2 Samuel 18 — Read & Listen Online

Absalom Falls in the Forest of Ephraim

Chapter 18.

David mustered the troops who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. Then David sent out the troops: a third under the command of Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, "I myself will surely march out with you as well."

But the troops said, "You must not go out. For if we have to flee, they won't give us a second thought; even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better that you stay in the city and be ready to send us help."

The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood beside the gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.

The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the troops heard when the king gave the commanders this charge about Absalom.

So the troops marched out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. There the army of Israel was defeated by David's men, and the slaughter that day was great — twenty thousand men. The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more of the troops that day than the sword devoured.

Now Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding on his mule, and as the mule went under the tangled branches of a great oak, Absalom's head got caught in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth while his mule kept going. A certain man saw it and told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak."

Joab said to the man who had told him, "So you saw him! Why then did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have had to give you ten days' wages in silver and a belt."

But the man said to Joab, "Even if a thousand days' wages in silver were weighed into my palm, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. For we all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.'" Otherwise I would have thrown my own life away, for nothing is hidden from the king, and you yourself would have kept your distance.

Joab said, "I will not waste time with you like this." He took three javelins in his hand and drove them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the heart of the oak. And ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

Then Joab blew the ram's horn, and the troops turned back from pursuing Israel, for Joab held them back. They took Absalom, threw him into a great pit in the forest, and piled over him a very large heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his own home.

Now Absalom, while he was still alive, had taken and set up for himself a pillar in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name remembered." He named the pillar after himself, and to this day it is called Absalom's Monument. ¹

David Weeps for His Son Absalom

Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Let me run and carry the news to the king that our Father has vindicated him against his enemies."

But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to carry news today. You may carry news another day, but today you will carry none, because the king's son is dead."

Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.

Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab again, "No matter what, please let me also run after the Cushite." But Joab said, "Why would you run, my son, since you have no news that will earn a reward?"

"No matter what," he said, "I will run." So Joab said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

Now David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, and as he looked out, he saw a man running alone. The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing news." And the runner came nearer and nearer.

Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called to the gatekeeper, "Look, another man running alone!" The king said, "This one also brings news."

The watchman said, "The first runner looks to me like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." "He is a good man," said the king. "He comes with good news."

Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, "All is well!" He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Blessed be your Father, who has handed over the men who rebelled against my lord the king."

The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent off the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I did not know what it was."

The king said, "Step aside and stand here." So he stepped aside and stood still.

Then the Cushite arrived and said, "Good news for my lord the king! Today the LORD has vindicated you against all who rose up against you."

The king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to harm you, be like that young man."

The king was shaken. He went up to the chamber over the gate and wept, and as he went he cried out, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!"

❤️ FHB? Review Now