2 Samuel 18–19

18TH CHAPTER

David Defeats Absalom

¹David called together the troops that were with him. He appointed commanders in charge of regiments and battalions. ²David put a third of the troops under Joab’s command, another third under Joab’s brother Abishai (Zeruiah’s son), and the last third under Ittai from Gath. 

“I am going ⸤into battle⸥ with you,” the king said to the troops. 

³“You’re not going ⸤with us⸥,” the troops said. “If we flee, they won’t care about us, and if half of us die, they won’t care either. But you’re worth 10,000 of us. It’s better for you to be ready to send us help from the city.” 

⁴“I’ll do what you think best,” the king responded. So the king stood by the gate while all the troops marched out by battalions and regiments. 

⁵The king ordered Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the troops heard him give all the commanders this order regarding Absalom. 

⁶So the troops went out to the country to fight Israel in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷There David’s men defeated Israel’s army, and the massacre was sizable that day—20,000 men. ⁸The fighting spread over the whole country. That day the woods devoured more people than the battle. 

⁹Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David’s men. He was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom’s head became caught in the tree. So he was left hanging^ain midair when the mule that was under him ran away. ¹⁰A man who saw this told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.” 

¹¹“What! You saw that!” Joab said to the man who told him. “Why didn’t you strike him to the ground? Then I would have felt obligated to give you four ounces of silver and a belt.” 

¹²But the man told Joab, “Even if I felt the weight of 25 pounds of silver in my hand, I wouldn’t raise my hand against the king’s son. We heard the order the king gave you, Abishai, and Ittai: ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’^b13If I had done something treacherous to him, would you have stood by me? Like everything else, it wouldn’t stay hidden from the king.” 

¹⁴Then Joab said, “I shouldn’t waste time with you like this.” He took three sharp sticks and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the tree. ¹⁵Then ten of Joab’s armorbearers surrounded Absalom, attacked him, and killed him. 

¹⁶Joab blew the ram’s horn to stop their ⸤fighting⸥, and the troops returned from pursuing Israel. ¹⁷They took Absalom, threw him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled a large heap of stones over him. Meanwhile, all Israel fled and went back to their homes. 

¹⁸(⸤While he was still living,⸥ Absalom had taken a rock and set it up for himself in the king’s valley. He said, “I have no son to keep the memory of my name alive.” He called the rock by his name, and it is still called Absalom’s Monument today.) 

¹⁹Then Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, said, “Let me run and bring the king the good news that the Lord has freed him from his enemies.” 

²⁰But Joab told him, “You won’t be the man carrying good news today. You can carry the news some other day. You must not deliver the news today because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹Then Joab said to a man from Sudan, “Go, tell the king what you saw.” The messenger bowed down with his face touching the ground in front of Joab and then ran off. 

²²Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, spoke to Joab again, “Whatever may happen, I also want to run after the Sudanese messenger.” 

“Now, son, why should you deliver the message?” Joab asked. “You won’t be rewarded for this news.” 

²³“Whatever happens, I’d like to run,” ⸤replied Ahimaaz.⸥ 

“Run,” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran along the valley road and got ahead of the Sudanese messenger. 

²⁴David was sitting between the two gates while the watchman walked along the roof of the gate by the wall. As he looked, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵The watchman called and alerted the king. 

“If he’s alone,” the king said, “he has good news to tell.” The runner continued to come closer. 

²⁶When the watchman saw another man running, the watchman called, “There’s ⸤another⸥ man running alone.” 

The king said, “This one is also bringing good news.” 

²⁷The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son.” 

“He’s a good man,” the king said. “He must be coming with good news.” 

²⁸Then Ahimaaz came up to the king, greeted him, and bowed down in front of him. Ahimaaz said, “May the Lord your God be praised. He has handed over the men who rebelled against Your Majesty.” 

²⁹“Is the young man Absalom alright?” the king asked. 

Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a lot of confusion when Joab sent me away, but I didn’t know what it meant.” 

³⁰“Step aside, and stand here,” the king said. He stepped aside and stood there. 

³¹Then the Sudanese messenger came. “Good news for Your Majesty!” he said. “Today the Lord has freed you from all who turned against you.” 

