2 Samuel 18
The Death of
Absalom |
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And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of
hundreds over them.
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And David sent forth a third part of the
people under the hand of Jo'ab, and a third part under the hand of
Ab'ishai the son of Zeru-i'ah, Jo'ab's brother, and a third part
under the hand of It'tai the Gittite. And the king said unto the
people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
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But the people answered, Thou shalt not
go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if
half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth
ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou
succor us out of the city.
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And the king said unto them, What seemeth
you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the
people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
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And the king commanded Jo'ab and Ab'ishai
and It'tai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young
man, even with Ab'salom. And all the people heard when the
king gave all the captains charge concerning Ab'salom.
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6 |
So the people went out into the field
against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of
E'phra-im;
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where the people of Israel were slain
before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter
that day of twenty thousand men.
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For the battle was there scattered over
the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that
day than the sword devoured.
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9 |
And Ab'salom met the servants of David.
And Ab'salom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick
boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he
was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
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10 |
And a certain man saw it, and told
Jo'ab, and said, Behold, I saw Ab'salom hanged in an oak.
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11 |
And Jo'ab said unto the man that told
him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not
smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
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And the man said unto Jo'ab, Though I
should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son:
for in our hearing the king charged thee and Ab'ishai and It'tai,
saying, Beware that none touch the young man
Ab'salom.
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Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood
against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and
thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
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Then said Jo'ab, I may not tarry thus
with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them
through the heart of Ab'salom, while he was yet alive in the
midst of the oak.
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And ten young men that bare Jo'ab's armor
compassed about and smote Ab'salom, and slew him.
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And Jo'ab blew the trumpet, and the
people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Jo'ab held back the
people.
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And they took Ab'salom, and cast him into
a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon
him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
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Now Ab'salom in his lifetime had taken
and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's
dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and
he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this
day, Ab'salom's place.
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Then said Ahim'a-az the son of Zadok,
Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.
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And Jo'ab said unto him, Thou shalt not
bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but
this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is
dead.
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21 |
Then said Jo'ab to Cushi, Go tell the
king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Jo'ab, and
ran.
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Then said Ahim'a-az the son of Zadok yet
again to Jo'ab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after
Cushi. And Jo'ab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that
thou hast no tidings ready?
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But howsoever, said he, let me
run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahim'a-az ran by the way of the
plain, and overran Cushi.
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And David sat between the two gates:
and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall,
and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running
alone.
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And the watchman cried, and told the
king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
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And the watchman saw another man running:
and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also
bringeth tidings.
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And the watchman said, Methinketh the
running of the foremost is like the running of Ahim'a-az the son of
Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with
good tidings.
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28 |
And Ahim'a-az called, and said unto the
king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face
before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that
lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
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29 |
And the king said, Is the young man
Ab'salom safe? And Ahim'a-az answered, When Jo'ab sent the king's
servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew
not what it was.
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30 |
And the king said unto him, Turn
aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood
still.
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31 |
And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi
said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against
thee.
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32 |
And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Ab'salom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my
lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
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33 |
And the king was much moved, and went up
to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he
said, O my son Ab'salom! my son, my son Ab'salom! would God I had
died for thee, O Ab'salom, my son, my son!
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