The Daily Audio Bible

Absalom’s Death

18 David numbered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ² Then David sent the ^[a]army out, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the ^[b]men, “I myself will certainly go out [to fight] with you.” ³ But the men said, “You should not go out [to battle with us]. For if in fact we retreat, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city [of Mahanaim].” ⁴ Then the king said to them, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate [of Mahanaim], and all the army went out in groups of hundreds and of thousands. ⁵ The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the men heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

⁶ So the men went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ The men of Israel [who supported Absalom] were defeated there by the ^[c]men of David, and a great slaughter took place there that day, 20,000 men. ⁸ For the battle there was spread out over the surface of the entire countryside, and the [hazards of the] forest devoured more men that day than did the sword.

⁹ Now Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a massive tree, and his ^[d]head was caught in [the thick branches of] the tree; and he was left hanging [in midair] between heaven and earth, while the mule that had been under him kept going. ¹⁰ A certain man saw it and informed Joab, saying, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.” ¹¹ Joab said to the man who informed him, “You saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? ^[e]I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” ¹² The man told Joab, “Even if I were to feel the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my hands, I would not put out my hand against the king’s son; for ^[f]we all heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect the young man Absalom, for my sake.’ ¹³ Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously against his life (for nothing is hidden from the king) you yourself would have ^[g]taken sides against me.” ¹⁴ Joab said, “I will not waste time with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive [and caught] in the midst of the tree. ¹⁵ And ten young men, Joab’s armor bearers, surrounded and struck Absalom and killed him.

¹⁶ Then Joab blew the trumpet [to signal the end of the combat], and the men returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held them back. ¹⁷ They took [down the body of] Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest and set up a huge mound of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his own tent. ¹⁸ Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have ^[h]no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He named the memorial pillar after himself, and to this day it is called ^[i]Absalom’s Monument.

David Is Grief-stricken

¹⁹ Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, said, “Let me run and bring the king news that the Lord has vindicated him by rescuing him from [the power of] his enemies.” ²⁰ But Joab told him, “You are not the man to carry news [to King David] today, but you shall carry news another day. On this day you shall carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Then Joab said to the Cushite (Ethiopian), “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” And the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. ²² Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why should you run, my son, seeing you will have no messenger’s reward for going [because you have only bad news]?” ²³ “But whatever happens, Let me run.” So Joab said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain [of the Jordan River] and outran the Cushite.

²⁴ Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the lookout went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he raised his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵ The lookout called down and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, he has good news to tell.” And he came nearer and nearer. ²⁶ Then the lookout saw another man running, and he called to the gatekeeper and said, “Look, another man running alone.” The king said, “He also is bringing good news.” ²⁷ The lookout said, “I think the man in front runs like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man and is coming with good news.”

²⁸ And Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “^[j]All is well.” And he bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has handed over the men who lifted up their hands [to fight] against my lord the king.” ²⁹ The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great turmoil, but I do not know what it was about.” ³⁰ The king told him, “Step aside; stand here.” And he stepped aside and stood still.

³¹ Behold, the Cushite (Ethiopian) arrived, and said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for the Lord has vindicated you today by rescuing you from the hand (power) of all those who stood against you.” ³² The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom [my son] safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all those who rise against you to do evil, be [dead] like that young man is.”

^33 [k]The king was deeply moved and went to the upper room over the gate and wept [in sorrow]. And this is what he said as he walked: “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! ^[l]How I wish that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Joab Reproves David’s Lament

19 It was told to Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” ² So the victory on that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said on that day, “The king grieves for his son.” ³ The people stole into the city [of Mahanaim] that day, as people who are humiliated and ashamed steal away when they retreat in battle. ⁴ But the king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” ⁵ Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have put all your servants to shame who this day have saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters, and the lives of your wives and ^[m]concubines. ⁶ For you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have shown today that commanders and servants are nothing to you; for today I know that if Absalom had lived and all the rest of us had died today, then you would be pleased. ⁷ So now stand up, go out and speak kindly and encouragingly to your servants; for I swear by the Lord that if you do not go out, not a man will stay with you tonight. And this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”

David Restored as King

⁸ Then the king stood and sat at the gate [of Mahanaim]. And they told all the people, “The king is sitting at the gate,” and all the people came before the king.

But Israel [Absalom’s troops] had fled, every man to his tent. ⁹ All the people were quarreling throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king rescued us from the hands of our enemies, and he saved us from the hands of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. ¹⁰ And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So now, why are you [leaders] doing nothing about bringing back the king?”

The Empty Tomb

20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw the stone [already] removed from the [groove across the entrance of the] tomb.^{(A) 2} So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the ^[a]other disciple (John), whom Jesus loved (esteemed), and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and ^[b]we do not know where they have laid Him!” ³ So Peter and the other disciple left, and they were going to the tomb.^{(B) 4} And the two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and arrived at the tomb first. ⁵ Stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen ^[c]wrappings [neatly] lying there; but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came up, following him, and went into the tomb and saw the linen wrappings [neatly] lying there; ⁷ and the [burial] ^[d]face-cloth which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the [other] linen wrappings, but ^[e]rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸ So the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, went in too; and he saw [the wrappings and the face-cloth] and ^[f]believed [without any doubt that Jesus had risen from the dead]. ⁹ For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead.^{(C) 10} Then the disciples went back again to their own homes.

¹¹ But Mary [who had returned] was standing outside the tomb sobbing; and so, as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb; ¹² and she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. ¹³ And they said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She told them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” ¹⁴ After saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? For whom are you looking?” Supposing that He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you are the one who has carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in ^[g]Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “^[h]Do not hold Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came, reporting to the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her.

Jesus among His Disciples

¹⁹ So when it was evening on that same day, the first day of the week, though the disciples were [meeting] behind barred doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “^[i]Peace to you.” ²⁰ After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with great joy. ²¹ Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you [as My representatives].” ²² And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.^{(D) 23} If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven [because of their faith]; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained [and remain unforgiven because of their unbelief].”

²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve [disciples], who was called Didymus (the twin), was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the marks of the nails, and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.”

²⁶ Eight days later His disciples were again inside the house, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, though the doors had been barred, and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place it in My side. Do not be unbelieving, but [stop doubting and] believe.”^{(E) 28} Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, do you now believe? Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, and favored by God] are they who did not see [Me] and yet believed [in Me].”

Purpose of Writing this Gospel

³⁰ There are also many other signs (attesting miracles) that Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these have been written so that you may believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God; and that by believing [and trusting in and relying on Him] you may have life in His name.^(F)

Resh.

Shin.

Tav.