁶ When Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷ Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty for your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

¹⁸ Hushai said to Absalom, “No. The person who has been chosen by the Lord, by this people, and by all the men of Israel—this is the one with whom I will be and with whom I will remain. ¹⁹ Besides, whom should I serve if not the king’s son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you.”

²⁰ Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?”

²¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to watch over the palace. Let all Israel hear that you have become disgusting to your father, so that the hands of all who are with you may be strengthened.”

²² So they pitched a tent on the roof for Absalom, and Absalom went to^[g] his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

²³ In those days the advice that Ahithophel gave was viewed as if it had come from God. All the advice of Ahithophel was viewed that way, both by David and also by Absalom.

17 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men. I will set out to pursue David tonight. ² I will come upon him when he is tired and weak and cause him to panic. All the people with him will flee. Then I will strike down only the king. ³ I will bring back the rest of the people to you. The life of the man whom you are seeking will gain the return of all of them.^[h] All the rest of the people will be safe.” ⁴ Ahithophel’s plan seemed good to all the elders of Israel.

⁵ But Absalom said, “Call Hushai the Arkite. We should also hear what he has to say.” ⁶ So Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom said to him, “This is what Ahithophel has said. Shall we do it? If you disagree, speak up.”

⁷ Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the advice Ahithophel has given is not good.” ⁸ Hushai continued, “You know your father and his men. They are fierce warriors, like an enraged bear in the open country who has lost her cubs. Your father is a fighter. He will not spend the night with the people. ⁹ Certainly, by now he has hidden himself in one of the caves or in some other place. What if he attacks and some of our men fall first? Whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the followers of Absalom.’ ¹⁰ Even the very brave, whose hearts are like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, because all Israel knows that your father is a fierce warrior, and that those who are with him are brave men. ¹¹ So, I advise you to gather all Israel to you from Dan to Beersheba, as many as the sand beside the sea, and that you personally lead them into battle. ¹² We should attack the king in whatever place he is found. We will come down on him like the dew that falls upon the ground. There will not even be one survivor from him and from all the men with him. ¹³ If he withdraws into a city, all Israel should bring ropes to that city. We will drag it into the valley until there will not be even one pebble found there.”

¹⁴ Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.”

The Lord had arranged to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster upon Absalom.

¹⁵ Then Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel. But this is what I have advised. ¹⁶ Now send a message quickly and tell David, ‘Do not stay tonight at the fords in the wilderness. Also, be sure to cross over the river, or the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.’”

¹⁷ Jonathan and Ahima’az were to wait at En Rogel because they could not risk being seen going into the city. A female servant was to go out and inform them. Then they could go and tell King David. ¹⁸ However, a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them quickly went to the house of a man at Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. ¹⁹ His wife took a cover, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it. Nobody knew that she did it.

²⁰ Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahima’az and Jonathan?”

The woman said to them, “They have passed by toward the river.”^[i] Absalom’s servants pursued them but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ When they left, Ahima’az and Jonathan climbed out of the well. They went and reported to King David, and they said to him, “Get up and cross over the river quickly because this is what Ahithophel advised against you.” ²² So David and all the people who were with him set out and crossed the Jordan, beginning at the first light of day and continuing until everyone had crossed over the Jordan.

²³ When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, set out, went to his house in his hometown, and set his household in order. Then he hanged himself. He died, and he was buried in the tomb of his father.

²⁴ David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed over the Jordan with all the men of Israel. ²⁵ Absalom had put Amasa in command of the army instead of Joab. (Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, an Ishmaelite^[j] who had gone to Abigal,^[k] the daughter of Nahash, the sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab.)

²⁶ Israel and Absalom set up camp in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim ²⁸ brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,^{[l] 29} honey, cheese curds, sheep, and cheese from cow’s milk for David and for the people with him to eat, because they said, “The people are hungry, tired, and thirsty in the wilderness.”

The Battle

18 David organized the troops who were with him. He appointed leaders over units of a thousand and units of a hundred. ² Then David sent the troops out: one third under the command of Joab; one third under the command of Abishai, who was the son of Zeruiah and the brother of Joab; and one third under the command of Ittai from Gath.

The king said to the troops, “I myself will definitely also go with you.”

