[1] Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them
commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. [2] And David sent
forth the army, one third under the command of Jo'ab, one third under the
command of Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah, Jo'ab's brother, and one third
under the command of It'tai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I
myself will also go out with you." [3] But the men said, "You shall not go
out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they
will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore it
is better that you send us help from the city." [4] The king said to them,
"Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood at the side of
the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. [5]
And the king ordered Jo'ab and Abi'shai and It'tai, "Deal gently for my
sake with the young man Ab'salom." And all the people heard when the king
gave orders to all the commanders about Ab'salom. [6] So the army went out
into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of
E'phraim. [7] And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of
David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.
[8] The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest
devoured more people that day than the sword. [9] And Ab'salom chanced to
meet the servants of David. Ab'salom was riding upon his mule, and the mule
went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in
the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule
that was under him went on. [10] And a certain man saw it, and told Jo'ab,
"Behold, I saw Ab'salom hanging in an oak." [11] Jo'ab said to the man who
told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the
ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a
girdle." [12] But the man said to Jo'ab, "Even if I felt in my hand the
weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not put forth my hand
against the king's son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and
Abi'shai and It'tai, `For my sake protect the young man Ab'salom.' [13] On
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."
[14] Jo'ab said, "I will not waste time like this with you." And he took
three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Ab'salom, while
he was still alive in the oak. [15] And ten young men, Jo'ab's
armor-bearers, surrounded Ab'salom and struck him, and killed him. [16]
Then Jo'ab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel;
for Jo'ab restrained them. [17] And they took Ab'salom, 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. [18] Now Ab'salom in his
lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar which 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 Ab'salom's monument
to this day. [19] Then said Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok, "Let me run, and
carry tidings to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the power of
his enemies." [20] And Jo'ab said to him, "You are not to carry tidings
today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall carry no
tidings, because the king's son is dead." [21] Then Jo'ab said to the
Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed before
Jo'ab, and ran. [22] Then Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok said again to Jo'ab,
"Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite." And Jo'ab said, "Why
will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the tidings?"
[23] "Come what may," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then
Ahi'ma-az ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite. [24] Now
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. [25] And the watchman called out and told the
king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth."
And he came apace, and drew near. [26] And the 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 tidings." [27] And the
watchman said, "I think the running of the foremost is like the running of
Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and
comes with good tidings." [28] Then Ahi'ma-az 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." [29] And the king said, "Is it
well with the young man Ab'salom?" Ahi'ma-az answered, "When Jo'ab sent
your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was." [30]
And the king said, "Turn aside, and stand here." So he turned aside, and
stood still. [31] And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, "Good
tidings for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from
the power of all who rose up against you." [32] The king said to the
Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" And the Cushite
answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against
you for evil, be like that young man." [33] And the king was deeply moved,
and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he
said, "O my son Ab'salom, my son, my son Ab'salom! Would I had died instead
of you, O Ab'salom, my son, my son!"
