|
Chapter 18 |
| 1 | And David
numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands, and
captains of hundreds over them. |
| 2 | And David sent forth a third
part of the people 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 unto the people, I will surely go forth
with you myself also. |
| 3 | But the people answered, Thou shalt not go
forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us
die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us:
therefore now it is better that thou succor us out of the city. |
| 4 | And
the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by
the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
|
| 5 | And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently
for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard
when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. |
| 6 | So the
people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood
of Ephraim; |
| 7
| Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants
of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand
men. |
| 8 |
For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the
country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword
devoured. |
| 9
| And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode
upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his
head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the
earth; and the mule that was under him went away. |
| 10 | And a
certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an
oak. |
| 11 |
And Joab said unto 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 shekels of silver, and a girdle. |
| 12 | And the man
said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine
hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our
hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none
touch the young man Absalom. |
|
13 | Otherwise I should have wrought
falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and
thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. |
| 14 | Then said
Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and
thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst
of the oak. |
|
15 | And ten young men that bare Joab's armor compassed
about and smote Absalom, and slew him. |
| 16 | And Joab blew the trumpet,
and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the
people. |
| 17
| And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in
the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled
every one to his tent. |
| 18 | Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and
reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I
have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his
own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place. |
| 19 | Then
said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how
that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies. |
| 20 | And Joab
said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear
tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the
king's son is dead. |
| 21 | Then said Joab to Cushy, Go tell the king
what thou hast seen. And Cushy bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. |
| 22 |
Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I
pray thee, also run after Cushy. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my
son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready? |
|
23 | But howsoever, said he,
let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the
plain, and overran Cushy. |
|
24 | And David sat between the two gates:
and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up
his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. |
| 25 | And the
watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is
tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. |
| 26 | And the
watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and
said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth
tidings. |
| 27
| And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the
foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He
is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. |
|
28 | And Ahimaaz called, and
said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face
before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up
the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. |
| 29 | And the
king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent
the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not
what it was. |
|
30 | And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand
here. And he turned aside, and stood still. |
|
31 | And, behold, Cushy
came; and Cushy said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee
this day of all them that rose up against thee. |
| 32 | And the king
said unto Cushy, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushy answered, The enemies
of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that
young man is. |
|
33 | And the king was much moved, and went up to the
chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son
Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my
son, my son! |
