Dual Panel1David <01732> assembled <06485> the army <05971> that <0834> was with <0854> him. He appointed <07760> leaders <08269> of <05921> thousands <0505> and leaders <08269> of hundreds <03967>.
2David <01732> then sent <07971> out the army <05971>– a third <07992> under the leadership <03027> of Joab <03097>, a third <07992> under the leadership <03027> of Joab’s <03097> brother <0251> Abishai <052> son <01121> of Zeruiah <06870>, and a third <07992> under the leadership <03027> of Ittai <0863> the Gittite <01663>. The king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> the troops <05971>, “I <0589> too <01571> will indeed march <03318> out <03318> with <05973> you.”
3But the soldiers <05971> replied <0559>, “You should not <03808> do this! For <03588> if <0518> we should have to <0413> make <05127> <05127> a rapid retreat <05127> <05127>, they won’t <03808> be too concerned <03820> <07760> about us. Even if <0518> half <02677> of us should die <04191>, they won’t <03808> be too concerned <03820> <07760> about <0413> us. But <03588> you are like <03644> ten <06235> thousand <0505> of us! So <06258> it is better <02896> if <03588> you remain <01961> in the city <05892> for support <05826>.”
4Then the king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> them, “I will do <06213> whatever <0834> seems best <03190> to you.” So the king <04428> stayed <05975> beside <03027> the city gate <08179>, while all <03605> the army <05971> marched out <03381> by hundreds <03967> and by thousands <0505>.
5The king <04428> gave this order <06680> to Joab <03097>, Abishai <052>, and Ittai <0863>: “For my sake deal gently <0328> with the young man <05288> Absalom <053>.” Now the entire <03605> army <05971> was listening <08085> when the king <04428> gave <06680> all <03605> the leaders <08269> this order <01697> concerning <05921> Absalom <053>.
6Then the army <05971> marched <03318> out to the field <07704> to fight <07125> against Israel <03478>. The battle <04421> took place in the forest <03293> of Ephraim <0669>.
7The army <05971> of Israel <03478> was defeated <05062> there <08033> by <06440> David’s <01732> men <05650>. The slaughter <04046> there <08033> was great <01419> that day <03117>– 20,000 <0505> <06242> soldiers were killed.
8The battle <04421> there <08033> was <01961> spread out <06327> over <06440> <05921> the whole <03605> area <0776>, and the forest <03293> consumed <0398> more <07235> soldiers <05971> than <0834> the sword <02719> devoured <0398> that <01931> day <03117>.
9Then Absalom <053> happened <07122> to come across <06440> David’s <01732> men <05650>. Now as Absalom <053> was riding <07392> on <05921> his mule <06505>, it <06505> went <0935> under <08478> the branches <07730> of a large <01419> oak tree <0424>. His head <07218> got caught in the oak <0424> and he was suspended <05414> in <0996> midair <0776> <0996> <08064>, while the mule <06505> he had <0834> been riding <08478> kept going <05674>.
10When one <0259> of the men <0376> saw <07200> this, he reported <05046> it to Joab <03097> saying <0559>, “I saw <07200> Absalom <053> hanging <08518> in an oak tree <0424>.
11Joab <03097> replied <0559> to the man <0376> who was telling <05046> him this, “What! You saw <07200> this? Why <04069> didn’t <03808> you strike <05221> him down <05221> right on <05921> the spot <0776>? I would have given <05414> you ten <06235> pieces of silver <03701> and a <0259> commemorative belt <02290>!”
12The man <0376> replied <0559> to <0413> Joab <03097>, “Even if <03863> I <0595> were receiving <03709> <05921> <08254> a thousand <0505> pieces of silver <03701>, I would not <03808> strike <03027> <07971> the king’s <04428> son <01121>! In our very presence <0241> the king <04428> gave this order <06680> to you and Abishai <052> and Ittai <0863>, ‘Protect <08104> the young man <05288> Absalom <053> for my sake.’
13If <0176> I had acted <06213> at risk <08267> of my own life <05315>– and nothing <03808> <01697> <03605> is hidden <03582> from <04480> the king <04428>!– you <0859> would have abandoned <05048> <03320> me.”
14Joab <03097> replied <0559>, “I will not <03808> wait <03176> around like this <03651> for <06440> you!” He took <03947> three <07969> spears <07626> in his hand <03709> and thrust <08628> them into the middle <03820> of Absalom <053> while he was still <05750> alive <02416> in the middle <03820> of the oak tree <0424>.
15Then ten <06235> soldiers <05288> who were Joab’s <03097> armor <03627> bearers <05375> struck <05221> Absalom <053> and finished <04191> him off <04191>.
16Then Joab <03097> blew <08628> the trumpet <07782> and the army <05971> turned back <07725> from chasing <0310> <07291> Israel <03478>, for <03588> Joab <03097> had called <02820> for the army <05971> to halt <02820>.
17They took <03947> Absalom <053>, threw <07993> him into <0413> a large <01419> pit <06354> in the forest <03293>, and stacked <05324> a huge <03966> <01419> pile <01530> of stones <068> over <05921> him. In the meantime all <03605> the Israelite <03478> soldiers <0376> fled <05127> to their homes <0168>.
