Absalom Killed

1And David will review the people which are with him, and he will put over them captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds. 2And David will send the people a third into the hand of Joab, and a third into the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and a third into the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king will say to the people, Going forth, I will go forth, also I, with you. 3And the people will say, Thou shalt not go forth, for if fleeing, we shall flee, they will not set the heart to us; and if half of us shall die they will not set the heart to us: but now like us ten thousand: and now it is good that thou shalt be to us from the city for help. 4And the king will say to them, What will be good in your eyes I will do. And the king will stand at the hand of the gate, and all the people will go forth, by hundreds and by thousands. 5And the king will command Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Gently for me to the boy, to Absalom. And all the people heard in the king's commanding all the chiefs for the word of Absalom.

6And the people will go forth to the field to the meeting of Israel: and the war will be in the forest of Ephraim; 7And there the people of Israel will be struck before David's servants, and a great slaughter will be in that day of twenty thousand. 8And there the battle will be scattered upon the face of all the earth: and the forest will multiply to consume of the people above what the sword will consume in that day.

9And Absalom will meet before the servants of David, and Absalom rode upon the mule, and the mule will go under the thicket of the great oak, and his head will lay hold upon the oak, and he will be given between the heavens and between the earth; and the mule which was under him passed by. 10And one man will see and announce to Joab, and say, Behold, I saw Absalom suspended in an oak. 11And Joab will say to the man announcing to him, And behold, thou sawest, and wherefore didst thou not strike him there to the earth? and for me to give to thee ten of silver and one girdle. 12And the man will say to Joab, And not I weighing upon my hand a thousand of silver, I will not stretch forth my hand against the king's son, for in our ears, the king commanded thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Watch for me over the boy, over Absalom. 13Or I did falsehood upon his soul; and any word will not be hid from the king, and thou wilt stand opposite. 14And Joab will say, I will not delay before thee. And he will take three spears in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom, he yet living in the heart of the oak. 15And ten boys lifting up Joab's arms will surround and strike Absalom, and kill him.

16And Joab will strike upon the trumpet, and the people will turn back from pursuing after Israel: for Joab restrained the people. 17And they will take Absalom and cast him in the forest into a great pit, and they will set upon him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled each to his tent. 18And Absalom took and set up for him in his living, a pillar in the valley of the king; for he said, Not to me a son to call my name to mind: and he will call the pillar by his name, and he will call it The Hand of Absalom, even to this day.

David Mourns for Absalom

19And Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, said, I will run now and bring good news to the king that Jehovah judged him out of the hand of his enemies. 20And Joab will say to him, Not thou a man of glad tidings this day, and another day thou shalt announce good news: and this day thou shalt not announce good news, because the king's son died. 21And Joab will say to Cushi, Go, announce to the king what thou sawest. And Cushi will worship to Joab, and run. 22And Ahimaaz, son of Zadok will yet add, and say to Joab, What will be, I will run now, also I, after Cushi. And Joab will say, Wherefore this runnest thou my son, and goest, not finding good tidings? 23And what will be, I will run. And he will say to him, Run. And Ahimaaz will run the way of the circuit, and pass by Cushi.

24And David will sit between the two gates: and he watching will go to the roof of the gate to the wall, and he lift up his eyes and see, and behold, a man running by himself. 25And the watcher will call and announce to the king. And the king will say, If alone, good news in his month. And he will go, going, and draw near. 26And he watching will see another man running, and the watcher will call at the gate and say, Behold, a man running alone. And the king will say, This also announces good tidings. 27And the watcher will say, I saw the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz, Zadok's son. And the king will say, A good man this, and he will come for good news.

28And Ahimaaz will call and say to the king, Peace. And he will worship to the king upon the face to the earth, and he will say, Blessed Jehovah thy God who shut up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king. 29And the king will say, Peace to the boy, to Absalom? And Ahimaaz will say, I saw the great multitude at Joab's sending the King's servant, and thy servant; and I knew not what. 30And the king will say, Turn, stand here. And he will turn and stand.

31And behold, Cushi came; and Cushi will say, Good news will be announced, my lord the king, for Jehovah judged thee this day from the hand of all rising up against thee. 32And the king will say to Cushi, Is peace to the boy, to Absalom? And Cushi will say, As the boy, shall all the enemies of my lord the king be, and all who rose up against thee for evil.

33And the king will be moved, and he will go up into the upper chamber of the gate and weep: and thus he said in his going, My son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom I who will give my death, me for thee, Absalom my son, my son!