2 Sam. 13:1‑18:33• 1{i}And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David having a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar, Amnon the son of David loved her.{/i}
2{i}And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed difficult for Amnon to do the least thing to her.{/i}
3{i}And Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.{/i}
4{i}And he said to him, Why dost thou, the king's son, get thinner from morning to morning? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.{/i}
5{i}And Jonadab said to him, Lay thee down on thy bed and feign thyself sick; and when thy father comes to see thee, say to him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me food, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.{/i}
6{i}So Amnon lay down and feigned himself sick; and the king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.{/i}
7{i}And David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go, I pray thee, to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him food.{/i}
8{i}And Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he had lain down. And she took flour and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.{/i}
9{i}And she took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Put every man out from me. And they went out every man from him.{/i}
10{i}And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the dish into the chamber, that I may eat of thy hand. And Tamar took the cakes that she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.{/i}
11{i}And she presented them to him to eat; and he took hold of her, and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister.{/i}
12{i}And she said to him, No, my brother, do not humble me; for no such thing is done in Israel: do not this infamy.{/i}
13{i}And I, whither shall I carry my reproach? and thou wouldest be as one of the infamous in Israel. And now, I pray thee, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.{/i}
14{i}But he would not hearken to her voice, and was stronger than she, and humbled her and lay with her.{/i}
15{i}And Amnon hated her with an exceeding great hatred, for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Arise, be gone.{/i}
16{i}And she said to him, There is no cause for this evil in sending me away, which is greater than the other that thou didst to me. But he would not hearken to her.{/i}
17{i}Then he called his young man that attended upon him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.{/i}
18{i}Now she had a vest of many colours upon her; for so were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. And his attendant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.{/i}
19{i}And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her vest of many colours which was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying out as she went.{/i}
20{i}And Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, be still: he is thy brother; take not this thing to heart. And Tamar remained, and that desolate, in her brother Absalom's house.{/i}
21{i}And king David heard of all these things, and he was very angry.{/i}
22{i}And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had humbled his sister Tamar.{/i}
23{i}And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-Hazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king's sons.{/i}
24{i}And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold, now, thy servant has sheepshearers; let the king, I pray thee, and his servants go with thy servant.{/i}
25{i}And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to thee. And he urged him, but he would not go; and he blessed him.{/i}
26{i}And Absalom said, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with thee?{/i}
27{i}But Absalom pressed him; and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.{/i}
28{i}And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Smite Amnon; then slay him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.{/i}
29{i}And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and they rode each upon his mule and fled.{/i}
30{i}And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom has smitten all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.{/i}
31{i}Then the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their garments rent.{/i}
32{i}And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he humbled his sister Tamar.{/i}
33{i}And now let not my lord the king take the thing to heart, to say, All the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead.{/i}
34{i}And Absalom fled. And the young man that watched lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there came much people from the way behind him, from the hill-side.{/i}
35{i}And Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king's sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.{/i}
36{i}And as soon as he had ended speaking, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.{/i}
37{i}And Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.{/i}
38{i}Now Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.{/i}
39{i}And king David longed to go forth to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.{/i}
1{i}And Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.{/i}
2{i}And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments, I pray, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead;{/i}
3{i}and come to the king, and speak after this manner to him. And Joab put the words into her mouth.{/i}
4{i}And the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, and she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Save, O king!{/i}
5{i}And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.{/i}
6Thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
7And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
8And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
10And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee anymore.
11Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
14For we must needs die, and are as water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth He devise means, that His banished may not be expelled from Him.
15{i}And now that I am come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid; and thy bondmaid said, I will now speak to the king; perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid.{/i}
16{i}For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.{/i}
17{i}And thy bondmaid said,{/i} The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore Jehovah thy God will be with thee.