18Prior to this Absalom <053> had set up <05324> a monument <04678> and dedicated it to himself in the King’s <04428> Valley <06010>, reasoning <0559> “I have no <0369> son <01121> who <05668> will carry on <02142> my name <08034>.” He named <07121> the monument <04678> after <05921> himself <08034>, and to <05704> this <02088> day <03117> it is known <07121> as Absalom’s <053> Memorial <03027>.
19Then Ahimaaz <0290> the son <01121> of Zadok <06659> said <0559>, “Let <04994> me run <07323> and give <01319> the king <04428> the good news <01319> that <03588> the Lord <03068> has vindicated <08199> him before <03027> his enemies <0341>.”
20But Joab <03097> said <0559> to him, “You <0859> will not <03808> be a bearer <0376> of good news <01309> today <02088> <03117>. You will bear good news <01319> some other <0312> day <03117>, but not <03808> today <02088> <03117>, for <05921> <03588> the king’s <04428> son <01121> is dead <04191>.”
21Then Joab <03097> said <0559> to the Cushite <03569>, “Go <01980> and tell <05046> the king <04428> what <0834> you have seen <07200>.” After bowing <07812> to Joab <03097>, the Cushite <03569> ran off <07323>.
22Ahimaaz <0290> the son <01121> of Zadok <06659> again <05750> <03254> spoke <0559> to <0413> Joab <03097>, “Whatever <04100> happens <01961>, let <04994> me <0589> go <07323> after <0310> the Cushite <03569>.” But Joab <03097> said <0559>, “Why <04100> is it <02088> that you <0859> want to go <07323>, my son <01121>? You have no <0369> good news <01309> that will bring <04672> you a reward <04672>.”
23But he said, “Whatever <04100> happens <01961>, I want to go <07323>!” So Joab said <0559> to him, “Then go <07323>!” So Ahimaaz <0290> ran <07323> by the way <01870> of the Jordan plain <03603>, and he passed <05674> the Cushite <03569>.
24Now David <01732> was sitting <03427> between <0996> the inner and outer <08147> gates <08179>, and the watchman <06822> went up <01980> to <0413> the roof <01406> over the gate <08179> at <0413> the wall <02346>. When he looked <05375>, he saw <07200> a man <0376> running <07323> by himself <0905>.
25So the watchman <06822> called <07121> out and informed <05046> the king <04428>. The king <04428> said <0559>, “If <0518> he is by himself <0905>, he brings good news <01309>.” The runner <01980> came ever closer <07131> <01980>.
26Then the watchman <06822> saw <07200> another <0312> man <0376> running <07323>. The watchman <06822> called out <07121> to <0413> the gatekeeper <07778>, “There is another man <0376> running <07323> by himself <0905>.” The king <04428> said <0559>, “This <02088> one also <01571> is bringing good news <01319>.”
27The watchman <06822> said <0559>, “It appears <07200> to me <0589> that the first <07223> runner <04794> is Ahimaaz <0290> son <01121> of Zadok <06659>.” The king <04428> said <0559>, “He is a good <02896> man <0376>, and he comes <0935> with <0413> good <02896> news <01309>.”
28Then Ahimaaz <0290> called <07121> out and said <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “Greetings <07965>!” He bowed down <07812> before the king <04428> with his face <0639> toward the ground <0776> and said <0559>, “May the Lord <03068> your God <0430> be praised <01288> because <0834> he has defeated <05462> the men <0376> who <0834> opposed <03027> <05375> my lord <0113> the king <04428>!”
29The king <04428> replied <0559>, “How is the young man <05288> Absalom <053>?” Ahimaaz <0290> replied <0559>, “I saw <07200> a great <01419> deal of confusion <01995> when Joab <03097> was sending <07971> the king’s <04428> servant <05650> and me, your servant <05650>, but I don’t <03808> know <03045> what <04100> it was all about.”
30The king <04428> said <0559>, “Turn aside <05437> and take <03320> your place <03320> here.” So <03541> he turned aside <05437> and waited <05975>.
31Then <02009> the Cushite <03569> arrived <0935> and said <0559>, “May my lord <0113> the king <04428> now receive the good news <01319>! The Lord <03068> has vindicated <08199> you today <03117> and delivered you from the hand <03027> of all <03605> who have rebelled <06965> against <05921> you!”
32The king <04428> asked <0559> the Cushite <03569>, “How is the young man <05288> Absalom <053>?” The Cushite <03569> replied <0559>, “May the enemies <0341> of my lord <0113> the king <04428> and all <03605> who <0834> have plotted <06965> against <05921> you be <01961> like that young man <05288>!”
33The king <04428> then became <07264> very upset <07264>. He went up <05927> to <05921> the upper room <05944> over the gate <08179> and wept <01058>. As <03541> he went <01980> he said <0559>, “My son <01121>, Absalom <053>! My son <01121>, my son <01121>, Absalom <053>! If <04310> only I <0589> could have died <04191> in your place <08478>! Absalom <053>, my son <01121>, my son <01121>!”