1 ¶ And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

And David inspecteth the people who with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,

2 A nd David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab and another third under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and the other third under the hand of Ittai, the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

and David sendeth the third of the people by the hand of Joab, and the third by the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and the third by the hand of Ittai the Gittite, and the king saith unto the people, `I certainly go out -- I also -- with you.'

3 B ut the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us; but now thou art worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, now it is better that thou help us out of the city.

And the people say, `Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set heart unto us -- for now like us ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.'

4 T hen the king said unto them, I will do what seems best unto you. And the king stood beside the gate, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

And the king saith unto them, `That which is good in your eyes I do;' and the king standeth at the side of the gate, and all the people have gone out by hundreds and by thousands,

5 A nd the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, `Gently -- for me, for the youth, for Absalom;' and all the people heard in the king's charging all the heads concerning Absalom.

6 S o the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim,

And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim;

7 w here the people of Israel were slain before the slaves of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day -- twenty thousand;

8 F or the battle was there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

and the battle is there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplieth to devour among the people more than those whom the sword hath devoured in that day.

9 ¶ And Absalom met the slaves of David. And Absalom 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.

And Absalom meeteth before the servants of David, and Absalom is riding on the mule, and the mule cometh in under an entangled bough of the great oak, and his head taketh hold on the oak, and he is placed between the heavens and the earth, and the mule that under him hath passed on.

10 A nd a certain man saw it and told Joab, saying, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, `Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.'

11 A nd Joab replied unto the man that told him, Behold, when thou didst see him, why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a girdle.

And Joab saith to the man who is declaring to him, `And lo, thou hast seen -- and wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earth -- and on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?'

12 A nd the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king’s son, for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that no one touch the young man Absalom.

And the man saith unto Joab, `Yea, though I am weighing on my hand a thousand silverlings, I do not put forth my hand unto the son of the king; for in our ears hath the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Observe ye who against the youth -- against Absalom;

13 O therwise, I should have wrought falsehood against my own soul (for there is no matter hid from the king), and thou thyself would have set thyself against me.

or I had done against my soul a vain thing, and no matter is hid from the king, and thou -- thou dost station thyself over-against.'

14 T hen Joab answered, I may not tarry thus with thee. And taking three darts in his hand, he thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

And Joab saith, `Not right -- I tarry before thee;' and he taketh three darts in his hand, and striketh them into the heart of Absalom, while he alive, in the midst of the oak.

15 A nd ten young men that bore Joab’s armour surrounded and smote Absalom and slew him.

And they go round -- ten youths bearing weapons of Joab -- and smite Absalom, and put him to death.

16 T hen Joab blew the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people.

And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;

17 A nd they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest and laid a very great heap of stones upon him; and all Israel fled each one to his tent.

and they take Absalom and cast him in the forest unto the great pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones, and all Israel have fled -- each to his tent.

18 N ow Absalom, while he was alive, had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s valley; 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, Absalom’s place.

And Absalom hath taken, and setteth up for himself in his life, the standing-pillar that in the king's valley, for he said, `I have no son to cause my name to be remembered;' and he calleth the standing-pillar by his own name, and it is called `The monument of Absalom' unto this day.

19 ¶ Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me now run and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD has vindicated him of his enemies.

And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, `Let me run, I pray thee, and I bear the king tidings, for Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of his enemies;'

20 A nd Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings today, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings because the king’s son is dead.

and Joab saith to him, `Thou art not a man of tidings this day, but thou hast borne tidings on another day, and this day thou dost not bear tidings, because the king's son dead.'

21 A nd Joab said to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab and ran.

And Joab saith to Cushi, `Go, declare to the king that which thou hast seen;' and Cushi boweth himself to Joab, and runneth.

22 T hen Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said yet again unto Joab, Be what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt receive no reward for the tidings?

And Ahimaaz son of Zadok addeth again, and saith unto Joab, `And whatever it be, let me run, I pray thee, I also, after the Cushite.' And Joab saith, `Why this -- thou art running, my son, and for thee there are no tidings found?' --

23 B ut, said he, let me run, be what may. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and overran Cushi.

`And, whatever it be, let me run.' And he saith to him, `Run;' and Ahimaaz runneth the way of the circuit, and passeth by the Cushite.

24 A nd 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.

And David is sitting between the two gates, and the watchman goeth unto the roof of the gate, unto the wall, and lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, a man running by himself.

25 A nd the watchman cried and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, he brings good news. And while he kept on drawing near,

And the watchman calleth, and declareth to the king, and the king saith, `If by himself, tidings in his mouth;' and he cometh, coming on and drawing near.

26 t he 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.

And the watchman seeth another man running, and the watchman calleth unto the gatekeeper, and saith, `Lo, a man running by himself;' and the king saith, `Also this one is bearing tidings.'

27 A nd the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man and comes with good tidings.

And the watchman saith, `I see the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.' And the king saith, `This a good man, and with good tidings he cometh.'

28 A nd Ahimaaz called and said unto the king peace. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, who has delivered up those men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.

And Ahimaaz calleth and saith unto the king, `Peace;' and he boweth himself to the king, on his face, to the earth, and saith, `Blessed Jehovah thy God who hath shut up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.'

29 A nd the king said, Is the young man Absalom at peace? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s slave, and me thy slave, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was.

And the king saith, `Peace to the youth -- to Absalom?' And Ahimaaz saith, `I saw the great multitude, at the sending away of the servant of the king, even thy servant Joab, and I have not known what.'

30 A nd the king said unto him, Turn aside and stand here. And he turned aside and stood still.

And the king saith, `Turn round, station thyself here;' and he turneth round and standeth still.

31 A nd, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king, for the LORD has vindicated thee today of all those that rose up against thee.

And lo, the Cushite hath come, and the Cushite saith, `Let tidings be proclaimed, my lord, O king; for Jehovah hath delivered thee to-day out of the hand of all those rising up against thee.'

32 A nd the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom at peace? And Cushi answered, Let the enemies of my lord the king and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man.

And the king saith unto the Cushite, `Peace to the youth -- to Absalom?' And the Cushite saith, `Let them be -- as the youth -- the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee for evil.'

33 T hen the king was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept; and as he went, he said this: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! I would rather have died instead of thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

And the king trembleth, and goeth up on the upper chamber of the gate, and weepeth, and thus he hath said in his going, `My son! Absalom my son; my son Absalom; oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son.'