1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 Samuel 18

1 David viewing the armies in their march giveth them charge of Absalom. 6 The Israelites are sore smitten in the wood of Ephraim. 9 Absalom, hanging in an oak, is slain by Joab, and cast into a pit. 18 Absalom's place. 19 Ahimaaz and Cushi bring tidings to David. 33 David mourneth for Absalom.

 18:1 Then David 1732 numbered 6485 the people 5971a who 834 were with him and set 7760 over 5921 them commanders 8269 of thousands 505 and commanders 8269 of hundreds 3967.

 18:2 David 1732 sent 7971 the people 5971a out, one third 7992 under the command 3027 of Joab 3097, one third 7992 under the command 3027 of Abishai 52 the son 1121 of Zeruiah 6870, Joab’s 3097 brother 251, and one third 7992 under the command 3027 of Ittai 863a the Gittite 1663. And the king 4428 said 559 to the people 5971a, “I myself 589 will surely 3318 go 3318 out with you also 1571.”

 18:3 But the people 5971a said 559, “You should not go 3318 out; for if 518 we indeed 5127 flee 5127, they will not care 7760 3820 about 413 us; even if 518 half 2677 of us die 4191, they will not care 7760 3820 about 413 us. But you are worth ten 6235 thousand 505 of us; therefore now 6258 it is better 2896a that you [be ready] to help 5826 us from the city 5892b.”

 18:4 Then the king 4428 said 559 to them, “Whatever 834 seems 3190 best 3190 to you I will do 6213a.” So the king 4428 stood 5975 beside 413 3027 the gate 8179, and all 3605 the people 5971a went 3318 out by hundreds 3967 and thousands 505.

 18:5 The king 4428 charged 6680 Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 and Ittai 863a, saying 559, “[Deal] gently 328 for my sake with the young 5288 man 5288 Absalom 53.” And all 3605 the people 5971a heard 8085 when the king 4428 charged 6680 all 3605 the commanders 8269 concerning 5921 1697 Absalom 53.

 18:6 ¶ Then the people 5971a went 3318 out into the field 7704 against 7122 Israel 3478, and the battle 4421 took 1961 place 1961 in the forest 3293a of Ephraim 669.

 18:7 The people 5971a of Israel 3478 were defeated 5062 there 8033 before 6440 the servants 5650 of David 1732, and the slaughter 4046 there 8033 that day 3117 was great 1419, 20,000 6242 505 men.

 18:8 For the battle 4421 there 8033 was spread 6327a over 5921 6440 the whole 3605 countryside 776, and the forest 3293a devoured 398 more 7235a people 5971a that day 3117 than 4480 834 the sword 2719 devoured 398.

 18:9 ¶ Now Absalom 53 happened to meet 7122 the servants 5650 of David 1732. For Absalom 53 was riding 7392 on [his] mule 6505, and the mule 6505 went 935 under 8478 the thick 7730 branches 7730 of a great 1419 oak 424. And his head 7218 caught 2388 fast 2388 in the oak 424, so he was left 5414 hanging 5414 between 996 heaven 8064 and earth 776, while the mule 6505 that was under 8478 him kept going 5674a.

 18:10 When a certain 259 man 376 saw 7200 [it], he told 5046 Joab 3097 and said 559, “Behold 2009, I saw 7200 Absalom 53 hanging 8518 in an oak 424.”

 18:11 Then Joab 3097 said 559 to the man 376 who had told 5046 him, “Now behold 2009, you saw 7200 [him]! Why 4069 then did you not strike 5221 him there 8033 to the ground 776? And I would have given 5414 you ten 6235 [pieces] of silver 3701 and a belt 2290b.”

 18:12 The man 376 said 559 to Joab 3097, “Even if 3863 I should receive 8254 a thousand 505 [pieces of] silver 3701 in my hand 3709, I would not put 7971 out my hand 3027 against 413 the king’s 4428 son 1121; for in our hearing 241 the king 4428 charged 6680 you and Abishai 52 and Ittai 863a, saying 559, ‘Protect 8104 for me the young 5288 man 5288 Absalom 53!’

 18:13 “Otherwise 176, if I had dealt 6213a treacherously 8267 against his life 5315 (and there is nothing 3605 1697 3808 hidden 3582 from the king 4428), then you yourself 859 would have stood 3320 aloof 4480 5048.”

 18:14 Then Joab 3097 said 559, “I will not waste 3176 time 3176 here 3651 with you.” So he took 3947 three 7969 spears 7626 in his hand 3709 and thrust 8628 them through the heart 3820 of Absalom 53 while he was yet 5750 alive 2416a in the midst 3820 of the oak 424.

 18:15 And ten 6235 young 5288 men 5288 who carried 5375 Joab’s 3097 armor 3627 gathered 5437 around 5437 and struck 5221 Absalom 53 and killed 4191 him.

 18:16 ¶ Then Joab 3097 blew 8628 the trumpet 7782, and the people 5971a returned 7725 from pursuing 7291 Israel 3478, for Joab 3097 restrained 2820 the people 5971a.

