Verse
WEB
World English Bible
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
David numbered
the
people
who
were
with
him,
and set
captains
of thousands
and captains
of hundreds
over
them
.
Then
David reviewed
his
troops
and appointed
over
them
commanders
of hundreds
and of thousands
.
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. The king said to the people
, I will surely go
forth
with you myself
also
.
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
. ”
But the people said
, You shall
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 you are worth ten thousand of us ;
therefore
now
it is better that
you are
ready
to
help
us out
of
the city.
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. ”
The
king
said
to
them,
What
seems
you
best
I will do .
The king stood by
the gate -side
, and
all the people
went
out by hundreds and by thousands.
“
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.
The king commanded Joab and
Abishai and Ittai, saying,
Deal
gently
for
my
sake
with
the young man ,
even
with
Absalom. All the people heard when
the king
gave
all
the captains
charge
concerning
Absalom.
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.
So the
people
went
out
into the field against
Israel :
and
the battle was
in the forest of Ephraim.
So David’s
army
marched
into the field to
engage
Israel in
the battle ,
which
took
place
in the forest of Ephraim.
The people of Israel were struck
there
before
the
servants of
David
, and there
was a
great slaughter
there
that day of
twenty thousand men.
There
the people of Israel were defeated
by
David’s
servants, and the
slaughter
was great that day —
twenty thousand men.
For
the battle was
there
spread over the surface
of
all
the
country;
and the forest devoured more people that
day
than the sword devoured
.
The battle spread over the whole
countryside,
and that
day
the forest devoured more people than the sword.
Absalom
happened
to
meet
the
servants
of
David.
Absalom was riding on 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
the sky
and
earth;
and
the mule that
was
under him went
on
.
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
.
A
certain
man
saw it
, and
told Joab, and
said,
Behold,
I saw Absalom hanging in an oak .
When
one
of
the
men
saw this
, he
told Joab, “
I just
saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
Joab
said
to
the
man
who
told
him,
Behold,
you saw it,
and
why didn't
you strike him there
to the ground? and
I would have given you ten [pieces
of ]
silver ,
and a sash.
“
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!”
The man said
to
Joab
, Though
I
should
receive
a thousand [pieces
of ]
silver in
my hand
, I still
wouldn't
put
forth
my hand against the king's
son ;
for in
our
hearing
the king charged
you and Abishai and Ittai, saying,
Beware
that
none
touch
the young man Absalom.
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
. ’
Otherwise
if I had dealt
falsely
against
his
life (
and there
is no
matter
hid
from the king ),
then
you yourself
would have set
yourself
against
[
me ]
.
If I had jeopardized
my
own
life —
and nothing
is hidden
from the king —
you would have abandoned
me. ”
Then
said
Joab, I may
not wait thus
with you .
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.
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
.
Ten young men who bore
Joab's
armor compassed
about
and
struck
Absalom, and killed him.
And
ten young men who carried
Joab’s
armor surrounded
Absalom, struck
him,
and killed him.
Joab blew the trumpet
, and the people
returned
from
pursuing
after
Israel ;
for
Joab held
back
the
people
.
Then
Joab blew the ram’s
horn
, and the troops
broke
off
their
pursuit
of
Israel because
Joab had
restrained
them
.
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 everyone
to his tent
.
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
.
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
memory:
and
he called
the pillar after
his own
name ;
and it is called Absalom's
monument ,
to
this
day
.
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.
Then said
Ahimaaz the
son of Zadok, Let me now
run ,
and bear
the king news ,
how
that Yahweh
has avenged him of his enemies.
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. ”
Joab said
to
him
, You shall
not be
the bearer
of
news this
day,
but
you shall
bear
news
another day ;
but this
day
you shall
bear
no
news
, because the king's
son is dead.
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. ”
Then
said
Joab to the
Cushite, Go, tell the king what you have seen. The Cushite bowed himself
to Joab ,
and ran
.
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
Ahimaaz the
son of Zadok yet
again
to Joab, But
come
what
may, Please let me also run after
the Cushite .
Joab said
, Why will
you run, my
son,
seeing
that
you will have
no
reward for
the
news
?
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? ”
But
come
what may
, [said
he],
I will
run.
He
said
to him,
Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the
way of the Plain ,
and outran the Cushite.
“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.
Now David was sitting between the two gates :
and
the watchman went up to the roof of the gate
to
the wall, and
lifted
up
his
eyes,
and
looked, and ,
behold,
a man running alone.
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.
The
watchman
cried,
and told the king. The
king
said,
If he be
alone, there
is
news in
his
mouth
. He
came
apace,
and
drew near .
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 ,
The watchman saw another man running ;
and the
watchman
called to the porter,
and
said,
Behold
, [
another ]
man running alone .
The
king
said,
He
also brings news.
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
.
The watchman said, I
think
the running of
the
foremost
is
like the
running
of
Ahimaaz the
son of Zadok. The
king
said,
He
is a good man, and
comes with good news.
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. ”
Ahimaaz called ,
and
said
to the king, All is well .
He bowed himself
before the king with
his
face
to
the
earth,
and
said
, Blessed be Yahweh
your God ,
who
has delivered up the men who lifted
up
their hand
against my lord the king.
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. ”
The king said
, Is it
well
with
the young man Absalom? Ahimaaz answered
, When Joab sent the king's
servant ,
even
me
your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don't
know what it was.
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. ”
The king said
, Turn
aside,
and stand here. He turned
aside ,
and
stood
still
.
“Move
aside,”
said
the king, “
and stand here. ”
So
he stepped
aside.
Behold,
the Cushite came ;
and the
Cushite
said, News
for
my lord the king ;
for
Yahweh
has avenged you this
day
of all those
who rose up against you .
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 !”
The king said
to
the Cushite, Is it
well
with
the young man Absalom? The Cushite answered
, The enemies of my lord the king ,
and all who rise up against you to do
you hurt,
be
as
that
young
man
is
.
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. ”
The king was much
moved,
and went up to the chamber
over
the
gate ,
and wept :
and as he went
, thus
he said
, my son Absalom ,
my son, my son Absalom! would
I had died for
you, Absalom, my son, my son!
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! ”
Scripture text: World English Bible and Berean Standard Bible. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.; Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC..