2 Samuel 18–19

18David counted his men and placed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ²He sent the troops out in three groups. Joab commanded one-third of the men. Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah commanded another third. And Ittai from Gath commanded the last third. King David said to them, “I will also go with you.”

³But the men said, “You must not go with us! If we run away in the battle, Absalom’s men won’t care. Even if half of us are killed, Absalom’s men won’t care. But you’re worth ten thousand of us! You can help us most by staying in the city.”

⁴The king said to his people, “I will do what you think is best.” So the king stood at the side of the gate as the army went out in groups of a hundred and a thousand.

⁵The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Be gentle with young Absalom for my sake.” Everyone heard the king’s orders to the commanders about Absalom.

⁶David’s army went out into the field against Absalom’s Israelites, and they fought in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷There David’s army defeated the Israelites. Many died that day—twenty thousand men. ⁸The battle spread through all the country, but that day more men died in the forest than in the fighting.

Absalom Dies

⁹Then Absalom happened to meet David’s troops. As Absalom was riding his mule, it went under the thick branches of a large oak tree. Absalom’s head got caught in the tree, and his mule ran out from under him. So Absalom was left hanging above the ground.

¹⁰When one of the men saw it happen, he told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”

¹¹Joab said to him, “You saw him? Why didn’t you kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and four ounces of silver!”

¹²The man answered, “I wouldn’t touch the king’s son even if you gave me twenty-five pounds of silver. We heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Be careful not to hurt young Absalom.’ ¹³If I had killed him, the king would have found out, and you would not have protected me!”

¹⁴Joab said, “I won’t waste time here with you!” Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, so Joab took three spears and stabbed him in the heart. ¹⁵Ten young men who carried Joab’s armor also gathered around Absalom and struck him and killed him.

¹⁶Then Joab blew the trumpet, so the troops stopped chasing the Israelites. ¹⁷Then Joab’s men took Absalom’s body and threw it into a large pit in the forest and filled the pit with many stones. All the Israelites ran away to their homes.

¹⁸When Absalom was alive, he had set up a pillar for himself in the King’s Valley. He said, “I have no son to keep my name alive.” So he named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument even today.

¹⁹Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab, “Let me run and take the news to King David. I’ll tell him the Lord has saved him from his enemies.”

²⁰Joab answered Ahimaaz, “No, you are not the one to take the news today. You may do it another time, but do not take it today, because the king’s son is dead.”

²¹Then Joab said to a man from Cush, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran to tell David.

²²But Ahimaaz son of Zadok begged Joab again, “No matter what happens, please let me go along with the Cushite!”

Joab said, “Son, why do you want to carry the news? You won’t get any reward.”

²³Ahimaaz answered, “No matter what happens, I will run.”

So Joab said to Ahimaaz, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the Jordan Valley and passed the Cushite.

²⁴David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the walls, and as he looked up, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵He shouted the news to the king.

The king said, “If he is alone, he is bringing good news!”

The man came nearer and nearer to the city. ²⁶Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!”

The king said, “He is also bringing good news!”

²⁷The watchman said, “I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”

The king said, “Ahimaaz is a good man. He must be bringing good news!”

²⁸Then Ahimaaz called a greeting to the king. He bowed facedown on the ground before the king and said, “Praise the Lord your God! The Lord has defeated those who were against you, my king.”

²⁹The king asked, “Is young Absalom all right?”

Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent me, I saw some great excitement, but I don’t know what it was.”

³⁰The king said, “Step over here and wait.” So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.

³¹Then the Cushite arrived. He said, “Master and king, hear the good news! Today the Lord has punished those who were against you!”

³²The king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom all right?”

The Cushite answered, “May your enemies and all who come to hurt you be like that young man!”

³³Then the king was very upset, and he went to the room over the city gate and cried. As he went, he cried out, “My son Absalom, my son Absalom! I wish I had died and not you. Absalom, my son, my son!”

