Absalom Killed

1And David numbered the people who were with him, and he set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds. 2And David sent out a third of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third under the hand of Abishai son of Zeruiah the brother of Joab, and a third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I will surely go out—I also with you⁺.”

3And the people answered, “You shall not go out, for if we surely flee, they will not set the heart on us. If half of us die, they will not set the heart on us, but now you are like ten thousand of us,† for now you are more to us in the city for a helper.”

4And the king said to them, “That which seems best in your⁺ eyes I will do.” And the king stood at the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

5And the king had commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Be gentle for my sake with the young man, Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders all the captains concerning Absalom.

6And the people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. 7And the people of Israel were struck there before the faces of the servants of David, and there took place that day a great slaughter of twenty thousand. 8For the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplied to devour the people more than the sword devoured that day.

9And Absalom met before the face of the servants of David. And Absalom rode on a mule. And the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak,† and his head caught in the oak. And he was left hanging between the heavens and between the earth, and the mule that was under him went on. 10And a man saw it and told Joab, and he said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”

11And Joab said to the man who told him, “And behold, you saw him, and why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given to you ten shekels of silver† and one belt.”

12And the man said to Joab, “Even if I was weighing in my hands a thousand shekels of silver,† I would not have sent out my hand against the son of the king. For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect for my sake† the young man Absalom.’ 13And if I had done against my soul a falsehood—For no matter is hidden from the king—then you would have set yourself against me.”

14And Joab said, “Not thus will I wait to your face.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the heart of the oak tree. 15And surrounded ten young men who bore weapons of Joab, and they struck Absalom and killed him.

16And Joab blew in the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people. 17And they took Absalom and cast him in the woods, into a large pit, and laid over him a very large heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each man to his tent.

18And Absalom had taken and set up for himself when he was living a pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “Not unto me is a son to keep in remembrance my name.” And He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called the Hand of Absalom to this day.

David Mourns for Absalom

19And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run now to the king and take the news, how YHWH has avenged him of his enemies.”

20And Joab said to him, “You are not the man to take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. And this day you shall not take news, upon that the son of the king is dead.”

21And Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” And the Cushite bowed low to Joab, and he ran.

22And Ahimaaz son of Zadok added again and said to Joab, “And what it was, will run, please, I also, after the Cushite!”

And Joab said, “Why is this that you will run, my son, since there are there is no news found from you?”

23“And what it will be, let me run.”

And he said to him, “Run.”

And Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain† and outran the Cushite.

24And David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was running by himself. 25And the watchman cried out and told the king.

And the king said, “If he is by himself, news is in his mouth.”

And he came, coming on and drawing near. 26And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper, and said, “Behold, a man is running by himself.”

And the king said, “Also this one brings news.”

27And the watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”

And the king said, “This one is a good man, and with good news he comes.”

28And Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed down before the king with his face to the earth.

And he said, “Blessed be YHWH your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.”

29And the king said, “Is the young man safe Absalom?”

And Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the servant of the king and me, your servant, and I did not know why.”

30And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.”

And he turned aside and stood still.

31And just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king, for YHWH has avenged you this day against the hand of all those who rose up against you.”

32And the king said to the Cushite, “Is it all well for the young man Absalom?”

And the Cushite answered, “And may be the enemies of my lord the king like that young man, all who rise against you to do harm.”

33And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he went, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Oh that I was given to die in your place, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Footnotes:

3 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts care; for now there are ten thousand like us
9 Or large terebinth or very great tree; similarly in verses 10 and 14
11 10 shekels is approximately 4 ounces or 114 grams of silver.
12 1,000 shekels is approximately 25.1 pounds or 11.4 kilograms of silver.
12 A few Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Protect, whoever (you are),
23 That is, the plain of the Jordan