18{i}And the king answered and said to the woman,{/i} Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
19And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
20to fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
21{i}And the king said to Joab,{/i} Behold now, I have done this thing, Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
22{i}And Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said, Today thy servant knows that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.{/i}
23{i}And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.{/i}
24{i}And{/i} the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
25{i}But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.{/i}
26{i}And when he shaved his head (for it was at every year's end that he shaved it, because it was heavy on him, therefore he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.{/i}
27{i}And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful countenance.{/i}
28{i}So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king's face.{/i}
29{i}Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him; and he sent again the second time, but he would not come.{/i}
30{i}Then he said to his servants, See, Joab's allotment is near mine and he has barley there: go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the allotment on fire.{/i}
31{i}Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my allotment on fire?{/i}
32{i}And Absalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? it would have been better for me to be there still. And now let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him slay me.{/i}
33{i}And Joab came to the king, and told him. And he called Absalom, and he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.{/i}
1And it came to pass after {i}this{/i}, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.
3And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.
4{i}And{/i} Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
5And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
6And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto Jehovah, in Hebron.
8For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If Jehovah shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve Jehovah.
9And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.
10But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
11And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not anything.
12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.
13{i}And there came one to David who reported saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.{/i}
14{i}And David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Rise up and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Be quick to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.{/i}
15{i}And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, thy servants will do whatever my lord the king shall choose.{/i}
16{i}And the king went forth, and all his household after him, and the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.{/i}
17{i}And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and stayed at the remote house.{/i}
18{i}And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed over before the king.{/i}
19{i}And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king; for thou art a foreigner, and besides, thou hast emigrated to the place where thou dwellest.{/i}
20{i}Thou didst come yesterday, and should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I can? Return and take back thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee!{/i}
21{i}And Ittai answered the king and said, As Jehovah liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.{/i}
22{i}And{/i} David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
23And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
24And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.
25{i}And the king said to Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city{/i}. If I shall find favour in the eyes of Jehovah, he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation:
26but if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.
27{i}And the king said to Zadok the priest, Thou art the seer: return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.{/i}
28{i}See, I will stop in the plains of the desert, until there come word from you to inform me.{/i}
29{i}And Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem; and they abode there.{/i}
30{i}But David went up by the ascent of the Olives, and{/i} wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
31{i}And one told David saying{/i}, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. {i}Then said David{/i}, O Jehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
32{i}And it came to pass, when David had come to the summit, where he worshipped God, that behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.{/i}
33{i}And David said to him, If thou passest on with me, thou wilt be a burden to me;{/i}
34{i}but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so now will I be thy servant; then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.{/i}
35{i}And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it shall be, that whatsoever thing thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.{/i}
36{i}Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear.{/i}
37{i}And Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.{/i}
1{i}And when David was a little past the summit, behold,{/i} Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
2And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
3{i}And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he abides at Jerusalem; for he said, Today shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.{/i}
4{i}And the king said to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained to Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly bow myself: may I find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.{/i}
5{i}And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed,{/i}
6{i}and{/i} cast stones at David, and at all the servants of King David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
7{i}And thus said Shimei as he cursed: Away, away, thou man of blood and man of Belial!{/i}
8{i}Jehovah has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and Jehovah has given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; and behold, thou art taken in thine own evil, for thou art a man of blood.{/i}
9Then said Abishai {i}the son of Zeruiah{/i} unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
10And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because Jehovah hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
11{i}And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth of my bowels, seeks my life: how much more now a Benjaminite? let him alone and let him curse; for Jehovah has bidden him.{/i}
12{i}It may be that Jehovah will look on mine affliction, and that Jehovah will requite me good for my being cursed this day.{/i}
13{i}And David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.{/i}
14{i}And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.{/i}
15{i}Now Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.{/i}
16{i}And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, Long live the king! Long live the king!{/i}
17{i}And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why didst thou not go with thy friend?{/i}
18{i}And Hushai said to Absalom, No; but whom Jehovah, and this people, and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.{/i}
19{i}And again, whom should I serve? should it not be in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.{/i}
20{i}And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.{/i}
21{i}And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to thy father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art become odious with thy father; and the hands of all that are with thee shall be strong.{/i}
22{i}So they spread a tent for Absalom upon the roof; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.{/i}
23{i}And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired of the word of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.{/i}
