2 Samuel 18
Caught by His Head Between Heaven and Earth
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David Musters the People
18:1David mustered the people with him and appointed commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds over them.
18:2David sent out the people: one third under Joab, one third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under Ittai the Gittite. David said to the people, “I too will certainly go out with you.”
18:3They said, “You must not go out. If we flee, they will pay no attention to us; if half of us die, they will pay no attention to us. You are worth ten thousand of us. It is better now for you to be a help to us in the city.”
18:4The king said to them, “I will do whatever pleases you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands.
18:5The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “For my sake, spare the young man Absalom.” All the people heard the king command all the officers concerning Absalom.
The Battle in the Forest of Ephraim
18:6All the people went out into the forest to face Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
18:7The people of Israel fell there before David’s servants. The crushing defeat that day was great: twenty thousand men.
18:8The battle spread there across the whole land, and the forest devoured more of the people that day than the sword devoured among them.
Absalom Caught in the Oak
18:9Absalom encountered David’s servants. Absalom was riding his mule, and the mule went under the thick growth of the great oak. His head hung in the oak, and he hung between heaven and earth, while the mule beneath him went on.
18:10A man saw it and told Joab, “I have just seen Absalom hanging in the oak.”
18:11Joab said to the man reporting to him, “You saw him! Why did you not strike him to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”
18:12The man said to Joab, “Even if I weigh a thousand silver shekels in my hands, I will certainly not put out my hand against the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Guard the young man Absalom for me,
18:13so as to do no wrong against his life.’ Nothing will escape the king’s notice, and you yourself would stand opposite me.”
18:14Joab said, “I will begin this myself; I will not wait before you like this.” Joab took three darts in his hand and drove them into Absalom’s heart. While he was still alive in the heart of the oak,
18:15ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
18:16Joab sounded the horn, and the people turned back from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.
18:17He took Absalom and threw him into a great chasm in the forest, into the great pit, and raised a very large heap of stones over him. All Israel fled, each to his tent.
18:18While still alive, Absalom set up for himself the pillar in which he was taken, and erected it to take—the pillar in the King’s Valley—for he said that he had no son to keep his name in remembrance. He called the pillar Absalom’s Hand, to this day.
Ahimaaz and Cushi Run
18:19Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and bring the king good news: the Lord has vindicated him against the hand of his enemies.”
18:20Joab said to him, “You are not the man to bring good news today. You may bring good news another day, but today you must not bring good news, because the king’s son is dead.”
18:21Joab said to Cushi, “Go, report to the king everything you have seen.” Cushi bowed to Joab and went out.
18:22Ahimaaz son of Zadok spoke again to Joab: “Let me too run after Cushi.” Joab said, “Why are you running, my son? Come here. There is no news that will benefit you by going.”
18:23He said, “What if I do run?” Joab told him, “Run.” Ahimaaz ran by the road of Kechar and overtook Cushi.
18:24David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman went up to the gate roof by the wall, raised his eyes, and saw a man running alone before him.
18:25The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth.” The man kept coming nearer.
18:26The watchman saw another man running. He called out by the gate, “There is another man running alone.” The king said, “He too brings good news.”
18:27The watchman said, “I recognize the first man’s running: it is like Ahimaaz son of Zadok’s.” The king said, “He is a good man; he comes with good news.”
18:28Ahimaaz called to the king, “Peace!” He bowed to the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed is the Lord your God, who has shut out the men who hated their hand against my lord the king.”
18:29The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom well?” Ahimaaz said, “I saw a great crowd when Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, but I did not know what was there.”
18:30The king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” He turned aside and stood.
Is the Young Man Absalom Well?
18:31Then Cushi arrived and said to the king, “Let my lord the king receive good news: the Lord has vindicated you today against the hand of all who rose against you.”
18:32The king asked Cushi, “Is the young man Absalom well?” Cushi said, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rose against him to do harm, be like that young man.”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V2 · working draft awaiting specialist review.