Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
ASV
American Standard Version
Then
David reviewed
his
troops
and appointed
over
them
commanders
of hundreds
and of thousands
.
And
David numbered
the
people
that
were
with
him,
and set
captains
of thousands
and captains
of hundreds
over
them
.
He
sent out
the troops
, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s
brother
Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to
the troops
, “
I will surely march
out
with you as
well
. ”
And
David
sent forth
the people
, a third part
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
.
But the people pleaded
, “You
must
not go out!
For if we have
to
flee, they will pay
no
attention
to
us .
Even
if half of us die, they
will not
care ;
but you
are
worth ten thousand of us .
It is better for
now
if
you
support
us from
the city. ”
But the people said
, 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 thou
art
worth ten thousand of us ;
therefore
now
it is better that
thou
be
ready
to
succor
us out
of
the city.
“
I will do whatever
seems
best
to
you,”
the king replied.
So
he
stood beside
the gate, while
all the troops
marched
out by hundreds and by thousands.
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
went
out by hundreds and by thousands.
Now
the king had
commanded Joab ,
Abishai ,
and Ittai, “Treat
the
young
man
Absalom
gently for my sake. ”
And all the people heard the king’s
orders
to
each
of
the commanders
regarding
Absalom.
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.
So David’s
army
marched
into the field to
engage
Israel in
the battle ,
which
took
place
in the forest of Ephraim.
So the
people
went
out
into the field against
Israel :
and
the battle was
in the forest of Ephraim.
There
the people of Israel were defeated
by
David’s
servants, and the
slaughter
was great that day —
twenty thousand men.
And
the people of Israel were smitten
there
before
the
servants of
David
, and there
was a
great slaughter
there
that day of
twenty thousand men.
The battle spread over the whole
countryside,
and that
day
the forest devoured more people than the sword.
For
the battle was
there
spread over the face
of
all
the
country;
and the forest devoured more people that
day
than the sword devoured
.
Now
Absalom was
riding
on
his
mule
when
he
met
the servants of David, and as
the mule went under the thick branches
of a large
oak, Absalom’s
head was
caught fast
in
the tree.
The mule under
him
kept
going,
so
that he
was suspended
in
midair
.
And
Absalom chanced
to
meet
the servants of David .
And
Absalom
was
riding
upon
his
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
heaven
and
earth;
and
the mule that was under
him
went
on
.
When
one
of
the
men
saw this
, he
told Joab, “
I just
saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
And
a
certain
man
saw it
, and
told Joab, and
said,
Behold,
I saw Absalom hanging in an oak .
“You
just
saw
him!”
Joab exclaimed.
“
Why did
you
not strike
him to the ground right
there
? I would have given you
ten shekels
of silver and a warrior’s
belt!”
And
Joab said
unto
the
man
that
told
him,
And,
behold,
thou
sawest
it,
and
why didst
thou
not smite
him there
to the ground? and
I would have given thee
ten `pieces
of '
silver ,
and a girdle.
The man replied
, “Even
if
a thousand shekels
of silver were
weighed
out
into
my hands
, I
would not raise
my hand against the son of
the
king.
For we
heard
the king command
you
and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect
the young man Absalom for
my
sake
. ’
And
the man said
unto
Joab
, Though
I
should
receive
a thousand `pieces
of '
silver in
my hand
, yet
would I
not put
forth
my 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.
If I had jeopardized
my
own
life —
and nothing
is hidden
from the king —you
would
have abandoned
me. ”
Otherwise
if I had dealt
falsely
against
his
life (
and there
is no
matter
hid
from the king ),
then
thou
thyself
wouldest
have set
thyself
against
`
me '
.
But
Joab declared
, “
I am
not going
to
wait
like
this
with you!”
And he took three spears
in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still
alive in the oak tree
.
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.
And ten young men who
carried
Joab’s
armor surrounded
Absalom, struck
him,
and killed
him.
And ten young men that
bare
Joab's
armor compassed
about
and
smote
Absalom, and slew
him.
Then
Joab blew the ram’s
horn
, and the troops
broke
off
their
pursuit
of
Israel because
Joab had
restrained
them
.
And
Joab blew the trumpet
, and the people
returned
from
pursuing
after
Israel ;
for
Joab held
back
the
people
.
They took Absalom, cast him into a
large
pit in the forest, and piled
a huge
mound
of stones over
him.
Meanwhile,
all the
Israelites
fled ,
each
to his home
.
And
they took Absalom, and
cast him into the
great
pit in the forest, and raised
over
him
a very
great
heap
of stones :
and
all Israel
fled every
one
to his tent
.
During
his lifetime ,
Absalom
had set
up for himself a
pillar in the King’s
Valley,
for he had
said, “
I have no son to preserve
the
memory
of
my name .”
