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

David numbered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.

2 a nd 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.'

David sent forth the army, a third under command of Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. told the men, I myself will go out with you also.

3 A nd 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.'

But the men said, You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us; if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth 10, 000 such as we are. So now it is better that you be able to help us from the city.

4 A nd 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,

The king said to them, Whatever seems best to you I will do. So he stood beside the gate, and all the army came out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 a nd 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.

The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

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

So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.

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

men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter that day of 20, 000 men.

8 a nd 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.

For the battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more men that day than did the sword.

9 A nd 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.

Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and Absalom’s head caught fast of the oak; and the mule under him ran away, leaving him hanging between the heavens and the earth.

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

A certain man saw it and told Joab, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.

11 A nd 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?'

Joab said to the man, You saw him! Why did you not strike him down to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a girdle.

12 A nd 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;

The man told Joab, Though I should receive 1, 000 pieces of silver, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king’s son. For in our hearing the king charged you, Abishai, and Ittai, Have a care, whoever you be, for the young man Absalom.

13 o r 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.'

Otherwise, if I had dealt falsely against his life—for nothing is hidden from the king—you yourself would have taken sides against me.

14 A nd 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.

Joab said, I will not tarry thus with you. He took three darts in his hand and thrust them into the body of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

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

And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded and struck Absalom and killed him.

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

Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained and spared them.

17 a nd 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.

They took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest and raised a very great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled, everyone to his own home.

18 A nd 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.

Now Absalom in his lifetime had 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. He called the pillar after his own name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

19 A nd 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;'

Then said Ahimaaz son of Zadok, Let me now run and bear the king tidings of how the Lord has avenged David of his enemies.

20 a nd 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.'

Joab told him, You shall not carry news today, but another time. Today you shall bear no news, for the king’s son is dead.

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

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

22 A nd 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?' --

Then said Ahimaaz son of Zadok again to Joab, But anyhow, let me, I pray you, also run after the Cushite. Joab said, Why should you run, my son, seeing you will have no reward, for you have not sufficient tidings?

23 ` 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.

But he said, Let me run anyhow. So Joab said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

24 A nd 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.

Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate by the wall, and when he looked, he saw a man running alone.

25 A nd 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.

The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, If he is alone, he has news to tell. And he came on and drew near.

26 A nd 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.'

Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper, Behold, another man running alone. The king said, He also brings news.

27 A nd 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.'

The watchman said, I think the man in front runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok. The king said, He is a good man and comes with good tidings.

28 A nd 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.'

And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, All is well! And he fell down to the ground on his face before the king and said, Blessed be the Lord your God, Who has shut up the men who lifted up their hands against my lord the king.

29 A nd 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.'

The king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant and me, your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.

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

The king told him, Turn aside; stand here. And he turned aside and stood still.

31 A nd 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.'

And behold, the Cushite (Ethiopian) came, and he said, News, my lord the king! For the Lord has delivered you this day from all who rose up against you.

32 A nd 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.'

The king said to the Cushite, Is the young man Absalom safe? The Cushite replied, May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise against you to do evil be like that young man is.

33 A nd 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.'

And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would to God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son!