CHAPTERS 13-18
2SAMUEL#13
1 ¶ And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son
of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon
the son of David loved her.
2 And Amnon was
so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and
Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.
3 But Amnon had a
friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab
was a very subtil man.
4
And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day
to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my
brother Absalom's sister.
5 And Jonadab
said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy
father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight,
that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.
6 So Amnon lay
down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said
unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of
cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.
7
Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's
house, and dress him meat.
8 So Tamar went
to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and
kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.
9 And she took a
pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every
man from him.
10 And Amnon said
unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And
Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to
Amnon her brother.
11 And when she
had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.
12 And she
answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be
done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
13 And I, whither
shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the
fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.
14 Howbeit he
would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and
lay with her.
15 Then Amnon
hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater
than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.
16 And she said
unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the
other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
17 Then he called
his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me,
and bolt the door after her.
18
And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes
were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant
brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
19 And Tamar put
ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and
laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.
20
And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with
thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this
thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.
21 ¶ But when king David heard of all these things, he
was very wroth.
22 And Absalom
spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated
Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23 And it came to
pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which
is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons.
24 And Absalom
came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the
king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant.
25
And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest
we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but
blessed him.
26 Then said
Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king
said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
27
But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go
with him.
28 Now Absalom
had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry
with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have
not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
29 And the
servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then
all the king's sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.
30 ¶ And it came to pass, while they were in the way,
that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and
there is not one of them left.
31 Then the king
arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood
by with their clothes rent.
32
And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said, Let
not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's sons; for
Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined
from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
33 Now therefore
let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.
34 But Absalom
fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked,
and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.
35 And Jonadab
said unto the king, Behold, the king's sons come: as thy servant said, so it
is.
36
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that,
behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king
also and all his servants wept very sore.
37 But Absalom
fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned
for his son every day.
38
So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
39 And the soul
of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning
Amnon, seeing he was dead.
1 ¶ Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's
heart was toward Absalom.
2 And Joab sent
to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee,
feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not
thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
3
And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the
words in her mouth.
4 And when the
woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did
obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
5 And the king
said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
6 And thy
handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was
none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
7 And, behold,
the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him
that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they
shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither
name nor remainder upon the earth.
8 And the king
said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9
And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the
iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be
guiltless.
10 And the king
said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch
thee any more.
11 Then said she,
I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest
not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my
son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall
to the earth.
12 Then the woman
said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king.
And he said, Say on.
13
And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing
against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is
faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
14 For we must
needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up
again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
15 Now therefore
that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the
people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the
king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
16 For the king
will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of
God.
17 Then thine
handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an
angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the
LORD thy God will be with thee.
18 Then the king
answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee,
the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now
speak.
19 And the king
said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and
said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or
to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of
thine handmaid:
20 To fetch about
this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise,
according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the
earth.
21 ¶ And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done
this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom
again.
22 And Joab fell
to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab
said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord,
O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.
23 So Joab arose
and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24
And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my
face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
25 But in all
Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the
sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
26 And when he
polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he
weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
27 And unto
Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she
was a woman of a fair countenance.
28 ¶ So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and
saw not the king's face.
29
Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he
would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not
come.
30 Therefore he
said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley
there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
31 Then Joab
arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore
have thy servants set my field on fire?
32 And Absalom answered
Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to
the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to
have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there
be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
33
So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for
Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground
before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.
1 ¶ And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared
him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2 And Absalom
rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when
any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom
called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is
of one of the tribes of Israel.
3
And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but
there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.
4 Absalom said
moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any
suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
5 And it was so,
that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
6 And on this
manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom
stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 ¶ And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom
said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed
unto the LORD, in Hebron.
8
For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If
the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.
9 And the king
said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.
10 But Absalom
sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the
sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
11
And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were
called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.
12 And Absalom
sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from
Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the
people increased continually with Absalom.
13 ¶ And there came a messenger to
David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
14 And David said
unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee;
for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he
overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge
of the sword.
15 And the king's
servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my
lord the king shall appoint.
