Absalom's Demise
2 Kingdoms 18, verse 1. David considered the people with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 2. Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the hand of Ittai the Gathite. And David said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you as well.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 3. But they answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us. Nor will they care about us if half of us die. You are worth ten thousand of us. And now it is well that you will be more help to us in the city.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 4. Then the king said to them, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 5. The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “For my sake, deal gently with the young man Absalom.” And the people heard the king give orders to all the captains concerning Absalom. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 6. So the people went out into the thicket against Israel. And the battle was in the thicket of Ephraim. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 7. The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand men took place there that day. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 8. And the battle itself was scattered over the face of all the countryside; and the thicket of woods devoured more of the people that day than did the sword. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 9. Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on his mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak tree, and his head caught in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule that was under him went on. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 10. Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, saying, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 11. So Joab said to the man who told him, “You just saw him, and did not dislodge him so he could fall to the ground? Why? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 12. But the man said to Joab, “Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. For in our hearing, the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for me! 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 13. Do not deal with his life in a dishonorable way.’ For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against him.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 14. Then Joab said, “I will make preparation for this, and thus I will not linger with you.” Joab took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the grip of the oak tree. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 15. Then ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom and struck and killed him. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 16. So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab spared the people. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 17. And they took Absalom and cast him into a large chasm in the thicket, into a great pit, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 18. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself in the King's Valley. For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar Absalom's Hand, and that is what it is called to this day.
Absalom's Death Reported to David
2 Kingdoms 18, verse 19. Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and take the good news to the king, how the Lord avenged him from the hand of his enemies.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 20. And Joab said to him, “You will be no messenger of good news today, for you shall take good news another day. But on this day you shall take no good news, on account of the king's son who is dead.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 21. Then Joab said to Hushai, “Go, tell the king what you saw.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and left. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 22. And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But whatever happens, let me run after the Cushite.” So Joab said, “My son, why are you going to run? Come here, because you have no good news which is of use to the one going.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 23. And he said, “What if I run?” So Joab said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of Kechar and outran Hushai. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 24. Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the top of the gate of the wall and lifted his eyes and looked out. He saw a man running by himself. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 25. Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth.” And he came quickly and drew near. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 26. Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called toward the gate and said, “There is another man running alone!” And the king said, “He also brings good news.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 27. So the watchman said, “I think the running of the first one resembles the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man and comes with good news.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 28. And Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Peace!” Then he bowed to the king with his face to the earth and said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 29. The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a great multitude at the time of Joab's sending the king's servant and me your servant. I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what was happening.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 30. And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still. 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 31. Just then Hushai came, and he said to the king, “There is good news, my lord the king! For the Lord avenged you today, and on all those who rose against you.” 2 Kingdoms 18, verse 32. And the king said to Hushai, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” So Hushai answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!”