2Samuel:18

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* And David numbered the people with him , and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds . * And David sent away the people , the third part (note :)Gr . in , by (:note ) under the hand of Joab , and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son of Saruia , the brother of Joab , and the third part under the hand of Ethi the Gittite . And David said to the people , I also will surely go out with you . * And they said , Thou shalt not go out : for if we should indeed flee , they will not care for us ; and if half of us should die , they will not mind us ; for thou art (note :)Gr . as we , ten thousand (:note ) as ten thousand of us : and now it is well that thou shalt be to us an aid to help us in the city . * And the king said to them , Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I will do . And the king stood by the (note :)Gr . hand (:note ) side of the gate , and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands . * And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi , saying , Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom . And all the people heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Abessalom . * And all the people went out into the wood against Israel ; and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim . * And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David , and there was a great slaughter in that day , even twenty thousand men . * And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land : and the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed among the people in that day . * And Abessalom went to meet the servants of David : and Abessalom was mounted on his mule , and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great oak ; and his head was entangled in the oak , and he was suspended between heaven and earth ; and the mule passed on from under him . * And a man saw it , and reported to Joab , and said , Behold , I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak . * And Joab said to the man who reported it to him , And , behold , thou didst see him : why didst thou not smite him there to the ground ? and I would have given thee ten pieces of silver , and a girdle . * And the man said to Joab , Were I even to (note :)Gr . weigh upon my hands (:note ) receive a thousand shekels of silver , I would not lift my hand against the king ’s son ; for in our ears the king charged thee and Abessa and Ethi , saying , Take care of the young man Abessalom for me , * so as to do no harm to his life : and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king , and thou wilt set thyself against me . * And Joab said , I will begin this ; I will not thus remain with thee . And Joab took three darts in his hand , and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom , while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak . * And ten young men that bore Joab ’s armour compassed Abessalom , and smote him and slew him . * And Joab blew the trumpet , and the people returned from pursuing Israel , for Joab spared the people . * And he took Abessalom , and cast him into a great cavern in the wood , into a deep pit , and set up over him a very great heap of stones : and all Israel fled every man to his tent . * Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken and set up for himself the pillar (note :)Gr . in , or by (:note ) near which he was taken , and set it up so as to have the pillar in the king ’s dale ; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance : Hebrews . and Alex . insert , «and he called the pillar after his own name ’ and he called the pillar , Abessalom ’s Heb . idiom for «place ’ hand , until this day . * And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said , Let me run now and carry glad tidings to the king , for the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies . * And Joab said to him , Thou shalt not be a messenger of glad tidings this day ; thou shalt bear them another day ; but on this day thou shalt bear no tidings , because the king ’s son is dead . * And Joab said to Chusi , Go , report to the king all that thou hast seen . And Chusi did obeisance to Joab , and went out . * And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said again to Joab , Nay , let me also run after Chusi . And Joab said , Why (note :)Gr . dost (:note ) wouldest thou thus run , my son ? attend , thou hast no tidings for profit if thou go . * And he said , (note :)Gr . for what if I should run (:note ) Why should I not run ? and Joab said to him , Run . And Achimaas ran along the way of Kechar , and outran Chusi . * And David was sitting between the two gates : and the watchman went up on the top of the gate of the wall , and lifted up his eyes , and looked , and behold a man running alone before him . * And the watchman cried out , and reported to the king . And the king said , If he be alone , there are good tidings in his mouth . And the man came and drew near . * And the watchman saw another man running : and the watchman cried at the gate , and said , And look , another man running alone . And the king said , He also brings glad tidings . * And the watchman said , I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc . And the king said , He is a good man , and will come to report glad tidings . * And Achimaas cried out and said to the king , Peace . And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground , and said , Blessed be the Lord thy God , who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hands against my lord the king . * And the king said , Is the young man Abessalom safe ? and Achimaas said , I saw a great multitude at the time of Joab ’s sending the king ’s servant and thy servant , and I knew not what was there . * And the king said , Turn aside , stand still here . And he turned aside , and stood . * And , behold , Chusi came up , and said to the king , Let my lord the king hear glad tidings , for the Lord has avenged thee this day upon all them that rose up against thee . * And the king said to Chusi , Is it well with the young man Abessalom ? and Chusi said , Let the enemies of my lord the king , and all whosoever have risen up against him for evil , be as that young man . * And the king was troubled , and went to the chamber over the gate , and wept : and thus he said as he went , My son Abessalom , my son , my son Abessalom ; (note :)Gr . who will give my death for thee ?(:note ) would God I had died for thee , even I had died for thee , Abessalom , my son , my son !

---