³ But the troops said, “You will not go, because if we flee, they will not target us. Even if half of us die, they will not target us, for there are ten thousand others like us. No. It is better now that you support us from the city.”

⁴ So the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you, I will do.”

The king stood beside the city gate. All the troops marched out by units of a hundred and a thousand. ⁵ The king gave orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, act gently with the young man Absalom.” All the troops heard the king giving orders to the leaders concerning Absalom.

⁶ The troops went out into the countryside to confront Israel. The battle took place in the Forest of Ephraim. ⁷ The men of Israel were defeated there by the followers of David. There was a great slaughter there on that day—twenty thousand. ⁸ The battle was spread over the entire area. The forest devoured more people than the sword did on that day.

⁹ Absalom encountered the forces of David. As Absalom was riding on his mule, the mule went under the thick branches of a large terebinth tree, and Absalom’s head caught in the terebinth. He was caught between heaven and earth, and the mule he was riding kept going.

¹⁰ A man noticed Absalom and told Joab, “Listen! I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!” ¹¹ Joab said to the man who had told him, “What! You saw him! Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.”

¹² But the man said to Joab, “Even if I had one thousand shekels of silver weighed out into my hands, I would not reach my hand out against the king’s son. We heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Watch out for the young man Absalom for me.’ ¹³ If I had acted irresponsibly with my life^[m]—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would not have stood by me.”

¹⁴ Joab said, “I will not waste time with you like this.” He took three small spears in his hand, and he hurled them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the terebinth tree. ¹⁵ Ten young men, the ones carrying Joab’s armor and weapons, surrounded Absalom and struck and killed him.

¹⁶ Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the people turned back from pursuing Israel, because Joab restrained them. ¹⁷ They took Absalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest. They raised a huge pile of stones over him.

All Israel fled, everyone to his own tent.^[n]

¹⁸ During his lifetime Absalom had set up a monument for himself in the Valley of the King, because he said, “I do not have a son to keep my name alive in people’s memory.” He named the monument after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

¹⁹ Ahima’az son of Zadok said, “Let me run and carry the good news to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the power of his enemies.”

²⁰ But Joab said to him, “You are not the man to carry the news today. You may carry the news some other day, but today you should not carry the news, because the king’s son is dead.”

²¹ Joab then told a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you saw.”

The Cushite bowed down to Joab and then set out running.

²² But Ahima’az son of Zadok said to Joab again, “No matter what, I really want to run behind the Cushite.”

Joab said, “Why do you want to do this? My son, there is no good news that will bring you any gain for running.” ²³ But Ahima’az said, “No matter what, let me run.” So Joab said to him “All right, run then.” Ahima’az ran on the road that followed the plain, and he passed the Cushite.

²⁴ David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman went up onto the roof of the gatehouse next to the wall. While he was standing watch, he saw a man running all by himself. ²⁵ The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, he is bringing good news.” The man kept coming and got closer.

²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There is another man running all by himself!”

The king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” ²⁷ The watchman said, “The way the first man is running looks like the way Ahima’az son of Zadok runs.” The king said, “He is a good man. He is coming with good news.”

²⁸ Ahima’az called out to the king, “Peace.” Then he bowed down to the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed is the Lord your God, who delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.”

²⁹ The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

Ahima’az said, “I saw a great uproar at the time when Joab sent the other servant of the king and me, your servant. I do not know what it was about.”

³⁰ The king said, “Step aside. Stay here.” So he stepped aside and just stood there.

³¹ The Cushite arrived and said, “There is good news for my lord the king, because the Lord has delivered you this day from the power of all who rose up against you.”

³² The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

The Cushite said, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you with evil intentions be like that young man.”

³³ The king was shocked. He went up to the room over the gatehouse. As he was going, he wept and said, “My son Absalom, my son, my son! O Absalom, I wish I had died instead of you. O Absalom, my son, my son.”

The Aftermath of the Battle

19 Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.”^{[o] 2} The victory that day became an occasion for mourning for all the people, because that day the people heard that the king was mourning for his son. ³ That day the people were sneaking into the city quietly, the way people who are ashamed of fleeing from the battle would sneak in quietly. ⁴ The king covered his face and cried with a loud voice, “My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son.”

