Light
Dark
Font Family
Default
Arial
Verdana
Helvetica
Tahoma
Georgia
Times New Roman
Font Size
Default
1.0
1.2
1.5
2
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Bible Version
ESV
NIV
NASB
CSB
NLT
KJV
NKJV
Book
2 Samuel
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
Chapter
18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Verse
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
2 Samuel chapter 18
English Standard Version
1
Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
2
And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab 's brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will also go out with you."
3
But the men said, "You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city."
4
The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
5
And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.
6
So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
7
And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.
8
The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
9
And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
10
And a certain man saw it and told Joab, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."
11
Joab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt."
12
But the man said to Joab, "Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not reach out my hand against the king 's son, for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake protect the young man Absalom.’
13
On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof."
14
Joab said, "I will not waste time like this with you." And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak.
15
And ten young men, Joab 's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.
16
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them.
17
And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home.
18
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King 's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom 's monument to this day.
19
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Let me run and carry news to the king that the
Lord
has delivered him from the hand of his enemies."
20
And Joab said to him, "You are not to carry news today. You may carry news another day, but today you shall carry no news, because the king 's son is dead."
21
Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed before Joab, and ran.
22
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, "Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?"
23
"Come what may," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
24
Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone.
25
The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he drew nearer and nearer.
26
The watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the gate and said, "See, another man running alone!" The king said, "He also brings news."
27
The watchman said, "I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man and comes with good news."
28
Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, "All is well." And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, "Blessed be the
Lord
your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king."
29
And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king 's servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was."
30
And the king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still.
31
And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, "Good news for my lord the king! For the
Lord
has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you."
32
The king said to the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And the Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man."
33
And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
New International Version
1
David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
2
David sent out his troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, "I myself will surely march out with you."
3
But the men said, "You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city."
4
The king answered, "I will do whatever seems best to you." So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands.
5
The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, "Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake." And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.
6
David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7
There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men.
8
The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.
9
Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.
10
When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree."
11
Joab said to the man who had told him this, "What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt."
12
But the man replied, "Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. ’
13
And if I had put my life in jeopardy —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me."
14
Joab said, "I’m not going to wait like this for you." So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.
15
And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.
16
Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them.
17
They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.
18
During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, "I have no son to carry on the memory of my name." He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
19
Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Let me run and take the news to the king that the
Lord
has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies."
20
"You are not the one to take the news today," Joab told him. "You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead."
21
Then Joab said to a Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.
22
Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, "Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite." But Joab replied, "My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward."
23
He said, "Come what may, I want to run." So Joab said, "Run!" Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
24
While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone.
25
The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, "If he is alone, he must have good news." And the runner came closer and closer.
26
Then the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper, "Look, another man running alone!" The king said, "He must be bringing good news, too."
27
The watchman said, "It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." "He’s a good man," the king said. "He comes with good news."
28
Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, "All is well!" He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Praise be to the
Lord
your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king."
29
The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was."
30
The king said, "Stand aside and wait here." So he stepped aside and stood there.
31
Then the Cushite arrived and said, "My lord the king, hear the good news! The
Lord
has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you."
32
The king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man."
33
The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!"
New American Standard Bible
1
Then David took a count of the people who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
2
And David sent the people out, a third under the command of Joab, a third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, 'I myself will certainly go out with you also.'
3
But the people said, 'You should not go out; for if in fact we flee, they will not care about us; and if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you will be
ready
to help us from the city.'
4
Then the king said to them, 'Whatever seems best to you I will do.' So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands.
5
But the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, '
Deal
gently with the young man Absalom for my sake.' And all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders regarding Absalom.
6
Then the people went out to the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7
The people of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, twenty thousand
men.
8
For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9
Now Absalom encountered the servants of David. Absalom was riding on
his
mule, and the mule went under the branches of a massive oak. Then his head caught firmly in the oak, and he was left hanging between the sky and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going.
10
When a certain man saw
him,
he informed Joab and said, 'Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.'
11
Then Joab said to the man who had informed him, 'So behold, you saw
him!
Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And
it would have been
my duty to give you ten
pieces
of silver and a belt.'
12
But the man said to Joab, 'Even if I were to receive a thousand
pieces of
silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, ‘ Protect the young man Absalom for me!’
