2 Samuel 18 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Joab Puts Absalom to Death

1 Then David ^H1732 [fn]numbered ^H6485 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with him and set ^H7760 over ^H5921 them commanders ^H8269 of thousands ^H505 and commanders ^H8269 of hundreds ^H3967.

2 And David ^H1732 sent ^H7971 the people ^H5971 out ^H7971, one-third ^H7992 under the hand ^H3027 of Joab ^H3097, one-third ^H7992 under the hand ^H3027 of Abishai ^H52 the son ^H1121 of Zeruiah ^H6870, Joab’s ^H3097 brother ^H251, and one-third ^H7992 under the hand ^H3027 of Ittai ^H863 the Gittite ^H1663. And the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to the people ^H5971, “I myself ^H589 will surely ^H3318 go ^H3318 out ^H3318 with you also ^H1571.” 3 But the people ^H5971 said ^H559, “You should not go ^H3318 out ^H3318; for if ^H518 we indeed ^H5127 flee ^H5127, they will not set ^H7760 their heart ^H3820 on ^H413 us; even if ^H518 half ^H2677 of us die ^H4191, they will not set ^H7760 their heart ^H3820 on ^H413 us. But now ^H6258 [fn]you are worth ten ^H6235 thousand ^H505 of us; so now ^H6258 it is better ^H2896 that you be ready to help ^H5826 us from the city ^H5892.” 4 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to them, “Whatever ^H834 is good ^H3190 in your sight ^H5869 I will do ^H6213.” So the king ^H4428 stood ^H5975 beside ^H413 H3027 the gate ^H8179, and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 by hundreds ^H3967 and thousands ^H505. 5 Then the king ^H4428 commanded ^H6680 Joab ^H3097 and Abishai ^H52 and Ittai ^H863, saying ^H559, “Deal gently ^H328 for my sake with the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 Absalom ^H53.” And all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 heard ^H8085 when the king ^H4428 commanded ^H6680 all ^H3605 the commanders ^H8269 concerning ^H5921 H1697 Absalom ^H53.

6 Then the people ^H5971 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 into the field ^H7704 to meet ^H7122 Israel ^H3478, and the battle ^H4421 took ^H1961 place ^H1961 in the forest ^H3293 of Ephraim ^H669. 7 And the people ^H5971 of Israel ^H3478 were [fn]defeated ^H5062 there ^H8033 before ^H6440 the servants ^H5650 of David ^H1732, and the slaughter ^H4046 there ^H8033 that day ^H3117 was great ^H1419, 20,000 ^H6242 H505 men. 8 And the battle ^H4421 there ^H8033 was scattered ^H6327 over ^H5921 H6440 the whole ^H3605 countryside ^H776, and the forest ^H3293 devoured ^H398 more ^H7235 people ^H5971 that day ^H3117 than ^H4480 H834 the sword ^H2719 devoured ^H398.