⁵ Joab came to the king at the house and said, “Today you have put to shame all your followers, who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and concubines. ⁶ You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have demonstrated clearly today that your officers and followers are nothing to you. Today I have no doubt that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, you would be pleased. ⁷ Now get up. Go out. Speak to the hearts of your followers. For by the Lord, I swear that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight, and this disaster will be greater for you than all the disasters that have come upon you from your youth until now.”

⁸ So the king got up and took his seat by the gate. All the people were told, “Look! The king is sitting in the gate.” So all the people came into the presence of the king.

Israel had fled, every man to his own home. ⁹ All the people in all the tribes of Israel were quarreling and saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He saved us from the hand of the Philistines. Now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. ¹⁰ But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now why are you silent about bringing back the king?”

¹¹ King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. He said, “Speak to the elders of Judah. Ask them, ‘Why will you be the last to bring the king back to his palace?’ The plan that all Israel has been discussing has been reported to the king at his house. ¹² You are my brothers. You are my flesh and blood.^[p] Why will you be the last to bring back the king?”

¹³ He also said, “Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood? May God punish me severely and double it,^[q] if you are not the permanent commander of my army in place of Joab.’”

¹⁴ David turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as if they were one man. They sent to the king and said, “Return, you and all your servants.”

¹⁵ So the king returned and came to the Jordan. The men of Judah came out to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king across the Jordan.

¹⁶ Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷ One thousand men from Benjamin were with him. Also, Ziba, the manager of the house of Saul, came, along with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king. ¹⁸ They crossed over the ford to escort the household of the king across and to make a good impression on the king.

Shimei son of Gera bowed down before the king when he was crossing over the Jordan. ¹⁹ He spoke to the king: “My lord, do not consider me guilty. Do not remember the wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, and do not take it to heart, ²⁰ for I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Look! I have come today, the first one from the whole house of Joseph to come down to welcome my lord the king.”

²¹ Abishai son of Zeruiah answered, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death because he cursed the anointed of the Lord?”

²² But David said, “What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? For today you are my adversaries. Should any man in Israel be put to death today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” ²³ The king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” The king took an oath concerning him.

²⁴ Mephibosheth, grandson of Saul, also came down to welcome the king. He had not taken care of his feet or his beard and had not washed his clothing from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. ²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”

²⁶ Mephibosheth answered, “Your servant said, ‘Because I am crippled, I need to have the donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king.’ But, my lord the king, my servant deceived me. ²⁷ He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. However, my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do what is right in your eyes. ²⁸ All the house of my father deserved death from my lord the king, but you included your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right do I have to cry out again to the king?”

²⁹ The king said to him, “Why say more about your situation? I say that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”

³⁰ Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has come safely to his house.”

³¹ Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim. He crossed over the Jordan, escorting the king back over the Jordan. ³² Barzillai was very old, eighty years old. He had provided food for the king during his stay at Mahanaim because he was a very wealthy man. ³³ The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me. I will provide for you as my guest in Jerusalem.”

³⁴ But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years am I going to be alive? Why should I go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵ Today I am eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat and what I drink? Can I still hear the voice of the male and female singers? Why should your servant become a further burden to my lord the king? ³⁶ Let your servant cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance. Why will the king pay me back with such a reward? ³⁷ Please, let your servant return and die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But look! Here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever seems good to you.”

³⁸ So the king said, “Kimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. All that you want from me, I will do for you.”

³⁹ So all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king also crossed over. Then he kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Barzillai then returned to his own home. ⁴⁰ The king went over to Gilgal, and Kimham crossed over with him.

All the people of Judah, as well as half the people of Israel, escorted the king over. ⁴¹ But suddenly all the men of Israel came and said to the king, “Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, along with all the men of David?”

⁴² All the men of Judah responded to the men of Israel, “It is because the king is closely related to us! Why has this angered you? Have we eaten at the king’s expense? Or have we received anything for ourselves?”

⁴³ The men of Israel responded to the men of Judah, “Ten shares of the king belong to us! That is more of David than you have the right to. Why do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak about bringing our king back?”

But the response of the men of Judah was even harsher than the words of the men of Israel.