Joab Scolds David

19People told Joab, “Look, the king is sad and crying because of Absalom.” ²David’s army had won the battle that day. But it became a very sad day for all the people, because they heard that the king was very sad for his son. ³The people came into the city quietly that day. They were like an army that had been defeated in battle and had run away. ⁴The king covered his face and cried loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

⁵Joab went into the king’s house and said, “Today you have shamed all your men. They saved your life and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives, and slave women. ⁶You have shamed them because you love those who hate you, and you hate those who love you. Today you have made it clear that your commanders and men mean nothing to you. What if Absalom had lived and all of us were dead? I can see you would be pleased. ⁷Now go out and encourage your servants. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, no man will be left with you by tonight! That will be worse than all the troubles you have had from your youth until today.”

⁸So the king went to the city gate. ⁿ When the news spread that the king was at the gate, everyone came to see him.

David Goes Back to Jerusalem

All the Israelites who had followed Absalom had run away to their homes. ⁹People in all the tribes of Israel began to argue, saying, “The king saved us from the Philistines and our other enemies, but he left the country because of Absalom. ¹⁰We appointed Absalom to rule us, but now he has died in battle. We should make David the king again.”

¹¹King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, that said, “Speak to the elders of Judah. Say, ‘Even in my house I have heard what all the Israelites are saying. So why are you the last tribe to bring the king back to his palace? ¹²You are my brothers, my own family. Why are you the last tribe to bring back the king?’ ¹³And say to Amasa, ‘You are part of my own family. May God punish me terribly if I don’t make you commander of the army in Joab’s place!’ ”

¹⁴David touched the hearts of all the people of Judah at once. They sent a message to the king that said, “Return with all your men.” ¹⁵Then the king returned as far as the Jordan River. The men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and to bring him across the Jordan.

¹⁶Shimei son of Gera, a Benjaminite who lived in Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷With Shimei came a thousand Benjaminites. Ziba, the servant from Saul’s family, also came, bringing his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him. They all hurried to the Jordan River to meet the king. ¹⁸The people went across the Jordan to help bring the king’s family back to Judah and to do whatever the king wanted. As the king was crossing the river, Shimei son of Gera came to him and bowed facedown on the ground in front of the king. ¹⁹He said to the king, “My master, don’t hold me guilty. Don’t remember the wrong I did when you left Jerusalem! Don’t hold it against me. ²⁰I know I have sinned. That is why I am the first person from Joseph’s family to come down and meet you today, my master and king!”

²¹But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shimei should die because he cursed you, the Lord’s appointed king!”

²²David said, “This does not concern you, sons of Zeruiah! Today you’re against me! No one will be put to death in Israel today. Today I know I am king over Israel!” ²³Then the king promised Shimei, “You won’t die.”

²⁴Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet King David. Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet, cut his beard, or washed his clothes from the time the king had left Jerusalem until he returned safely. ²⁵When Mephibosheth came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you go with me?”

²⁶He answered, “My master, my servant Ziba tricked me! I said to Ziba, ‘I am crippled, so saddle a donkey. Then I will ride it so I can go with the king.’ ²⁷But he lied about me to you. You, my master and king, are like an angel from God. Do what you think is good. ²⁸You could have killed all my grandfather’s family. Instead, you put me with those people who eat at your own table. So I don’t have a right to ask anything more from the king!”

²⁹The king said to him, “Don’t say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba will divide the land.”

³⁰Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let Ziba take all the land now that my master the king has arrived safely home.”

³¹Barzillai of Gilead came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan River with the king. ³²Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He had taken care of the king when David was staying at Mahanaim, because Barzillai was a very rich man. ³³David said to Barzillai, “Cross the river with me. Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you.”

³⁴But Barzillai answered the king, “Do you know how old I am? Do you think I can go with you to Jerusalem? ³⁵I am eighty years old! I am too old to…