Absalom Killed 1 ULT And David counted the people who{ were} with him, and he set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. BSB BSB: Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
2 ULT And David sent out the people, a third in the hand of Joab and a third in the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, and a third in the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people,“Going out, I will go out, I too, with you.” BSB BSB: He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”
3 ULT But the people said,“You shall not go out, for if fleeing, we flee, they will not set a heart to us. Even if half of us die, they will not set a heart to us. For now{ there are} ten thousand like us. And now,{ it is} better that you be help for us from the city.” BSB BSB: But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better now if you support us from the city.”
4 ULT And the king said to them,“What is good in your eyes, I will do.” And the king stood at the hand of the gate, and all of the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. BSB BSB: “I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 ULT And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying,“Gently for me with the young man, with Absalom.” And all of the people heard when the king commanded all of the commanders about the matter of Absalom. BSB BSB: Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.
6 ULT And the people went out{ to} the field to meet Israel, and the battle was in the Forest of Ephraim. BSB BSB: So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 ULT And the people of Israel were struck there to the face of the servants of David. And the striking there was great on that day, 20, 000. BSB BSB: There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.
8 ULT And the battle was scattered there over the face of all of the land. And the forest made more to consume among the people than what the sword consumed on that day. BSB BSB: The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.
9 ULT And Absalom was met to the face of the servants of David. Now Absalom was riding on the mule, and the mule came under the branches of a great oak tree, and his head was caught in the oak tree, and he was put between the heavens and between the earth, and the mule that{ was} under him passed on. BSB BSB: Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair.
10 ULT And one man saw, and he declared to Joab, and he said,“Behold, I saw Absalom hung on an oak tree.” BSB BSB: When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 ULT And Joab said to the man declaring to him,“And behold, you saw, so why did you not strike him there to the ground? For{ it was} to me to give to you ten silver and one belt.” BSB BSB: “You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!”
12 ULT And the man said to Joab,“Even if I were weighing on my palm a thousand silver, I would not stretch out my hand against the son of the king. For in our ears the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying,‘Guard who{ is} upon the young man Absalom.’ BSB BSB: The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
13 ULT Otherwise I would have done wrong against my life, for every matter is not hidden from the king, and you, you would have stationed yourself from before{ me}.” BSB BSB: If I had jeopardized my own life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”
14 ULT And Joab said,“I will not wait thus to your face.” And he took three spears in his palm, and he thrust them into the heart of Absalom, he still{ being} alive in the heart of the oak tree. BSB BSB: But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.
15 ULT And ten young men, carriers of the weapons of Joab, surrounded{ him}. And they struck Absalom, and they killed him. BSB BSB: And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
16 ULT Then Joab blew on the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab restrained the people. BSB BSB: Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.
17 ULT And they took Absalom, and they threw him into a great pit in the forest, and they set up a very great heap of stones over him. And all of Israel fled, a man to his tent. BSB BSB: They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home.
18 ULT Now while he was living, Absalom had taken and set up for himself a pillar, which{ was} in the Valley of the King. For he said,“{ There is} no son to me in order to make{ people} remember my name.” And he called the pillar according to his name, and it is called the Hand of Absalom to this day. BSB BSB: During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.
David Mourns for Absalom 19 ULT And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said,“Please let me run and let me bring news{ to} the king, for Yahweh has judged him out of the hand of his enemies.” BSB BSB: Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
20 ULT But Joab said to him,“You{ are} not a man of news this day, but you will bring news another day. But this day you will not bring news, because the son of the king is dead.” BSB BSB: But Joab replied, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
21 ULT Then Joab said to the Cushite,“Go, declare to the king what you have seen.” And the Cushite prostrated himself to Joab, then he ran. BSB BSB: So Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.
22 ULT And again Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, resumed and said to Joab,“But whatever may be, please let me run, I too, after the Cushite.” And Joab said,“Why{ is} this, you running, my son, when for you{ there is} no news finding?” BSB BSB: Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” “My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?”
23 ULT “But whatever may be, let me run.” And he said to him,“Run.” And Ahimaaz ran the way of the plain, and he passed the Cushite. BSB BSB: “No matter what, I want to run!” he replied. “Then run!” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
24 ULT Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watcher went to the roof of the gate, on the wall, and he lifted his eyes, and he saw, and behold, a man running by himself. BSB BSB: Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone.
25 ULT And the watcher called and declared to the king. And the king said,“If{ he is} by himself, news{ is} in his mouth.” And he came, coming and near. BSB BSB: So he called out and told the king. “If he is alone,” the king replied, “he bears good news.” As the first runner drew near,
26 ULT And the watcher saw another man running, and the watcher called to the gatekeeper and said,“Behold, a man running by himself.” And the king said,“This{ one} is also bringing news.” BSB BSB: the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” “This one also brings good news,” said the king.
27 ULT And the watcher said,“I am seeing the running of the first like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok.” And the king said,“This{ is} a good man, and he comes with good news.” BSB BSB: The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”
28 ULT And Ahimaaz called and said to the king,“Peace!” And he prostrated himself to the king with his nose to the ground. And he said,“Blessed be Yahweh your God, who has enclosed the men who lifted their hand against my lord the king.” BSB BSB: Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” And he bowed facedown before the king. He continued, “Blessed be the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.”
29 ULT And the king said,“{ Is} peace to the young man, to Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said,“I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the servant of the king and your servant, but I do not know what.” BSB BSB: The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”
30 ULT And the king said,“Turn aside, station yourself thus.” And he turned aside, and he stood. BSB BSB: “Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside.
31 ULT And behold, the Cushite came. And the Cushite said,“May my lord the king receive the good news that Yahweh has judged you today out of the hand of all of the ones having arisen against you.” BSB BSB: Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!”
32 ULT And the king said to the Cushite,“{ Is} peace to the young man, to Absalom?” And the Cushite said,“May the enemies of my lord the king and all who arise against you for harm be like the young man.” BSB BSB: The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And the Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you to harm you be like that young man.”
33 ULT And the king trembled, and he went up to the upper room of the gate, and he wept. And thus he said as he went:“My son Absalom! My son, my son, Absalom! Who will give my dying myself in place of you? Absalom, my son, my son!” BSB BSB: The king was shaken and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.