13
Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have avoided
me.
'
14
Then Joab said, 'I will not waste time here with you.' So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.
15
And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.
16
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.
17
And they took Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest, and erected over him a very large pile of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his
own
tent.
18
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial stone, which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, 'I have no son to continue my name.' So he named the memorial stone after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
19
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, 'Please let me run and bring the king news that the
Lord
has freed him from the hand of his enemies!'
20
But Joab said to him, 'You are not the man
to bring
news this day, but you shall bring news another day; however, you shall bring no news this day, because the king’s son is dead.'
21
Then Joab said to the Cushite, 'Go, tell the king what you have seen.' So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.
22
However, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, 'But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.' And Joab said, 'Why would you run, my son, since you will have no messenger’s reward for going?'
23
But whatever happens,'
he said,
'I will run.' So he said to him, 'Run.' Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed by the Cushite.
24
Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked; and behold, a man was running by himself.
25
So the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, 'If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.' And he came nearer and nearer.
26
Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, 'Behold,
another
man is running by himself.' And the king said, 'This one also is bringing good news.'
27
The watchman said, 'I think the running form of the first one is like the running form of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.' And the king said, 'This is a good man, and he is coming with good news.'
28
Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, 'All is well.' And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, 'Blessed is the
Lord
your God, who has turned over the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.'
29
But the king said, 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And Ahimaaz answered, 'When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I did not know what
it was.
'
30
Then the king said, 'Turn aside and stand here.' So he turned aside and stood still.
31
Then behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, 'Let my lord the king receive good news, for the
Lord
has freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.'
32
Then the king said to the Cushite, 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And the Cushite answered, 'May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be like
that
young man!'
33
Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And this is what he said as he walked: 'My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!'
Christian Standard Bible
1
David reviewed his troops and appointed commanders of thousands and of hundreds over them.
2
He then sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai of Gath. The king said to the troops, "I must also march out with you."
3
"You must not go!" the people pleaded. "If we have to flee, they will not pay any attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not pay any attention to us because you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, it is better if you support us from the city."
4
"I will do whatever you think is best," the king replied to them. So he stood beside the city gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and thousands.
5
The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake." All the people heard the king’s orders to all the commanders about Absalom.
6
Then David’s forces marched into the field to engage Israel in battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7
Israel’s army was defeated by David’s soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day—twenty thousand dead.
8
The battle spread over the entire area, and that day the forest claimed more people than the sword.
9
Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David’s soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair.
10
One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"
11
"You just saw him!" Joab exclaimed. "Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten silver pieces and a belt!"
12
The man replied to Joab, "Even if I had the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. For we heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for me.’
13
If I had jeopardized my own life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me."
14
Joab said, "I’m not going to waste time with you!" He then took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s chest. While Absalom was still alive in the oak tree,
15
ten young men who were Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
16
Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab restrained them.
17
They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and raised up a huge mound of stones over him. And all Israel fled, each to his tent.
18
When he was alive, Absalom had taken a pillar and raised it up for himself in the King’s Valley, since he thought, "I have no son to preserve the memory of my name." So he named the pillar after himself. It is still called Absalom’s Monument today.
19
Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the
Lord
has vindicated him by freeing him from his enemies."
20
Joab replied to him, "You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but today you aren’t taking good news, because the king’s son is dead."
21
Joab then said to a Cushite, "Go tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.
22
However, Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted and said to Joab, "No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!" Joab replied, "My son, why do you want to run since you won’t get a reward?"
23
"No matter what, I want to run!" "Then run!" Joab said to him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
24
David was sitting between the city gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the city gate and over to the wall. The watchman looked out and saw a man running alone.
25
He called out and told the king. The king said, "If he’s alone, he bears good news." As the first runner came closer,
26
the watchman saw another man running. He called out to the gatekeeper, "Look! Another man is running alone!" "This one is also bringing good news," said the king.
27
The watchman said, "The way the first man runs looks to me like the way Ahimaaz son of Zadok runs." "This is a good man; he comes with good news," the king commented.
28
Ahimaaz called out to the king, "All is well," and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. He continued, "Blessed be the
Lord
your God! He delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king."
