﻿2 Samuel.
Chapter 18.
David mustered the people with him and appointed commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds over them. 
David sent out the people, a third under Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I myself will certainly go out with you.” 
But the people said, “You must not go out. If we flee, they will pay no attention to us, and if half of us die, they will pay no attention to us. For now there are ten thousand like us. It is better for you to help us from the city.” 
The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate while all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. 
The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “For my sake, deal gently with the young man Absalom.” All the people heard the king give all the commanders this order about Absalom. 
The people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 
There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter that day was great: twenty thousand men. 
The battle spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. 
Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. He was riding a mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught in the oak, leaving him suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule beneath him went on. 
A man saw him and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” 
Joab said to the man who told him, “You saw him! Why did you not strike him to the ground there? I would have given you about four ounces of silver and a belt.” 
The man said to Joab, “Even if about twenty-five pounds of silver were weighed into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you, Abishai and Ittai, ‘Take care of the young man Absalom.’ 
If I had dealt falsely at the cost of my own life, nothing would have been hidden from the king, and you yourself would have stood aloof.” 
Joab said, “I will not wait here with you like this.” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the heart of the oak. 
Then ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him. 
Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the people turned back from pursuing Israel, for Joab held the people back. 
They took Absalom and threw him into the great pit in the forest, and raised a very large heap of stones over him. All Israel fled, each to his tents. 
During his lifetime Absalom had set up for himself the pillar in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day. 
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has vindicated him against his enemies.” 
Joab said to him, “You are not to be the bearer of news today. You may bring news another day, but you must not bring news today, because the king’s son is dead.” 
Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed before Joab and ran. 
Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab again, “Whatever happens, let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, when you have no news that will bring you a reward?” 
“Whatever happens, I will run,” he said. Joab told him, “Run.” So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and passed the Cushite. 
David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked up and saw a man running alone. 
The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, he has news to tell.” The man kept coming closer. 
The watchman saw another man running and called to the gatekeeper, “There is another man running alone!” The king said, “He too is bringing news.” 
The watchman said, “I see that the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man and comes with good news.” 
Ahimaaz called to the king, “Peace!” He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.” 
The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom well?” Ahimaaz said, “I saw a great commotion when Joab sent the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I do not know what it was.” 
The king said, “Step aside and stand here.” So he stepped aside and stood there. 
Then the Cushite arrived and said, “Let my lord the king receive good news! Today the LORD has vindicated you against all who rose up against you.” 
The king said to the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom well?” The Cushite said, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.” 
The king trembled, went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!” 
