Absalom’s Defeat and Death

18 And David ^[a]numbered the people who were with him, and ^(A)set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. ² Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, ^(B)one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the hand of ^(C)Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I also will surely go out with you myself.”

^3 (D)But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.”

⁴ Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵ Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” ^(E)And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.

⁶ So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the ^(F)woods of Ephraim. ⁷ The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. ⁸ For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and ^(G)his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on. ¹⁰ Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!”

¹¹ So Joab said to the man who told him, “You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.”

¹² But the man said to Joab, “Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. ^(H)For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ^[b]‘Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom!’ ¹³ Otherwise I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.”

¹⁴ Then Joab said, “I cannot linger with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. ¹⁵ And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him.

¹⁶ So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. ¹⁷ And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and ^(I)laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel ^(J)fled, everyone to his tent.

¹⁸ Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a ^[c]pillar for himself, which is in ^(K)the King’s Valley. For he said, ^(L)“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.

David Hears of Absalom’s Death

¹⁹ Then ^(M)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the Lord has ^[d]avenged him of his enemies.”

²⁰ And Joab said to him, “You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran.

²² And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But ^[e]whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.”

So Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?”

²³ “But whatever happens,” he said, “let me run.”

So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.

²⁴ Now David was sitting between the ^(N)two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. ²⁵ Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near.

²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “There is another man, running alone!”

And the king said, “He also brings news.”

²⁷ So the watchman said, ^[f]“I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”

And the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with ^(O)good news.”

²⁸ So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, ^[g]“All is well!” Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, ^(P)“Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!”

²⁹ 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 did not know what it was about.”

³⁰ And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹ Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king! For the Lord has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.”

³² And the king said to the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

So the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!”

David’s Mourning for Absalom

³³ Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ^(Q)“O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, ^(R)my son!”

Prayer for Relief from Tormentors

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[a]“The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the ^(A)Philistines captured him in Gath.

Jesus Handed Over to Pontius Pilate^(A)

27 When morning came, ^(B)all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. ² And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and ^(C)delivered Him to ^[a]Pontius Pilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself^(D)

^3 (E)Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty ^(F)pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

⁵ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and ^(G)departed, and went and hanged himself.

⁶ But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” ⁷ And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. ⁸ Therefore that field has been called ^(H)the Field of Blood to this day.

⁹ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, ^(I)“And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, ¹⁰ and ^(J)gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Jesus Faces Pilate^(K)

¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor. ^(L)And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said to him, ^(M)“It is as you say.” ¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, ^(N)He answered nothing.

¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, ^(O)“Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” ¹⁴ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(P)

^15 (Q)Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. ¹⁶ And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called ^[b]Barabbas. ¹⁷ Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of ^(R)envy.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

^20 (S)But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

They said, ^(T)“Barabbas!”

²² Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”

²³ Then the governor said, ^(U)“Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a ^[c]tumult was rising, he ^(V)took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this ^[d]just Person. You see to it.”

²⁵ And all the people answered and said, ^(W)“His blood be on us and on our children.”

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them; and when ^(X)he had ^[e]scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(Y)

^27 (Z)Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the ^[f]Praetorium and gathered the whole ^[g]garrison around Him. ²⁸ And they ^(AA)stripped Him and ^(AB)put a scarlet robe on Him. ^29 (AC)When they had ^[h]twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ Then ^(AD)they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. ³¹ And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, ^(AE)and led Him away to be crucified.

The King on a Cross^(AF)

^32 (AG)Now as they came out, ^(AH)they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. ^33 (AI)And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, ^34 (AJ)they gave Him ^[i]sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

^35 (AK)Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, ^[j]that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

^36 (AM)Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. ³⁷ And they ^(AN)put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

^38 (AO)Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

³⁹ And ^(AP)those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, ^(AQ)“You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! ^(AR)If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

⁴¹ Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the ^[k]scribes and elders, said, ⁴² “He ^(AS)saved others; Himself He cannot save. ^[l]If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe ^[m]Him. ^43 (AT)He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

^44 (AU)Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Jesus Dies on the Cross^(AV)

^45 (AW)Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour ^(AX)Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, ^(AY)“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

⁴⁷ Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, ^(AZ)filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

⁴⁹ The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

⁵⁰ And Jesus ^(BA)cried out again with a loud voice, and ^(BB)yielded up His spirit.

⁵¹ Then, behold, ^(BC)the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, ⁵² and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³ and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

^54 (BD)So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, ^(BE)“Truly this was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵ And many women ^(BF)who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, ^56 (BG)among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and ^[n]Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb^(BH)

⁵⁷ Now ^(BI)when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. ⁵⁹ When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and ^(BJ)laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. ⁶¹ And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting ^[o]opposite the tomb.

Pilate Sets a Guard

⁶² On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, ⁶³ saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ^(BK)‘After three days I will rise.’ ⁶⁴ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come ^[p]by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure, ^(BL)sealing the stone and setting the guard.