1
And David[H1732]numbered[H6485] the people[H5971] that were with him, and set[H7760]captains[H8269] of thousands[H505] and captains[H8269] of hundreds[H3967] over them.
2
And David[H1732] sent forth[H7971] a third part[H7992] of the people[H5971] under the hand[H3027] of Joab[H3097], and a third part[H7992] under the hand[H3027] of Abishai[H52] the son[H1121] of Zeruiah[H6870], Joab[H3097]'s brother[H251], and a third part[H7992] under the hand[H3027] of Ittai[H863] the Gittite[H1663]. And the king[H4428]said[H559] unto the people[H5971], I will surely[H3318] go forth[H3318] with you myself[H589] also.
3
But the people[H5971]answered[H559], Thou shalt not go forth[H3318]: for if we flee[H5127]away[H5127], they will not care[H7760] for us; neither if half[H2677] of us die[H4191], will they care[H3820] for us: but now thou art worth[H3644]ten[H6235]thousand[H505] of us: therefore now it is better[H2896] that thou succour[H5826] us out of the city[H5892].
4
And the king[H4428]said[H559] unto them, What seemeth[H5869] you best[H3190] I will do[H6213]. And the king[H4428]stood[H5975] by the gate[H8179]side[H3027], and all the people[H5971] came out[H3318] by hundreds[H3967] and by thousands[H505].
5
And the king[H4428]commanded[H6680]Joab[H3097] and Abishai[H52] and Ittai[H863], saying[H559], Deal gently[H328] for my sake with the young man[H5288], even with Absalom[H53]. And all the people[H5971]heard[H8085] when the king[H4428] gave all the captains[H8269]charge[H6680]concerning[H1697]Absalom[H53].
6
So the people[H5971] went out[H3318] into the field[H7704]against[H7125]Israel[H3478]: and the battle[H4421] was in the wood[H3293] of Ephraim[H669];
7
Where the people[H5971] of Israel[H3478] were slain[H5062]before[H6440] the servants[H5650] of David[H1732], and there was there a great[H1419]slaughter[H4046] that day[H3117] of twenty[H6242]thousand[H505] men.
8
For the battle[H4421] was there scattered[H6327] over the face[H6440] of all the country[H776]: and the wood[H3293]devoured[H398]more[H7235]people[H5971] that day[H3117] than the sword[H2719]devoured[H398].
9
And Absalom[H53]met[H7122] the servants[H6440] of David[H1732]. And Absalom[H53]rode[H7392] upon a mule[H6505], and the mule[H6505]went[H935] under the thick boughs[H7730] of a great[H1419]oak[H424], and his head[H7218] caught hold[H2388] of the oak[H424], and he was taken up[H5414] between the heaven[H8064] and the earth[H776]; and the mule[H6505] that was under him went[H935]away[H5674].
10
And a certain[H259]man[H376]saw[H7200] it, and told[H5046]Joab[H3097], and said[H559], Behold, I saw[H7200]Absalom[H53]hanged[H8518] in an oak[H424].
11
And Joab[H3097]said[H559] unto the man[H376] that told[H5046] him, And, behold, thou sawest[H7200] him, and why didst thou not smite[H5221] him there to the ground?[H776] and I would have given[H5414] thee ten[H6235] shekels of silver[H3701], and a[H259]girdle[H2290].
12
And the man[H376]said[H559] unto Joab[H3097], Though[H3863] I should receive[H8254] a thousand[H505] shekels of silver[H3701] in mine hand[H3709], yet would I not put forth[H7971] mine hand[H3027] against the king[H4428]'s son[H1121]: for in our hearing[H241] the king[H4428]charged[H6680] thee and Abishai[H52] and Ittai[H863], saying[H559], Beware[H8104] that none touch the young man[H5288]Absalom[H53].
13Otherwise[H176] I should have wrought[H6213]falsehood[H8267] against mine own life[H5315]: for there is no matter[H1697]hid[H3582] from the king[H4428], and thou thyself wouldest have set[H3320] thyself against me.
14
Then said[H559]Joab[H3097], I may not tarry[H3176] thus with thee[H6440]. And he took[H3947]three[H7969]darts[H7626] in his hand[H3709], and thrust[H8628] them through the heart[H3820] of Absalom[H53], while he was yet alive[H2416] in the midst of the oak[H424].
15
And ten[H6235] young men[H5288] that bare[H5375] Joab's armour[H3627] compassed about[H5437] and smote[H5221]Absalom[H53], and slew[H4191] him.
16
And Joab[H3097]blew[H8628] the trumpet[H7782], and the people[H5971]returned[H7725] from pursuing[H7291]after[H310]Israel[H3478]: for Joab[H3097] held back[H2820] the people[H5971].
17
And they took[H3947]Absalom[H53], and cast[H7993] him into a great[H1419]pit[H6354] in the wood[H3293], and laid[H5324] a very[H3966]great[H1419]heap[H1530] of stones[H68] upon him: and all Israel[H3478]fled[H5127] every one[H376] to his tent[H168].
