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          DASV: 2 Samuel 18    

1 Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over
them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
2 David sent out the troops, a third were under Joab's command,
a third under Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother,
and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king
said to the troops, "I myself will go out too."
3 But the men said, "You should not go out. For if we flee,
they will not care about us. Even if half of us die,
they won't care much about us. But you are worth ten
thousand of us; therefore it is better that you be ready
to send us support from the city."
4 Then the king said to them, "I will do whatever seems best
to you." So the king stood by the town gate as all the
people marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 Then the king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, saying,
"Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake." Now
all the troops heard when the king gave all the commanders
orders concerning Absalom.

6 So the troops went out into the field to fight against Israel.
The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 The Israelite army was smitten there before David's men,
and there was a great slaughter there that day, twenty
thousand men died.
8 The battle spread over the face of the whole region; and more
men died because of the forest that day than from the sword.

9 Absalom happened to meet David's men. Now Absalom was riding
on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of
a great oak tree. His head got stuck in the oak tree,
and he was left hanging between heaven and earth as the
mule that was under him ran off.
10 Someone saw it, and reported it to Joab, "I saw Absalom
dangling from an oak tree."
11 Joab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him,
why didn't you strike him to the ground right then and there?
I would have given you ten pieces of silver, and a belt of
honor."
12 But the man replied to Joab, "Even if I should get a thousand
pieces of silver, I would not strike the king's son. We all
heard the king order you, Abishai and Ittai, 'For my sake,
spare the young man Absalom.'
13 If I had betrayed the king by taking his life, there is nothing
hidden from the king, then even you yourself would have had to
abandon me."

14 Then Joab said, "I will not waste any more time on you." He
grabbed three spears in his hand, and thrust them into Absalom's
heart, while he was still alive in the oak tree.
15 Then ten of Joab's young armor-bearers surrounded, struck
and killed Absalom.
16 Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops withdrew from
pursuing after Israel; for Joab recalled the troops.
17 They took Absalom, and threw him into the great pit in the
forest, and piled a large heap of stones over him. Meanwhile
all Israel fled each to his home.
18 Now during Absalom's life he had set up a monument for himself
in the King's Valley; for he reasoned, "I have no son to carry
on my name." So he named the monument after himself, and it is
called Absalom's Monument to this day.

19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Let me run, and bring the
good news to the king, that the LORD has vindicated him rescuing
him from his enemies."
20 But Joab said to him, "You should not be the bearer of good
news today. You will bear good news some other day. Today,
you will bear no good news, because the king's son is dead."
21 Then Joab ordered the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you
have seen." The Cushite bowed himself before Joab, and ran.
22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok asked Joab again, "Whatever
happens, please let me run after the Cushite." Joab said,
"Why do you want to run, my son, seeing your tidings will not
bring you any reward?"
23 "Whatever happens I want to run," he insisted. So Joab told
him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain,
and outran the Cushite.

24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman
went up to the roof of the gate by the wall. When he raised
his eyes, he saw a man running alone.
25 The watchman shouted and told the king. The king said, "If he
is alone, there must be good news in his mouth." And the runner
came nearer.
26 Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman
called down to the gatekeeper, and said, "Look, another man
running alone." The king said, "He must also be bringing
good news."
27 The watchman said, "I think the one running first runs like
Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man,
and comes with good news."
28 Then Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, "All is well."
Then he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground,
and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up
the men who raised their hand against my lord the king."
29 The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz
answered, "When Joab sent me, the king's servant, I saw a great
tumult, but I did not know what the outcome was."
30 Then the king said, "Step aside and stand here." So he stepped
aside and stood there.
31 Then the Cushite came and said, "Good news for my lord the king;
for the LORD has delivered you this day from all those who
rose up against you."
32 Then the king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom all
right?" The Cushite answered, "The enemies of my lord the king,
and all that rise up against you to do you harm, be like that
young man."
33 Then the king was devastated, and went up to the upper room
over the gate, and wept. As he went, he wept, "O my son Absalom,
my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you,
O Absalom, my son, my son!"

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