1 And David 1732 numbered 6485 the people 5971 that were with him, and set 7760 captains 8269 of thousands 505 and captains 8269 of hundreds 3967 over them.
2 And David 1732 sent forth 7971 a third part 7992 of the people 5971 under the hand 3027 of Joab 3097, and a third part 7992 under the hand 3027 of Abishai 52 the son 1121 of Zeruiah 6870, Joab's 3097 brother 251, and a third part 7992 under the hand 3027 of Ittai 863 the Gittite 1663. And the king 4428 said 559 unto the people 5971, I will surely 3318 go forth 3318 with you myself 589 also.
3 But the people 5971 answered 559, Thou shalt not go forth 3318: for if we flee 5127 away 5127, they will not care 7760 3820 for us; neither if half 2677 of us die 4191, will they care 7760 3820 for us: but now thou art worth 3644 ten 6235 thousand 505 of us: therefore now it is better 2896 that thou succour 5826 5826 us out of the city 5892.
4 And the king 4428 said 559 unto them, What seemeth 5869 you best 3190 I will do 6213. And the king 4428 stood 5975 by the gate 8179 side 3027, and all the people 5971 came out 3318 by hundreds 3967 and by thousands 505.
5 And the king 4428 commanded 6680 Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 and Ittai 863, saying 559, Deal gently 328 for my sake with the young man 5288, even with Absalom 53. And all the people 5971 heard 8085 when the king 4428 gave all the captains 8269 charge 6680 concerning 1697 Absalom 53.
6 So the people 5971 went out 3318 into the field 7704 against 7125 Israel 3478: and the battle 4421 was in the wood 3293 of Ephraim 669;
7 Where the people 5971 of Israel 3478 were slain 5062 before 6440 the servants 5650 of David 1732, and there was there a great 1419 slaughter 4046 that day 3117 of twenty 6242 thousand 505 men.
8 For the battle 4421 was there scattered 6327 over the face 6440 of all the country 776: and the wood 3293 devoured 398 more 7235 people 5971 that day 3117 than the sword 2719 devoured 398.
9 And Absalom 53 met 7122 the servants 6440 5650 of David 1732. And Absalom 53 rode 7392 upon a mule 6505, and the mule 6505 went 935 under the thick boughs 7730 of a great 1419 oak 424, and his head 7218 caught hold 2388 of the oak 424, and he was taken up 5414 between the heaven 8064 and the earth 776; and the mule 6505 that was under him went away 5674.
10 And a certain 259 man 376 saw 7200 it, and told 5046 Joab 3097, and said 559, Behold, I saw 7200 Absalom 53 hanged 8518 in an oak 424.
11 And Joab 3097 said 559 unto the man 376 that told 5046 him, And, behold, thou sawest 7200 him, and why didst thou not smite 5221 him there to the ground 776? and I would have given 5414 thee ten 6235 shekels of silver 3701, and a 259 girdle 2290.
12 And the man 376 said 559 unto Joab 3097, Though 3863 I should receive 8254 a thousand 505 shekels of silver 3701 in mine hand 3709, yet would I not put forth 7971 mine hand 3027 against the king's 4428 son 1121: for in our hearing 241 the king 4428 charged 6680 thee and Abishai 52 and Ittai 863, saying 559, Beware 8104 that none touch the young man 5288 Absalom 53.
13 Otherwise 176 I should have wrought 6213 falsehood 8267 against mine own life 5315: for there is no matter 1697 hid 3582 from the king 4428, and thou thyself wouldest have set 3320 thyself against me.
14 Then said 559 Joab 3097, I may not tarry 3176 thus with thee 6440. And he took 3947 three 7969 darts 7626 in his hand 3709, and thrust 8628 them through the heart 3820 of Absalom 53, while he was yet alive 2416 in the midst of the oak 424.
15 And ten 6235 young men 5288 that bare 5375 Joab's 3097 armour 3627 compassed about 5437 and smote 5221 Absalom 53, and slew 4191 him.
16 And Joab 3097 blew 8628 the trumpet 7782, and the people 5971 returned 7725 from pursuing 7291 after 310 Israel 3478: for Joab 3097 held back 2820 the people 5971.
17 And they took 3947 Absalom 53, and cast 7993 him into a great 1419 pit 6354 in the wood 3293, and laid 5324 a very 3966 great 1419 heap 1530 of stones 68 upon him: and all Israel 3478 fled 5127 every one 376 to his tent 168.