29
The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz replied, "When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a big disturbance, but I don’t know what it was."
30
The king said, "Move aside and stand here." So he stood to one side.
31
Just then the Cushite came and said, "May my lord the king hear the good news: The
Lord
has vindicated you today by freeing you from all who rise against you!"
32
The king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom all right?" The Cushite replied, "I wish that the enemies of my lord the king, along with all who rise up against you with evil intent, would become like that young man."
33
The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber above the city gate and wept. As he walked, he cried, "My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!"
New Living Translation
1
David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them.
2
He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, 'I am going out with you.'
3
But his men objected strongly. 'You must not go,' they urged. 'If we have to turn and run — and even if half of us die — it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.'
4
If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,' the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.
5
And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: 'For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.' And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.
6
So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim,
7
and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives.
8
The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
9
During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air.
10
One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, 'I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.'
11
What?' Joab demanded. 'You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt!'
12
I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver, ' the man replied to Joab. 'We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’
13
And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son — and the king would certainly find out who did it — you yourself would be the first to abandon me.'
14
Enough of this nonsense,' Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree.
15
Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.
16
Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel.
17
They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.
18
During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, 'I have no son to carry on my name.' He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day.
19
Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, 'Let me run to the king with the good news that the
Lord
has rescued him from his enemies.'
20
No,' Joab told him, 'it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger another time, but not today.'
21
Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, 'Go tell the king what you have seen.' The man bowed and ran off.
22
But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, 'Whatever happens, please let me go, too.' 'Why should you go, my son?' Joab replied. 'There will be no reward for your news.'
23
Yes, but let me go anyway,' he begged. Joab finally said, 'All right, go ahead.' So Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim ahead of the Ethiopian.
24
While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them.
25
He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, 'If he is alone, he has news.' As the messenger came closer,
26
the watchman saw another man running toward them. He shouted down, 'Here comes another one!' The king replied, 'He also will have news.'
27
The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok,' the watchman said. 'He is a good man and comes with good news,' the king replied.
28
Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, 'Everything is all right!' He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, 'Praise to the
Lord
your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against my lord the king.'
29
What about young Absalom?' the king demanded. 'Is he all right?' Ahimaaz replied, 'When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn’t know what was happening.'
30
Wait here,' the king told him. So Ahimaaz stepped aside.
31
Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, 'I have good news for my lord the king. Today the
Lord
has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you.'
32
What about young Absalom?' the king demanded. 'Is he all right?' And the Ethiopian replied, 'May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!'
33
The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, 'O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.'
King James Version
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!
New King James Version
1
And David numbered the people who
were
with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2
Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I also will surely go out with you myself.”
3
But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But
you are
worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.”
4
Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5
Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “
Deal
gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.
6
So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim.
7
The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day.
8
For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9
Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which
was
under him went on.
10
Now a certain man saw
it
and told Joab, and said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!”
11
So Joab said to the man who told him, “You just saw
him!
And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten
shekels
of silver and a belt.”
12
But the man said to Joab, “Though I were to receive a thousand
shekels
of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware lest anyone
touch
the young man Absalom!’
13
Otherwise I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against
me.
”
14
Then Joab said, “I cannot linger with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was
still
alive in the midst of the terebinth tree.
15
And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him.
16
So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people.
17
And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent.
18
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which
is
in the King’s Valley. For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.
19
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the
Lord
has avenged him of his enemies.”
20
And Joab said to him, “You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king’s son is dead.”
21
Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran.
22
And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” So Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?”
23
“But whatever happens,”
he said,
“let me run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
24
Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone.
25
Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he
is
alone,
there is
news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near.
26
Then the watchman saw
another
man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “There is
another
man, running alone!” And the king said, “He also brings news.”
27
So the watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He
is
a good man, and comes with good news.”
28
So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well!” Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, “Blessed
be
the
Lord
your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!”
29
The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and
me
your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what
it was about.
”
30
And the king said, “Turn aside
and
stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
31
Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king! For the
Lord
has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.”
32
And the king said to the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” So the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like
that
young man!”
33
Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: “O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!”
What does 2 Samuel chapter 18 mean?
Coming Soon!
Expand
Book Summary
Coming Soon!
Expand
Chapter Context
Coming Soon!
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app: