ASV_Strong : 2 Samuel 18
1. And David[H1732] numbered[H6485] the people[H5971] that were with him[H7760], and set captains[H8269] of thousands[H505] and captains[H8269] of hundreds over them[H3967].
2. And David[H1732] sent forth[H7971] the people[H5971], a third part[H7992] under the hand[H3027] of Joab[H3097], and a third part[H7992] under the hand[H3027] of Abishai[H52] the son[H1121] of Zeruiah[H6870], Joab[H3097]'s brother[H251], and a third part[H7992] under the hand[H3027] of Ittai[H863] the Gittite[H1663]. And the king[H4428] said[H559] unto the people[H5971], I will surely[H3318] go forth[H3318] with you myself also[H589].
3. But the people[H5971] said[H559], Thou shalt not go forth[H3318]: for if we flee[H5127] away[H5127], they will not care[H7760] for us[H2677]; neither if half of us die[H4191], will they care[H7760] for us[H3644]: but thou art worth ten[H6235] thousand[H505] of us[H2896]; therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succor[H5826] us out of the city[H5892].
4. And the king[H4428] said[H559] unto them[H5869], What seemeth you best[H3190] I will do[H6213]. And the king[H4428] stood[H5975] by the gate-side[H8179], [H3027] and all the people[H5971] went out[H3318] by hundreds[H3967] and by thousands[H505].
5. And the king[H4428] commanded[H6680] Joab[H3097] and Abishai[H52] and Ittai[H863], saying[H559], Deal gently[H328] for my sake with the young man[H5288], even with Absalom[H53]. And all the people[H5971] heard[H8085] when the king[H4428] gave all the captains[H8269] charge[H6680] concerning[H1697] Absalom[H53].
6. So the people[H5971] went out[H3318] into the field[H7704] against[H7125] Israel[H3478]: and the battle[H4421] was in the forest[H3293] of Ephraim[H669].
7. And the people[H5971] of Israel[H3478] were smitten[H5062] there before[H6440] the servants[H5650] of David[H1732], and there was a great[H1419] slaughter[H4046] there that day[H3117] of twenty[H6242] thousand men[H505].
8. For the battle[H4421] was there spread[H6327] over the face[H6440] of all the country[H776]; and the forest[H3293] devoured[H398] more[H7235] people[H5971] that day[H3117] than the sword[H2719] devoured[H398].
9. And Absalom[H53] chanced to meet[H7122] the servants[H6440] of David[H1732]. And Absalom[H53] was riding[H7392] upon his mule[H6505], and the mule[H6505] went[H935] under the thick boughs[H7730] of a great[H1419] oak[H424], and his head[H7218] caught hold[H2388] of the oak[H424], and he was taken up[H5414] between heaven[H8064] and earth[H776]; and the mule[H6505] that was under him went on[H5674].
10. And a certain[H259] man[H376] saw[H7200] it[H5046], and told Joab[H3097], and said[H559], Behold[H7200], I saw Absalom[H53] hanging[H8518] in an oak[H424].
11. And Joab[H3097] said[H559] unto the man[H376] that told[H5046] him[H7200], And, behold, thou sawest it[H5221], and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground[H776]? and I would have given[H5414] thee ten[H6235] pieces of silver[H3701], and a[H259] girdle[H2290].
12. And the man[H376] said[H559] unto Joab[H3097], Though[H3863] I should receive[H8254] a thousand[H505] pieces of silver[H3701] in my hand[H3709], yet would I not put forth[H7971] my hand[H3027] against the king[H4428]'s son[H1121]; for in our hearing[H241] the king[H4428] charged[H6680] thee and Abishai[H52] and Ittai[H863], saying[H559], Beware[H8104] that none touch the young man[H5288] Absalom[H53].
13. Otherwise[H176] if I had dealt[H6213] falsely[H8267] against his life[H5315] (and there is no matter[H1697] hid[H3582] from the king[H4428]), then thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me[H3320].
14. Then said[H559] Joab[H3097], I may not tarry[H3176] thus with thee[H6440]. And he took[H3947] three[H7969] darts[H7626] in his hand[H3709], and thrust[H8628] them through the heart[H3820] of Absalom[H53], while he was yet alive[H2416] in the midst of the oak[H424].
15. And ten[H6235] young men[H5288] that bare[H5375] Joab[H3097]'s armor[H3627] compassed about[H5437] and smote[H5221] Absalom[H53], and slew him[H4191].
16. And Joab[H3097] blew[H8628] the trumpet[H7782], and the people[H5971] returned[H7725] from pursuing[H7291] after[H310] Israel[H3478]; for Joab[H3097] held back[H2820] the people[H5971].
17. And they took[H3947] Absalom[H53], and cast[H7993] him into the great[H1419] pit[H6354] in the forest[H3293], and raised[H5324] over him a very[H3966] great[H1419] heap[H1530] of stones[H68]: and all Israel[H3478] fled[H5127] every one[H376] to his tent[H168].