18 Now Absalom 53 in his lifetime 2416 had taken 3947 and reared up 5324 for himself a pillar 4678, which is in the king's 4428 dale 6010: for he said 559, I have no son 1121 to keep my name 8034 in remembrance 2142: and he called 7121 the pillar 4678 after his own name 8034: and it is called 7121 unto this day 3117, Absalom's 53 place 3027.
19 Then said 559 Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659, Let me now run 7323, and bear 1319 0 the king 4428 tidings 1319, how that the LORD 3068 hath avenged 8199 him of his enemies 3027 341.
20 And Joab 3097 said 559 unto him, Thou 376 shalt not bear tidings 1309 this day 3117, but thou shalt bear tidings 1319 another 312 day 3117: but this day 3117 thou shalt bear no tidings 1319, because the king's 4428 son 1121 is dead 4191.
21 Then said 559 Joab 3097 to Cushi 3569, Go 3212 tell 5046 the king 4428 what thou hast seen 7200. And Cushi 3569 bowed 7812 himself unto Joab 3097, and ran 7323.
22 Then said 559 Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659 yet again 3254 to Joab 3097, But howsoever 4100, let me, I pray thee, also run 7323 after 310 Cushi 3569. And Joab 3097 said 559, Wherefore wilt thou run 7323, my son 1121, seeing that thou hast no tidings 1309 ready 4672?
23 But howsoever, said he, let me run 7323. And he said 559 unto him, Run 7323. Then Ahimaaz 290 ran 7323 by the way 1870 of the plain 3603, and overran 5674 Cushi 3569.
24 And David 1732 sat 3427 between the two 8147 gates 8179: and the watchman 6822 went up 3212 to the roof 1406 over the gate 8179 unto the wall 2346, and lifted up 5375 his eyes 5869, and looked 7200, and behold a man 376 running 7323 alone.
25 And the watchman 6822 cried 7121, and told 5046 the king 4428. And the king 4428 said 559, If he be alone, there is tidings 1309 in his mouth 6310. And he came 3212 apace 1980, and drew near 7131.
26 And the watchman 6822 saw 7200 another 312 man 376 running 7323: and the watchman 6822 called 7121 unto the porter 7778, and said 559, Behold another man 376 running 7323 alone. And the king 4428 said 559, He also bringeth tidings 1319.
27 And the watchman 6822 said 559, Me thinketh 7200 the running 4794 of the foremost 7223 is like the running 4794 of Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659. And the king 4428 said 559, He is a good 2896 man 376, and cometh 935 with good 2896 tidings 1309.
28 And Ahimaaz 290 called 7121, and said 559 unto the king 4428, All is well 7965. And he fell down 7812 to the earth 776 upon his face 639 before the king 4428, and said 559, Blessed 1288 be the LORD 3068 thy God 430, which hath delivered up 5462 the men 582 that lifted up 5375 their hand 3027 against my lord 113 the king 4428.
29 And the king 4428 said 559, Is the young man 5288 Absalom 53 safe 7965? And Ahimaaz 290 answered 559, When Joab 3097 sent 7971 the king's 4428 servant 5650, and me thy servant 5650, I saw 7200 a great 1419 tumult 1995, but I knew 3045 not what it was.
30 And the king 4428 said 559 unto him, Turn aside 5437, and stand 3320 here 3541. And he turned aside 5437, and stood still 5975.
31 And, behold, Cushi 3569 came 935; and Cushi 3569 said 559, Tidings 1319, my lord 113 the king 4428: for the LORD 3068 hath avenged 8199 thee this day 3117 of all them 3027 that rose up 6965 against thee.
32 And the king 4428 said 559 unto Cushi 3569, Is the young man 5288 Absalom 53 safe 7965? And Cushi 3569 answered 559, The enemies 341 of my lord 113 the king 4428, and all that rise 6965 against thee to do thee hurt 7451, be as that young man 5288 is.
33 And the king 4428 was much moved 7264, and went up 5927 to the chamber 5944 over the gate 8179, and wept 1058: and as he went 3212, thus he said 559, O my son 1121 Absalom 53, my son 1121, my son 1121 Absalom 53! would God I had died 4191 for thee 5414, O Absalom 53, my son 1121, my son 1121!