So
he gave
the pillar his name ,
and to
this
day
it is called Absalom’s
Monument.
Now
Absalom
in
his lifetime had taken
and
reared
up for himself the
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 Absalom's
monument ,
unto
this
day
.
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said
, “Please
let me run and tell
the king the
good
news
that the
LORD
has
avenged him of his enemies. ”
Then said
Ahimaaz the
son of Zadok, Let me now
run ,
and bear
the king tidings,
how
that Jehovah
hath
avenged him of his enemies.
But
Joab replied
, “You
are
not the man
to
take
good
news
today.
You
may
do
it
another
day, but you
must
not
do
so
today
, because the king’s
son is dead. ”
And
Joab said
unto
him
, Thou
shalt
not be
the bearer
of
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.
So
Joab
said to a
Cushite, “
Go, tell the king what you
have
seen. ”
The Cushite bowed to
Joab and took
off
running
.
Then
said Joab
to the
Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou
hast
seen. And
the Cushite bowed himself
unto
Joab ,
and ran
.
Ahimaaz son of Zadok ,
however,
persisted
and
said
to Joab, “Regardless
of
whatever
may happen
, please
let me also run behind
the Cushite !”
“My
son,”
Joab replied
, “why
do
you
want
to
run, since
you
will
not
receive
a
reward? ”
Then
said
Ahimaaz the
son of Zadok yet
again
to Joab, But
come
what
may, let me ,
I
pray
thee,
also run after
the Cushite .
And
Joab said
, Wherefore
wilt
thou
run, my
son,
seeing
that
thou
wilt
have
no
reward for
the
tidings
?
“No
matter
what, I want
to
run !”
he
replied
. “Then
run!”
Joab
told
him. So
Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
But
come
what may
, `said
he',
I will
run. And
he
said
unto
him ,
Run
. Then
Ahimaaz ran by the
way of the Plain ,
and outran the Cushite.
Now David was sitting between the two gates when
the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway
by
the wall, looked out
, and saw
a man running alone.
Now David was sitting between the two gates :
and
the watchman went up to the roof of the gate
unto
the wall, and
lifted
up
his
eyes,
and
looked, and ,
behold,
a man running alone.
So
he
called
out
and told the king. “If
he
is
alone,”
the king replied
, “
he bears
good
news
. ”
As
the
first
runner
drew near ,
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 .
the watchman saw another man running ,
and he
called out
to
the gatekeeper
, “Look!
Another man is
running alone !”
“This
one
also
brings
good
news,”
said
the king.
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
.
The watchman said, “
The first
man
appears
to
me
to
be
running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok. ”
“This
is a good man, ”
said
the
king.
“He
comes
with good news
. ”
And
the watchman said, I
think
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
.
Then
Ahimaaz called out
to
the king, “
All is well !”
And he bowed facedown
before the king .
He
continued
, “
Blessed be the
LORD
your
God !
He
has
delivered up the men who
raised
their hands
against my lord the king. ”
And
Ahimaaz called ,
and
said
unto
the king, All is well .
And he bowed himself
before the king with
his
face
to
the
earth
, and
said,
Blessed be Jehovah
thy
God ,
who
hath
delivered up the men that
lifted
up
their hand
against my lord the king.
The king asked
, “
Is the young man Absalom all
right
? ”
And Ahimaaz replied
, “
When Joab sent the king’s
servant and
your
servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do
not know
what it was. ”
And
the king said
, Is it
well
with
the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered
, When Joab sent the king's
servant ,
even
me
thy
servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew
not what it was.
“Move
aside,”
said
the king, “
and stand here. ”
So
he stepped
aside.
And
the king said
, Turn
aside,
and stand here. And
he turned
aside ,
and
stood
still
.
Just
then
the Cushite came and said, “May
my lord the king hear
the
good
news:
Today
the
LORD
has
avenged you
of all who
rose up against you!”
And,
behold,
the Cushite came ;
and the
Cushite
said, Tidings
for
my lord the king ;
for
Jehovah
hath
avenged thee
this
day
of all them
that
rose up against thee.
The king asked
the Cushite, “
Is the young man Absalom all
right
? ”
And the Cushite replied
, “May
what
has
become
of
the young
man
happen
to
the
enemies of my lord the king and to
all who
rise up against you
to harm
you
. ”
And
the king said
unto
the Cushite, Is it
well
with
the young man Absalom? And the Cushite answered
, The enemies of my lord the king ,
and all that
rise up against thee
to do
thee
hurt,
be
as
that
young
man
is
.
The king was shaken
and went up to the gate
chamber and wept .
And as he walked
, he cried
out
, “
O my son Absalom !
My son, my son Absalom! If
only
I had died instead
of
you
, O Absalom, my son, my son! ”
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
I had died for
thee
, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and American Standard Version. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; Public domain..