1{i}And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me, I pray, choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight;{/i}
2{i}and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only;{/i}
3{i}and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: all the people shall be in peace.{/i}
4{i}And the saying was right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.{/i}
5{i}And Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and we will hear also what he says.{/i}
6{i}And Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom spoke to him saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner: shall we carry out his word? If not, speak thou.{/i}
7{i}And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.{/i}
8{i}And Hushai said, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are of exasperated spirit, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.{/i}
9{i}Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or some such place; and it will come to pass, when some of them fall at the first, whoever heareth it will say, There has been slaughter among the people that follow Absalom,{/i}
10{i}and even the valiant man whose heart is as the heart of a lion shall utterly melt; for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.{/i}
11{i}But I counsel that all Israel be speedily gathered to thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.{/i}
12{i}And we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.{/i}
13{i}And if he withdraw into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the torrent, until there be not one small stone found there.{/i}
14{i}And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. And Jehovah had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, in order that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.{/i}
15{i}And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.{/i}
16{i}And now send quickly, and tell David saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.{/i}
17{i}And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; and the maid went and told them; and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city.{/i}
18{i}But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. Then they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down there.{/i}
19{i}And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not known.{/i}
20{i}And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And they sought and could not find them, and returned to Jerusalem.{/i}
21{i}And it came to pass after they had departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said to David, Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counselled against you.{/i}
22{i}Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan; by the morning light there was not one of them missing that had not gone over the Jordan.{/i}
23{i}And{/i} when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
24{i}And David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.{/i}
25{i}And Absalom set Amasa over the host instead of Joab; which Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jithra the Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.{/i}
26{i}And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.{/i}
27{i}And as soon as David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,{/i}
28{i}brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn , and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse ,{/i}
29{i}and honey, and cream, and sheep, and cheese of kine to David, and to the people that were with him, to eat; for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.{/i}
1{i}And David marshalled the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.{/i}
2{i}And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.{/i}
3{i}But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we should in any case flee, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; for thou art worth ten thousand of us; and now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.{/i}
4{i}And the king said to them, I will do what is good in your sight. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.{/i}
5{i}And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.{/i}
6{i}And the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.{/i}
7{i}And the people of Israel were routed before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day: twenty thousand men.{/i}
8{i}And the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.{/i}
9{i}And Absalom found himself in the presence of David's servants. And Absalom was riding upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of the great terebinth, and his head caught in the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.{/i}
10{i}And a man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.{/i}
11{i}And Joab said to the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten silver pieces and a girdle.{/i}
12{i}And the man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand silver pieces in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care, whoever it be of you, of the young man Absalom.{/i}
13{i}Or I should have acted falsely against mine own life, for there is no matter concealed from the king, and thou wouldest have set thyself against me.{/i}
14{i}Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three spears in his hand, and thrust them into Absalom's body, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth.{/i}
15{i}And ten young men that bore Joab's armour surrounded and smote Absalom, and killed him.{/i}
16{i}And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab kept back the people.{/i}
17{i}And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and raised a very great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled everyone to his tent.{/i}
18{i}Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a monument, which is in the king's dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance; and he called the monument after his own name; and it is called unto this day, Absalom's memorial.{/i}
19{i}And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me run, I pray, and carry the king the news that Jehovah has avenged him of his enemies.{/i}
20{i}And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a bearer of news today, but thou shalt carry the news another day; but today thou shalt carry no news, because the king's son is dead.{/i}
21{i}Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.{/i}
22{i}And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, Come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that there is no news suited to thee?{/i}
23{i}—But, come what may, let me run. And he said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outstripped the Cushite.{/i}
24{i}And David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate, on to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running alone.{/i}
25{i}And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came on and drew near.{/i}
26{i}And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the porter and said, Behold a man running alone. And the king said, He also is a bearer of news.{/i}
27{i}And the watchman said, I see the running of the foremost like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man; and comes with good news.{/i}
28{i}And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, Peace! And he fell down to the earth on his face before the king, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.{/i}
29{i}And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant; but I knew not what it was.{/i}
30{i}And the king said, Turn aside and stand here. And he turned aside and stood still.{/i}
31{i}And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Let my lord the king receive good tidings, for Jehovah has avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.{/i}
32{i}And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man.{/i}
33{i}And the king was much moved, and went up to the upper chamber of the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said thus{/i}: O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son! {i}would God I had died in thy stead, O Absalom, my son, my son!{/i} (2 Sam. 13:1‑18:33)