2 Samuel 18
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6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17
18 19
20 21 22 23
24
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 succour 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
armour 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 Cushi, Go tell the
king what thou hast seen. And Cushi 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 Cushi. 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 Cushi.
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, Cushi came; and Cushi
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 Cushi, Is the
young man Absalom safe? And Cushi 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!
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