18. Now Absalom[H53] in his lifetime[H2416] had taken[H3947] and reared up[H5324] for himself the pillar[H4678], which is in the king[H4428]'s dale[H6010]; for he said[H559], I have no son[H1121] to keep my name[H8034] in remembrance[H2142]: and he called[H7121] the pillar[H4678] after his own name[H8034]; and it is called[H7121] Absalom[H53]'s monument[H3027], unto this day[H3117].
19. Then said[H559] Ahimaaz[H290] the son[H1121] of Zadok[H6659], Let me now run[H7323], and bear[H1319] the king[H4428] tidings[H1319], how that Jehovah[H3068] hath avenged[H8199] him of his enemies[H3027].
20. And Joab[H3097] said[H559] unto him[H376], Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings[H1309] this day[H3117], but thou shalt bear tidings[H1319] another[H312] day[H3117]; but this day[H3117] thou shalt bear no tidings[H1319], because the king[H4428]'s son[H1121] is dead[H4191].
21. Then said[H559] Joab[H3097] to the Cushite[H3569], Go[H3212], tell[H5046] the king[H4428] what thou hast seen[H7200]. And the Cushite[H3569] bowed[H7812] himself unto Joab[H3097], and ran[H7323].
22. Then said[H559] Ahimaaz[H290] the son[H1121] of Zadok[H6659] yet again[H3254] to Joab[H3097], But come what may[H4100], let me[H7323], I pray thee, also run after[H310] the Cushite[H3569]. And Joab[H3097] said[H559], Wherefore wilt thou run[H7323], my son[H1121], seeing that thou wilt have no reward[H4672] for the tidings[H1309]?
23. But come what may[H559], said he[H7323], I will run. And he said[H559] unto him[H7323], Run. Then Ahimaaz[H290] ran[H7323] by the way[H1870] of the Plain[H3603], and outran the Cushite[H3569].
24. Now David[H1732] was sitting[H3427] between the two[H8147] gates[H8179]: and the watchman[H6822] went up[H3212] to the roof[H1406] of the gate[H8179] unto the wall[H2346], and lifted up[H5375] his eyes[H5869], and looked[H7200], and[H376], behold, a man running alone[H7323].
25. And the watchman[H6822] cried[H7121], and told[H5046] the king[H4428]. And the king[H4428] said[H559], If he be alone[H1309], there is tidings in his mouth[H6310]. And he came[H3212] apace[H1980], and drew near[H7131].
26. And the watchman[H6822] saw[H7200] another[H312] man[H376] running[H7323]; and the watchman[H6822] called[H7121] unto the porter[H7778], and said[H559], Behold[H376], another man running[H7323] alone[H4428]. And the king said[H559], He also bringeth tidings[H1319].
27. And the watchman[H6822] said[H559], I think[H7200] the running[H4794] of the foremost[H7223] is like the running[H4794] of Ahimaaz[H290] the son[H1121] of Zadok[H6659]. And the king[H4428] said[H559], He is a good[H2896] man[H376], and cometh[H935] with good[H2896] tidings[H1309].
28. And Ahimaaz[H290] called[H7121], and said[H559] unto the king[H4428], All is well[H7965]. And he bowed[H7812] himself before the king[H4428] with his face[H639] to the earth[H776], and said[H559], Blessed[H1288] be Jehovah[H3068] thy God[H430], who hath delivered up[H5462] the men[H582] that lifted up[H5462] their hand[H3027] against my lord[H113] the king[H4428].
29. And the king[H4428] said[H559], Is it well[H7965] with the young man[H5288] Absalom[H53]? And Ahimaaz[H290] answered[H559], When Joab[H3097] sent[H7971] the king[H4428]'s servant[H5650], even me thy servant[H5650], I saw[H7200] a great[H1419] tumult[H1995], but I knew not what it was[H3045].
30. And the king[H4428] said[H559], Turn aside[H5437], and stand[H3320] here[H3541]. And he turned aside[H5437], and stood still[H5975].
31. And[H3569], behold, the Cushite came[H935]; and the Cushite[H3569] said[H559], Tidings[H1319] for my lord[H113] the king[H4428]; for Jehovah[H3068] hath avenged[H8199] thee this day[H3117] of all them[H3027] that rose up against thee[H6965].
32. And the king[H4428] said[H559] unto the Cushite[H3569], Is it well[H7965] with the young man[H5288] Absalom[H53]? And the Cushite[H3569] answered[H559], The enemies[H341] of my lord[H113] the king[H4428], and all that rise[H6965] up against thee to do thee hurt[H7451], be as that young man is[H5288].
33. And the king[H4428] was much moved[H7264], and went up[H5927] to the chamber[H5944] over the gate[H8179], and wept[H1058]: and as he went[H3212], thus he said[H559], O my son[H1121] Absalom[H53], my son[H1121], my son[H1121] Absalom[H53]! would I had died[H4191] for thee[H5414], O Absalom[H53], my son[H1121], my son[H1121]!
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