2 Samuel 18:12-30
English Standard Version
Chapter 18
12But 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.’ 13On 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." 14Joab 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. 15And ten young men, Joab 's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.
16Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them.
17And 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.
18Now 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.
19Then 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."
20And 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."
21Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed before Joab, and ran.
22Then 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.
24Now 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.
25The 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.
26The 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."
27The 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."
28Then 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."
29And 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."
30And the king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still.