18
Now Absalom[H53] in his lifetime[H2416] had taken[H3947] and reared up[H5324] for himself a pillar[H4678], which is in the king's dale[H6010]: for he said[H559], I have no son[H1121] to keep my name[H8034] in remembrance[H2142]: and he called[H7121] the pillar[H4678] after his own name[H8034]: and it is called[H7121] unto this day[H3117], Absalom[H53]'s place[H3027].
19
Then said[H559]Ahimaaz[H290] the son[H1121] of Zadok[H6659], Let me now run[H7323], and bear[H1319] the king[H4428]tidings[H1319], how that the LORD[H3068] hath avenged[H8199] him of his enemies[H3027].
20
And Joab[H3097]said[H559] unto him, Thou[H376] shalt not bear tidings[H1309] this day[H3117], but thou[H376] shalt bear tidings[H1319]another[H312]day[H3117]: but this day[H3117]thou[H376] shalt bear no tidings[H1319], because the king's son[H1121] is dead[H4191].
21
Then said[H559]Joab[H3097] to Cushi[H3569], Go[H3212]tell[H5046] the king[H4428] what thou hast seen[H7200]. And Cushi[H3569]bowed[H7812] himself unto Joab[H3097], and ran[H7323].
22
Then said[H559]Ahimaaz[H290] the son[H1121] of Zadok[H6659] yet again[H3254] to Joab[H3097], But howsoever[H4100], let me, I pray thee, also run[H7323]after[H310]Cushi[H3569]. And Joab[H3097]said[H559], Wherefore wilt thou run[H7323], my son[H1121], seeing that thou hast no tidings[H1309]ready?[H4672]
23
But howsoever, said[H559] he, let me run[H7323]. And he said[H559] unto him, Run[H7323]. Then Ahimaaz[H290]ran[H7323] by the way[H1870] of the plain[H3603], and overran[H5674]Cushi[H3569].
24
And David[H1732]sat[H3427] between the two[H8147]gates[H8179]: and the watchman[H6822] went up[H3212] to the roof[H1406] over the gate[H8179] unto the wall[H2346], and lifted up[H5375] his eyes[H5869], and looked[H7200], and behold a man[H376]running[H7323] alone.
25
And the watchman[H6822]cried[H7121], and told[H5046] the king[H4428]. And the king[H4428]said[H559], If he be alone, there is tidings[H1309] in his mouth[H6310]. And he came[H3212]apace[H1980], and drew near[H7131].
26
And the watchman[H6822]saw[H7200]another[H312]man[H376]running[H7323]: and the watchman[H6822]called[H7121] unto the porter[H7778], and said[H559], Behold another[H312]man[H376]running[H7323] alone. And the king[H4428]said[H559], He also bringeth tidings[H1319].
27
And the watchman[H6822]said[H559], Me thinketh[H7200] the running[H4794] of the foremost[H7223] is like the running[H4794] of Ahimaaz[H290] the son[H1121] of Zadok[H6659]. And the king[H4428]said[H559], He is a good[H2896]man[H376], and cometh[H935] with good[H2896]tidings[H1309].
28
And Ahimaaz[H290]called[H7121], and said[H559] unto the king[H4428], All is well[H7965]. And he fell down[H7812] to the earth[H776] upon his face[H639] before the king[H4428], and said[H559], Blessed[H1288] be the LORD[H3068] thy God[H430], which hath delivered up[H5462] the men[H582] that lifted up[H5375] their hand[H3027] against my lord[H113] the king[H4428].
29
And the king[H4428]said[H559], Is the young man[H5288]Absalom[H53]safe?[H7965] And Ahimaaz[H290]answered[H559], When Joab[H3097]sent[H7971] the king[H4428]'s servant[H5650], and me thy servant[H5650], I saw[H7200] a great[H1419]tumult[H1995], but I knew[H3045] not what it was.
30
And the king[H4428]said[H559] unto him, Turn aside[H5437], and stand[H3320]here[H3541]. And he turned aside[H5437], and stood still[H5975].
31
And, behold, Cushi[H3569]came[H935]; and Cushi[H3569]said[H559], Tidings[H1319], my lord[H113] the king[H4428]: for the LORD[H3068] hath avenged[H8199] thee this day[H3117] of all them[H3027] that rose up[H6965] against thee.
32
And the king[H4428]said[H559] unto Cushi[H3569], Is the young man[H5288]Absalom[H53]safe?[H7965] And Cushi[H3569]answered[H559], The enemies[H341] of my lord[H113] the king[H4428], and all that rise[H6965] against thee to do thee hurt[H7451], be as that young man[H5288] is.
33
And the king[H4428] was much moved[H7264], and went[H3212]up[H5927] to the chamber[H5944] over the gate[H8179], and wept[H1058]: and as he went[H3212], thus he said[H559], O my son[H1121]Absalom[H53], my son[H1121], my son[H1121]Absalom[H53]! would God I had died[H4191] for thee[H5414], O Absalom[H53], my son[H1121], my son[H1121]!