18:1 And David numbered the people with him,
and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
18:2 And David sent away the people, the third part under the hand of Joab,
and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son of Saruia, the brother
of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethi the Gittite. And David
said to the people, I also will surely go out with you.
18:3 And they said, Thou shalt not go out: for if we should indeed flee,
they will not care for us; and if half of us should die, they will not mind
us; for thou [art] as ten thousand of us: and now [it is] well that thou
shalt be to us an aid to help us in the city.
18:4 And the king said to them, Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I
will do. And the king stood by the side of the gate, and all the people went
out by hundreds and by thousands.
18:5 And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Spare for my
sake the young man Abessalom. And all the people heard the king charging all
the commanders concerning Abessalom.
18:6 And all the people went out into the wood against Israel; and the
battle was in the wood of Ephraim.
18:7 And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David,
and there was a great slaughter in that day, [even] twenty thousand men.
18:8 And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and
the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed among the
people in that day.
18:9 And Abessalom went to meet the servants of David: and Abessalom was
mounted on his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great
oak; and his head was entangled in the oak, and he was suspended between
heaven and earth; and the mule passed on from under him.
18:10 And a man saw it, and reported to Joab, and said, Behold, I saw
Abessalom hanging in an oak.
18:11 And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, And, behold, thou
didst see him: wh didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would
have given thee ten [pieces] of silver, and a girdle.
18:12 And the man said to Joab, Were I even to receive a thousand shekels of
silver, I would not lift my hand against the king's son; for in our ears the
king charged thee and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Take care of the young man
Abessalom for me,
18:13 so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be
concealed from the king, and thou wilt set thyself against me.
18:14 And Joab said, I will begin this; I will not thus remain with thee.
And Joab took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of
Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.
18:15 And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed Abessalom, and
smote him and slew him.
18:16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing
Israel, for Joab spared the people.
18:17 And he took Abessalom, and cast him into a great cavern in the wood,
into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones: and all
Israel fled every man to his tent.
18:18 Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken and set up for himself the
pillar near which he was taken, and set it up so as to have the pillar in
the king's dale; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance:
and he called the pillar, Abessalom's hand, until this day.
18:19 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said, Let me run now and carry glad
tidings to the king, for Yehovah has delivered him from the hand of his
enemies.
18:20 And Joab said to him, Thou [shalt] not [be] a messenger of glad
tidings this day; thou shalt bear them another day; but on this day thou
shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
18:21 And Joab said to Chusi, Go, report to the king all that thou hast
seen. And Chusi did obeisance to Joab, and went out.
18:22 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said again to Joab, Nay, let me also run
after Chusi. And Joab said, Why wouldest thou thus run, my son? attend, thou
hast no tidings for profit if thou go.
1823 And he said, Why should I not run? and Joab said to him, Run. And
Achimaas ran along the way of Kechar, and outran Chusi.
18:24 And David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up
on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and
behold a man running alone before him.
18:25 And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king
said, If he be alone, [there are] good tidings in his mouth. And the man
came and drew near.
18:26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman cried at
the gate, and said, And look, another man running alone. And the king said,
He also brings glad tidings.
18:27 And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running
of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said, He [is] a good man, and
will come to [report] glad tidings.
18:28 And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, Peace. And he did
obeisance to the king with his face to the ground, and said, Blessed [be]
Yehovah thy Elohim, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hands
against my lord the king.
18:29 And the king said, [Is] the young man Abessalom safe? and Achimaas
said, I saw a great multitude [at the time] of Joab's sending the king's
servant and thy servant, and I knew not what was there.
18:30 And the king said, Turn aside, stand still here. And he turned aside,
and stood.
18:31 And, behold, Chusi came up, and said to the king, Let my lord the king
hear glad tidings, for Yehovah has avenged thee this day upon all them that
rose up against thee.
18:32 And the king said to Chusi, Is it well with the young man Abessalom?
and Chusi said, Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all whosoever have
risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.
18:33 And the king was troubled, and went to the chamber over the gate, and
wept: and thus he said as he went, My son Abessalom, my son, my son
Abessalom; would Elohim I had died for thee, [even] I [had died] for thee,
Abessalom, my son, my son! |
18:1 And David numbered the people that were
with him, and set captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over them.
18:2 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.
18:3 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 succor us out of the city.
18:4 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.
18:5 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.
18:6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle
was in the wood of Ephraim;
18:7 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.
18:8 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.
18:9 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.
18:10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw
Absalom hanged in an oak.
18:11 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.
18:12 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.
18:13 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.
18:14 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.
18:15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armor compassed about and smote
Absalom, and slew him.
18:16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after
Israel: for Joab held back the people.
18:17 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.
18:18 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.
18:19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king
tidings, how that Yehovah hath avenged him of his enemies.
18:20 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.
18:21 Then said Joab to Cushy, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And
Cushy bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
18:22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever,
let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushy. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt
thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then
Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushy.
18:24 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.
18:25 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.
18:26 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.
18:27 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.
18:28 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
Yehovah thy Elohim, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand
against my lord the king.
18:29 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.
18:30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned
aside, and stood still.
18:31 And, behold, Cushy came; and Cushy said, Tidings, my lord the king:
for Yehovah hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against
thee.
18:32 And the king said unto Cushy, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushy
answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to
do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
18:33 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 Elohim I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! |