1 GLT And David counted the people who{ were} with him, and he appointed over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds. BSB BSB: Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
2 GLT And David sent the people— the third in the hand of Joab and the third in the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah the brother of Joab and the third in the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people,“I will certainly go out, even I, 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 GLT But the people said,“You will not go out, for if we certainly flee, they will not put a heart to us. But if half of us die, they will not put a heart to us, for you{ are}, compared to us, 10, 000. But now,{ it is} better that you become 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 GLT And the king said to them,“That which is good in your eyes, I will do.” And the king stood to the hand of the gate, and all 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 GLT And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying,“{ Be} gentle for me to the young man, to Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning 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 GLT And the people went out{ to} the field to meet with Israel, and the war 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 GLT And there the people of Israel were struck before the servants of David. And there the defeat 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 GLT And there the war was dispersed over the face of the whole land. And the forest consumed more among the people than that which 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 GLT And Absalom was met to the face of the servants of David. And Absalom was riding on the donkey, and the donkey went under the branches of the large terebinth, and his head was caught on the terebinth, and he was given between the heavens and between the earth, and the donkey that{ was} under him passed through. 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 GLT And one person saw, and he informed Joab. And he said,“Look, I saw Absalom hanging on the terebinth.” BSB BSB: When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 GLT And Joab said to the person who informed him,“And look— you saw, but why did you not strike him there to the ground?{ It is} 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 GLT And the man said to Joab,“Even if I was weighing on my palm 1, 000 silver, I would not have sent out my hand to the son of the king. For in our ears the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying,‘Guard for me 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 GLT Or{ if} I had done in my spirit a falsehood— and every matter is not hidden from the king— and you yourself would have stood 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 GLT And Joab said,“Not thus will I wait to your face.” And he took three spears in his palm, and he thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he{ was} living in the heart of the terebinth. 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 GLT And ten young men, those who carried the weapons of Joab, surrounded. 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 GLT And Joab blasted on the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab kept the people back. BSB BSB: Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.
17 GLT And they took Absalom, and they threw him in the forest into the large pit, and they stood on him a very large pile of stones. And all Israel fled, each 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 GLT And Absalom had taken and set up for himself when he was living a pillar which{ was} in the Valley of the King, for he said,“There is no son for me for the sake of causing my name to be remembered.” And he called the pillar according to his name, and it is called the Hand of Absalom up 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.
19 GLT And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said,“Please, let me run and let me bring news{ to} the king, for Yahweh has judged him against 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 GLT And 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 GLT And Joab said to the Cushite,“Go, declare to the king what you saw.” And the Cushite prostrated himself to Joab, and 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 GLT And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok continued again, and he said to Joab,“But whatever will be, please, let me run also myself after the Cushite.” And Joab said,“Why{ is} this{ that} you will run, my son, and for you there is no news which finds{ a reward}?” 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 GLT “But whatever will be, let me run.” And he said to him,“Run.” And Ahimaaz ran the way of the valley, and he passed by 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 GLT And David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went to the roof of the gate to the wall, and he raised his eyes, and he saw, and look— a man was 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 GLT And the watchman called, and he informed the king, and the king said,“If{ he is} by himself, news{ is} in his mouth.” And he walked, walking 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 GLT And the watchman looked— another man was running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper, and he said,“Look, a man is running by himself.” And the king said,“Also this{ person} brings 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 GLT And the watchman said,“I am seeing the running of the first{ is} 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 GLT And Ahimaaz called, and he 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 shut up the men who lifted their hands 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 GLT And the king said,“{ Does} peace{ belong} to the young man, to Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said,“I saw a great commotion 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 GLT And the king said,“Turn, stand thus.” And he turned, and he stood. BSB BSB: “Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside.
31 GLT And look— the Cushite came. And the Cushite said,“May my lord the king receive news, for Yahweh has judged you today against the hand of all those who rose up 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 GLT And the king said to the Cushite,“Does peace{ belong} to the young man, to Absalom?” And the Cushite said,“May the enemies of my lord the king and all those who rose up against you for evil 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 GLT And the king trembled, and he went up to the upper room of the gate, and he wept. And thus he said when he went:“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! Who will give my dying— me instead 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.