Shmuel II - Chapter 18

1. And David numbered the people that were with him, and he placed over them captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds.

2. And David sent forth the people, a third in the hands of Joab, a third in the hands of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under the hands of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, "I, too, will go forth with you."

3. And the people said, "You shall not go forth; for if we flee they will not pay attention to us; [now] even if half of us should die, they [still] will not pay attention to us, for now you are [equal to] ten thousand of us; and therefore now it is better that you be for us from the city as aid."

4. And the king said to them: "What seems best to you, I will do." And the king stood by the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

5. And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai saying: "Deal gently for me with the youth, with Absalom." And all the people heard when the king commanded all the captains regarding Absalom.

6. And the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

7. And the people of Israel were beaten there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there, on that day, was very great, twenty thousand men.

8. And the battle spread from there over the face of all the land; and the forest devoured more of the people, than the sword devoured on that day.

9. And Absalom chanced to come before the servants of David. And Absalom was riding upon his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of the great terebinth, and his head caught hold in the terebinth, and he was placed between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was beneath him passed on.

10. And a man saw it and told Joab. And he said, "Behold I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth."

11. And Joab said to the man who told him, "Now if you had seen it, then why did you not smite him there to the ground? And it would have been [incumbent] upon me to give you ten [pieces of] silver, and a belt."

12. And the man said to Joab: "Though I should weigh on my palms a thousand [pieces] of silver, I would not stretch out my hand against the king's son, because before our ears did the king charge you and Abishai and Ittai saying, 'Take care whoever [it may be] of the youth, of Absalom.'

13. Even if I would deal falsely with myself, now nothing can be hidden from the king, and you [yourself] would stand from afar."

14. And Joab said, "I shall no longer request of you." And he took three darts in his hand and thrust them into Absalom's heart while he was yet alive in the heart of the terebinth.

15. And there circled about ten young men who were Joab's armor bearers, and they struck Absalom, and killed him.

16. And Joab blew with a shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.

17. And they took Absalom, and they cast him in the forest, into the great pit, and they placed over him a very large heap of stones; and all of Israel fled each to his tents.

18. And Absalom had taken and established for himself in his lifetime, the monument which is in the king's valley for he said, "I have no son in order to cause (people) to remember my name;" and he called the monument after his own name, and they called it Yad Absalom until this day.

19. And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok said, "Let me now run and bring news to the king that the Lord has avenged him from the hand of his enemies."

20. And Joab said to him: "You are not the man to bring news this day, but you shall [perhaps] bring news another day, but this day you shall not bring news, because the king's son is dead."

21. And Joab said to the Cushite "Go tell the king what you have seen." And the Cushite bowed down to Joab, and ran.

22. And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok continued again, and said to Joab, "Come what may, please allow me to run after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why should you [desire] to run, my son, since for you there is no [reward] given for the news!"

23. "But, come what may," [he said], "I will run." And he said to him, "Run" And Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and he went ahead of the Cushite.

24. And David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold [there was] a man running alone.

25. And the watchman called out, and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, he has news to tell." And he came nearer and nearer.

26. And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeepers, and he said, "Behold, there is a man running alone." And the king said, "This one also brings news."

27. And the watchman said, "I see the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "This is a good man, and he [surely] comes with good news."

28. And Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, "Peace" And he bowed down to the king on his face, to the ground, and said, "Blessed is the Lord your God who has delivered up the men that raised up their hand against my lord the king."

29. And the king said, "[Is there] peace with the young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz answered, "I saw a great crowd when Joab sent the servant of the king and [me] your servant, but I did not know what it was."

30. And the king said, "Turn aside and stand there." And he turned aside and stood.

31. And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, "Let my lord the king receive the tidings that the Lord has avenged you today from all that rose up against you."

32. And the king said to the Cushite, "Is all well with the young man Absalom?" And the Cushite said, "Let the enemies of my lord the king [all] be like that young man, and so with all those that have risen against you for evil."