2 Samuel 18

The battle in the forest of Ephraim 2 Samuel 18:6–10

⁶Verse 6. So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷Verse 7. The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men. ⁸Verse 8. 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. ⁹Verse 9. Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. 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.

¹⁰Verse 10. A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”

Absalom's fate 2 Samuel 18:11–15

¹¹Verse 11. Joab said to the man who told him, “Behold, you saw it, and why didn’t you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver, and a sash.” ¹²Verse 12. The man said to Joab, “Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I still wouldn’t stretch out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware that no one touch the young man Absalom.’ ¹³Verse 13. Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against me.”

¹⁴Verse 14. Then Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this with you.” He took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the middle of the oak. ¹⁵Verse 15. Ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.

The aftermath of Absalom's death 2 Samuel 18:16–21

¹⁶Verse 16. Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held the people back. ¹⁷Verse 17. They took Absalom and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, each to his own tent. ¹⁸Verse 18. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day. ¹⁹Verse 19. Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run, and carry the king news, how Yahweh has avenged him of his enemies.”

²⁰Verse 20. Joab said to him, “You must not be the bearer of news today, but you must carry news another day. But today you must carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹Verse 21. Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.

Ahimaaz and the Cushite run to report 2 Samuel 18:22–27

²²Verse 22. Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, “But come what may, please let me also run after the Cushite.”Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, since that you will have no reward for the news?”²³Verse 23. “But come what may,” he said, “I will run.”He said to him, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.²⁴Verse 24. 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.²⁵Verse 25. The watchman cried, and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” He came closer and closer.²⁶Verse 26. The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper, and said, “Behold, a man running alone!”The king said, “He also brings news.”²⁷Verse 27. The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”The king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.”

David mourns for Absalom 2 Samuel 18:28–33

²⁸Verse 28. 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 is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king!” ²⁹Verse 29. 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.” ³⁰Verse 30. The king said, “Come and stand here.” He came, and stood still. ³¹Verse 31. Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “News for my lord the king, for Yahweh has avenged you today of all those who rose up against you.”

³²Verse 32. The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you harm, be as that young man is.” ³³Verse 33. The king was much moved, and went up to the room over the gate, and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died for you, Absalom, my son, my son!”