9 Then Absalom ^H53 happened to meet ^H7122 the servants ^H5650 of David ^H1732. Now Absalom ^H53 was riding ^H7392 on his mule ^H6505, and the mule ^H6505 went ^H935 under ^H8478 the thick ^H7730 branches ^H7730 of a great ^H1419 oak ^H424. And his head ^H7218 caught ^H2388 fast ^H2388 in the oak ^H424, so he was [fn]left ^H5414 hanging ^H5414 between ^H996 heaven ^H8064 and earth ^H776, while the mule ^H6505 that was under ^H8478 him passed ^H5674 onward. 10 Then a certain ^H259 man ^H376 saw ^H7200 it, he told ^H5046 Joab ^H3097 and said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, I saw ^H7200 Absalom ^H53 hanging ^H8518 in an oak ^H424.” 11 Then Joab ^H3097 said ^H559 to the man ^H376 who had told ^H5046 him, “Now behold ^H2009, you saw ^H7200 him! Why ^H4069 then did you not strike ^H5221 him there ^H8033 to the ground ^H776? And I would have given ^H5414 you ten ^H6235 pieces of silver ^H3701 and a belt ^H2290.” 12 So the man ^H376 said ^H559 to Joab ^H3097, “Even if ^H3863 I should receive ^H8254 one thousand ^H505 pieces of silver ^H3701 in my hand ^H3709, I would not send ^H7971 forth my hand ^H3027 against ^H413 the king’s ^H4428 son ^H1121; for in our hearing ^H241 the king ^H4428 commanded ^H6680 you and Abishai ^H52 and Ittai ^H863, saying ^H559, ‘[fn]Keep ^H8104 for me the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 Absalom ^H53!’ 13 Otherwise ^H176, if I had dealt ^H6213 treacherously ^H8267 against his life ^H5315 (and there is nothing ^{H3605 H1697 H3808} hidden ^H3582 from the king ^H4428), then you yourself ^H859 would have stood ^H3320 aloof ^H4480 H5048.” 14 Then Joab ^H3097 said ^H559, “I will not wait ^H3176 around here ^H3651 before you.” So he took ^H3947 three ^H7969 [fn]spears ^H7626 in his hand ^H3709 and thrust ^H8628 them through the heart ^H3820 of Absalom ^H53 while he was yet ^H5750 alive ^H2416 in the [fn]midst ^H3820 of the oak ^H424. 15 And ten ^H6235 young ^H5288 men ^H5288 who carried ^H5375 Joab’s ^H3097 armor ^H3627 gathered ^H5437 around ^H5437 and struck ^H5221 Absalom ^H53 and put ^H4191 him to ^H4191 death ^H4191.

16 Then Joab ^H3097 blew ^H8628 the trumpet ^H7782, and the people ^H5971 returned ^H7725 from pursuing ^H7291 Israel ^H3478, for Joab ^H3097 restrained ^H2820 the people ^H5971. 17 And they took ^H3947 Absalom ^H53 and cast ^H7993 him into [fn]a deep ^H1419 pit ^H6354 in the forest ^H3293 and set ^H5324 over ^H5921 him a very ^H3966 great ^H1419 heap ^H1530 of stones ^H68. And all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 fled ^H5127, each ^H376 to his tent ^H168. 18 Now Absalom ^H53 in his lifetime ^H2416 had taken ^H3947 and set ^H5324 up for himself a pillar ^H4676 which ^H834 is in the King’s ^H4428 Valley ^H6010, for he had said ^H559, “I have ^H369 no ^H369 son ^H1121 [fn]to preserve ^H2142 my name ^H8034.” So he named ^H7121 the pillar ^H4676 after ^H5921 his own name ^H8034, and it is called ^H7121 Absalom’s ^H53 Monument ^H3027 to this ^H2088 day ^H3117.

David Weeps Over Absalom

19 Then Ahimaaz ^H290 the son ^H1121 of Zadok ^H6659 said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 let me run ^H7323 and proclaim ^H1319 the good ^H1319 news ^H1319 to the king ^H4428 that Yahweh ^H3068 has judged ^H8199 to save him from the hand ^H3027 of his enemies ^H340.”

20 But Joab ^H3097 said ^H559 to him, “You are not the man ^H376 for the good ^H1309 news ^H1309 this ^H2088 day ^H3117, but you shall proclaim ^H1319 the good ^H1319 news ^H1319 another ^H312 day ^H3117; however, you shall not ^H3808 proclaim ^H1319 the good ^H1319 news ^H1319 today ^H3117 because ^H3588 H5921 the king’s ^H4428 son ^H1121 has died ^H4191.” 21 Then Joab ^H3097 said ^H559 to the Cushite ^H3569, “Go ^H1980, tell ^H5046 the king ^H4428 what ^H834 you have seen ^H7200.” So the Cushite ^H3569 bowed ^H2331 to Joab ^H3097 and ran ^H7323. 22 Now Ahimaaz ^H290 the son ^H1121 of Zadok ^H6659 said ^H559 once ^H3254 H5750 more ^H3254 H5750 to Joab ^H3097, “But whatever ^H4100 happens ^H1961, please ^H4994 let me also ^H1571 run ^H7323 after ^H310 the Cushite ^H3569.” And Joab ^H3097 said ^H559, “Why ^H4100 H2088 would you run ^H7323, my son ^H1121, since you will have ^H369 no ^H369 reward ^H1309 for going ^H3318?” 23 “But whatever ^H4100 happens ^H1961,” he said, “I will run ^H7323.” So he said ^H559 to him, “Run ^H7323.” Then Ahimaaz ^H290 ran ^H7323 by way ^H1870 of the plain ^H3603 and passed ^H5674 the Cushite ^H3569.