 18:17 They took 3947 Absalom 53 and cast 7993 him into a deep 1419 pit 6354 in the forest 3293a and erected 5324 over 5921 him a very 3966 great 1419 heap 1530 of stones 68. And all 3605 Israel 3478 fled 5127, each 376 to his tent 168.

 18:18 Now Absalom 53 in his lifetime 2425b had taken 3947 and set 5324 up for himself a pillar 4676 which 834 is in the King’s 4428 Valley 6010, for he said 559, “I have 369 no 369 son 1121 to preserve 2142 my name 8034.” So he named 7121 the pillar 4676 after 5921 his own name 8034, and it is called 7121 Absalom’s 53 Monument 3027 to this 2088 day 3117.

 18:19 ¶ Then Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659 said 559, “Please 4994 let me run 7323 and bring 1319 the king 4428 news 1319 that the LORD 3068 has freed 8199 him from the hand 3027 of his enemies 340.”

 18:20 But Joab 3097 said 559 to him, “You are not the man 376 to carry 1309 news 1309 this 2088 day 3117, but you shall carry 1319 news 1319 another 312 day 3117; however, you shall carry 1319 no 3808 news 1319 today 3117 because 3588 5921 the king’s 4428 son 1121 is dead 4191.”

 18:21 Then Joab 3097 said 559 to the Cushite 3569, “Go 1980, tell 5046 the king 4428 what 834 you have seen 7200.” So the Cushite 3569 bowed 7812 to Joab 3097 and ran 7323.

 18:22 Now Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659 said 559 once 3254 5750 more 3254 5750 to Joab 3097, “But whatever 4100 happens 1961, please 4994 let me also 1571 run 7323 after 310 the Cushite 3569.” And Joab 3097 said 559, “Why 4100 2088 would you run 7323, my son 1121, since you will have 369 no 369 reward 1309 for going 4672?”

 18:23 “But whatever 4100 happens 1961,” [he said], “I will run 7323.” So he said 559 to him, “Run 7323.” Then Ahimaaz 290 ran 7323 by way 1870 of the plain 3603 and passed 5674a up the Cushite 3569.

 18:24 ¶ Now David 1732 was sitting 3427 between 996 the two 8147 gates 8179; and the watchman 6822 went 1980 up to the roof 1406 of the gate 8179 by the wall 2346, and raised 5375 his eyes 5869 and looked 7200, and behold 2009, a man 376 running 7323 by himself 905.

 18:25 The watchman 6822 called 7121 and told 5046 the king 4428. And the king 4428 said 559, “If 518 he is by himself 905 there is good news 1309 in his mouth 6310.” And he came 1980 nearer 1980 and nearer 7131.

 18:26 Then the watchman 6822 saw 7200 another 312 man 376 running 7323; and the watchman 6822 called 7121 to the gatekeeper 7778 and said 559, “Behold 2009, [another] man 376 running 7323 by himself 905.” And the king 4428 said 559, “This 2088 one 2088 also 1571 is bringing 1319 good news 1319.”

 18:27 The watchman 6822 said 559, “I think 7200 the running 4794 of the first 7223 one 7223 is like the running 4794 of Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659.” And the king 4428 said 559, “This 2088 is a good 2896a man 376 and comes 935 with good 2896a news 1309.”

 18:28 ¶ Ahimaaz 290 called 7121 and said 559 to the king 4428, “All is well 7965.” And he prostrated 7812 himself before the king 4428 with his face 639 to the ground 776. And he said 559, “Blessed 1288 is the LORD 3068 your God 430, who 834 has delivered 5462 up the men 376 who 834 lifted 5375 their hands 3027 against my lord 113 the king 4428.”

 18:29 The king 4428 said 559, “Is it well 7965 with the young 5288 man 5288 Absalom 53?” And Ahimaaz 290 answered 559, “When Joab 3097 sent 7971 the king’s 4428 servant 5650, and your servant 5650, I saw 7200 a great 1419 tumult 1995, but I did not know 3045 what 4100 [it was].”

 18:30 Then the king 4428 said 559, “Turn 5437 aside 5437 and stand 3320 here 3541.” So he turned 5437 aside 5437 and stood 5975 still 5975.

 18:31 ¶ Behold 2009, the Cushite 3569 arrived 935, and the Cushite 3569 said 559, “Let my lord 113 the king 4428 receive 1319 good news 1319, for the LORD 3068 has freed 8199 you this day 3117 from the hand 3027 of all 3605 those who rose 6965 up against 5921 you.”

 18:32 Then the king 4428 said 559 to the Cushite 3569, “Is it well 7965 with the young 5288 man 5288 Absalom 53?” And the Cushite 3569 answered 559, “Let the enemies 340 of my lord 113 the king 4428, and all 3605 who 834 rise 6965 up against 5921 you for evil 7463a, be as that young 5288 man 5288!”

 18:33 ¶ The king 4428 was deeply 7264 moved 7264 and went 5927 up to the chamber 5944 over 5944 the gate 8179 and wept 1058. And thus 3541 he said 559 as he walked 1980, “O my son 1121 Absalom 53, my son 1121, my son 1121 Absalom 53! Would 4310 5414 I had died 4191 instead 8478 of you, O Absalom 53, my son 1121, my son 1121!”