³²“Is the young man Absalom alright?” the king asked. 

The Sudanese messenger answered, “May your enemies and all who turned against you be like that young man!”^c

³³The king was shaken ⸤by the news⸥. He went to the room above the gate and cried. “My son Absalom!” he said as he went. “My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!” 

19TH CHAPTER^a

David Restored to the Throne

¹Joab was told, “The king is crying and mourning for Absalom.” ²The victory of that day was turned into mourning because all the troops heard that the king was grieving for his son. ³That day the troops sneaked into the city as if they had fled from battle and were ashamed of it. ⁴The king covered his face and cried loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!” 

⁵Then Joab came into the house. “Today you have made all your men feel ashamed,” he said. “They saved your life and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives, and concubines^btoday. ⁶You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today, you have made it clear that your commanders and servants mean nothing to you. I think you would be pleased if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead. ⁷Now, get up, go out, and encourage your men. I swear to you by the Lord that if you don’t go out, no one will stay with you tonight, and that will be worse than all the trouble you’ve had in your entire life.” 

⁸The king sat in the gateway. When all the troops were told, “The king is sitting in the gateway,” they came to the king. 

Meanwhile, Israel had fled and went back to their own homes. ⁹All the people in all the tribes of Israel were arguing with one another, saying, “The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but now he has fled from Absalom and left the country. ¹⁰However, Absalom, whom we anointed to rule us, has died in battle. Why is no one talking about bringing back the king?” 

¹¹What all Israel was saying reached the king at his house. So King David sent ⸤this message⸥ to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “Ask the leaders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last ⸤tribe⸥ to bring the king back to his palace? ¹²You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood. Why should you be the last to bring back the king?’ ¹³And tell Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God strike me dead unless you are given Joab’s place to serve me always as the commander of the army.’ ” 

¹⁴All the people of Judah were in total agreement. So they sent the king this message: “Come back with all your servants.” 

¹⁵The king came back to the Jordan River, and the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and bring him across the Jordan River. ¹⁶Shimei, Gera’s son from the tribe of Benjamin and the town of Bahurim, hurried down with the people of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷One thousand people from Benjamin were with him. And Ziba, the servant of Saul’s family, rushed to the Jordan River across from the king. Ziba brought his 15 sons and 20 servants. ¹⁸They crossed the river to bring over the king’s family and to do anything else the king wanted. 

Shimei, Gera’s son, bowed down in front of the king as he was going to cross the Jordan River. ¹⁹He pleaded with the king, “Don’t remember the crime I committed the day you left Jerusalem. Don’t hold it against me or even think about it, Your Majesty. ²⁰I know I’ve sinned. Today I’ve come as the first of all the house of Joseph to meet you.” 

²¹But Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, replied, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for cursing the Lord’s anointed king?” 

²²David responded, “Are you sure we’re from the same family, sons of Zeruiah? You are my enemies today. Should anyone in Israel be killed today? Don’t I know that I’m king of Israel again?” 

²³The king promised Shimei, “You won’t die,” and the king swore to it. 

²⁴Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went to meet the king. He had not tended to his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until he came home safely. ²⁵When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” 

²⁶He answered, “My servant deceived me, Your Majesty. Since I am disabled, I said, ‘Saddle the donkey for me, and I’ll ride on it and go with the king.’ ²⁷He told you lies about me, Your Majesty. However, you are like God’s Messenger. Do what you think is right. ²⁸You could have killed anyone in my entire family, Your Majesty. Instead, you’ve seated me with those who eat at your table. So I no longer have the right to complain to the king.” 

²⁹The king asked him, “Why do you keep talking about it? I’ve said that you and Ziba should divide the land.” 

³⁰“Let him take it all,” Mephibosheth told the king. “It’s enough for me that you’ve come home safely.” 

³¹Barzillai, the man from Gilead, came from Rogelim with the king to the Jordan River to send him on his way. ³²Barzillai was an elderly man, 80 years old. Because he was a very rich man, he had provided the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim. 

³³The king told Barzillai, “Cross the river with me. I’ll provide for you…