16 And the king
went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which
were concubines, to keep the house.
17
And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a
place that was far off.
18 And all his
servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites,
and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on
before the king.
19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also
with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger,
and also an exile.
20 Whereas thou
camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us?
seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and
truth be with thee.
21
And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my
lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether
in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
22 And David said
to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men,
and all the little ones that were with him.
23
And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed
over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people
passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
24 ¶ And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with
him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God;
and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done
passing out of the city.
25 And the king
said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find
favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it,
and his habitation:
26 But if he thus
say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.
27 The king said
also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace,
and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
28 See, I will
tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.
29 Zadok
therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they
tarried there.
30 And David went
up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head
covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they
went up.
31 ¶ And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the
conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the
counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
32 And it came to
pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he
worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent,
and earth upon his head:
33 Unto whom
David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:
34 But if thou
return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I
now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of
Ahithophel.
35 And hast thou
not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that
what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it
to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36
Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son,
and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that
ye can hear.
37 So Hushai
David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
1 ¶ And when David was a little past
the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a
couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an
hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of
wine.
2 And the king
said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread
and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint
in the wilderness may drink.
3 And the king
said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he
abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me
the kingdom of my father.
4
Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto
Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy
sight, my lord, O king.
5 ¶ And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence
came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the
son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
6 And he cast
stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and
all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
7 And thus said
Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of
Belial:
8
The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in
whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the
hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because
thou art a bloody man.
9
Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead
dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
10 And the king
said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because
the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast
thou done so?
11
And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son,
which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this
Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden
him.
12 It may be that
the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good
for his cursing this day.
13
And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the
hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him,
and cast dust.
14 And the king,
and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves
there.
15 ¶ And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel,
came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16 And it came to
pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that
Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.
17 And Absalom
said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with
thy friend?
18
And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people,
and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.
19 And again,
whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have
served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.
20 Then said
Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
21
And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines,
which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art
abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be
strong.
22 So they spread
Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's
concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23
And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as
if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of
Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
1 ¶ Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now
choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and
pursue after David this night:
2 And I will come
upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all
the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
3 And I will
bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all
returned: so all the people shall be in peace.
4
And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
5 Then said
Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he
saith.
6 And when Hushai
was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken
after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak
thou.
7 And Hushai said
unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.
8 For, said
Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they
be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the
people.
9 Behold, he is hid
now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of
them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a
slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
10 And he also
that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man,
and they which be with him are valiant men.
11 Therefore I
counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to
Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to
battle in thine own person.
12
So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we
will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the
men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
13 Moreover, if
he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and
we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
14
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the
Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to
defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring
evil upon Absalom.
15 ¶ Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the
priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and
the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.
16 Now therefore
send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the
wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the
people that are with him.
17
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen
to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told
king David.
18 Nevertheless a
lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and
came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.
19 And the woman
took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn
thereon; and the thing was not known.
20 And when
Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz
and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find
them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21 And it came to
pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and
told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water:
for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
22 ¶ Then David arose, and all the
people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light
there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
23 And when
Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and
arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the
sepulchre of his father.
24 Then David
came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel
with him.
25 And Absalom
made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son,
whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
26 So Israel and
Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
27 And it came to
pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah
of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and
Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
28
Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley,
and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,
29 And honey, and
butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were
with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty,
in the wilderness.
1 ¶ And David numbered the people that were with him, and
set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
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.
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 succour us out of the
city.
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.
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.
6
So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was
in the wood of Ephraim;
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.
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.
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.
10
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom
hanged in an oak.
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.
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.
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.
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.
15 And ten young
men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom,
and slew him.
16 And Joab blew
the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held
back the people.
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
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.
19 ¶ Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run,
and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged
him of his enemies.
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.
21 Then said Joab
to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
22 Then said Ahimaaz
the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also
run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that
thou hast no tidings ready?
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 Cushi.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 LORD thy God, which hath
delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
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.
30 And the king
said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood
still.
31
And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for
the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
32 And the king
said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies
of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that
young man is.
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 God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!