CHAPTER 18
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."
But the people
pleaded,
“You must not
go out!
For
if
we have to flee,
they will pay no attention
to us.
Even if
half of us
die,
they will not
care;
but
you are worth
ten
thousand of us.
It is better
for now
if you support
us
from the city."
“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 thousands.
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.
So David’s army
marched
into the field
to engage
Israel
in the battle,
which took place
in the forest
of Ephraim.
There
the people
of Israel
were defeated
by
David’s
servants,
and the slaughter
was
great
that
day—
twenty
thousand men.
The battle
spread
over
the whole
countryside,
and that
day
the forest
devoured
more
people
than
the sword.
Now Absalom
was riding
on
his mule
when he
met
the servants
of David,
and as the mule
went
under
the tangled 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.
“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!”
The man
replied,
“Even if
a thousand shekels
of silver
were weighed out
into
my hands,
I would not
raise
my hand
against
the king’s
son.
For
we heard
the king
command you
and Abishai
and Ittai,
‘Protect
the young man
Absalom
for my sake.’
If
I had jeopardized
my own life—
and nothing
is hidden
from
the king—
you
would have abandoned
me.”
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.
Then Joab
blew
the trumpet,
and the troops
broke off
their pursuit
of Israel
because
Joab
had restrained them.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
So Joab
said
to a Cushite,
“Go,
tell
the king
what
you have seen.”
The Cushite
bowed
to Joab
and took off running.
Ahimaaz
son
of Zadok,
however, persisted
and said
to
Joab,
“Regardless of whatever may happen,
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?”
“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.
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.
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,
the watchman
saw
another
man
running,
and he called out
to
the gatekeeper,
“Look!
Another man
is running alone!”
“This one
also
brings news,”
said
the king.
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.”
Then Ahimaaz
called out
to
the king,
“All is well!”
And he bowed down
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.”
The king
asked,
“Is the young man
Absalom
safe?”
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.”
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!”
The king
asked
the Cushite,
“Is the young man
Absalom
all right?”
And the Cushite
replied,
“May what has become
of the young man
happen to the enemies
of my lord
the king
and to all
who
rise up
against you
to harm you.”
The king
was shaken
and went up
to
the gate
chamber
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!"