24 Now David ^H1732 was sitting ^H3427 between ^H996 the two ^H8147 gates ^H8179; and the watchman ^H6822 went ^H1980 up to the roof ^H1406 of the gate ^H8179 by the wall ^H2346, and raised ^H5375 his eyes ^H5869 and looked ^H7200, and behold ^H2009, a man ^H376 running ^H7323 by ^H905 himself ^H905. 25 And the watchman ^H6822 called ^H7121 and told ^H5046 the king ^H4428. And the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “If ^H518 he is by ^H905 himself ^H905 there is good ^H1309 news ^H1309 in his mouth ^H6310.” And he came ^H1980 nearer ^H1980 and nearer ^H7131. 26 Then the watchman ^H6822 saw ^H7200 another ^H312 man ^H376 running ^H7323; and the watchman ^H6822 called ^H7121 to the gatekeeper ^H7778 and said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, another man ^H376 running ^H7323 by ^H905 himself ^H905.” And the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “This ^H2088 one ^H2088 also ^H1571 is bringing ^H1319 good ^H1319 news ^H1319.” 27 And the watchman ^H6822 said ^H559, “I see ^H7200 that the running ^H4794 of the first ^H7223 one ^H7223 is like the running ^H4794 of Ahimaaz ^H290 the son ^H1121 of Zadok ^H6659.” And the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “This ^H2088 is a good ^H2896 man ^H376 and comes ^H935 with good ^H2896 news ^H1309.”

28 And Ahimaaz ^H290 called ^H7121 and said ^H559 to the king ^H4428, “Peace ^H7965!” And he prostrated ^H2331 himself before the king ^H4428 with his [fn]face ^H639 to the ground ^H776. And he said ^H559, “Blessed ^H1288 is Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430, who ^H834 has delivered ^H5462 up ^H5462 the men ^H376 who ^H834 lifted ^H5375 their hands ^H3027 against my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428.” 29 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “Is there peace ^H7965 with the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 Absalom ^H53?” And Ahimaaz ^H290 said ^H559, “When Joab ^H3097 sent ^H7971 the king’s ^H4428 servant ^H5650, and your servant ^H5650, I saw ^H7200 a great ^H1419 tumult ^H1995, but I did not know ^H3045 what ^H4100 it was.” 30 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “Turn ^H5437 aside ^H5437 and stand ^H3320 here ^H3541.” So he turned ^H5437 aside ^H5437 and stood ^H5975 still ^H5975.

31 Behold ^H2009, the Cushite ^H3569 arrived ^H935, and the Cushite ^H3569 said ^H559, “Let my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 receive ^H1319 good ^H1319 news ^H1319, for Yahweh ^H3068 has judged ^H8199 to save you this day ^H3117 from the hand ^H3027 of all ^H3605 those who rose ^H6965 up ^H6965 against ^H5921 you.” 32 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to the Cushite ^H3569, “Is there peace ^H7965 with the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 Absalom ^H53?” And the Cushite ^H3569 answered ^H559, “Let the enemies ^H340 of my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428, and all ^H3605 who ^H834 rise ^H6965 up ^H6965 against ^H5921 you for evil ^H7451, be as that young ^H5288 man ^H5288!”

33 [fn]Then the king ^H4428 trembled ^H7264 and went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the chamber ^H5944 over ^H5944 the gate ^H8179 and wept ^H1058. And thus ^H3541 he said ^H559 as he walked ^H1980, “O my son ^H1121 Absalom ^H53, my son ^H1121, my son ^H1121 Absalom ^H53! Would ^H4310 H5414 I had died ^H4191 instead ^H8478 of ^H8478 you, O Absalom ^H53, my son ^H1121, my son ^H1121!”