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2 Samuel 17-18
Common English Bible

17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me pick twelve thousand men, and I will go after David tonight. 2 I will attack him while he is tired and weak, and I will throw him into a panic. All the troops with him will run off. I promise to kill the king alone, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you like a bride comes back to her husband.[a] It’s only one man’s life you are seeking; everyone else can be at peace.”

4 This plan seemed excellent to Absalom and the Israelite elders.

Hushai’s advice

5 But Absalom said, “Call Hushai from Erek. Let’s hear what he has to say as well.” 6 When Hushai from Erek arrived, Absalom said to him, “This is what Ahithophel has advised. Should we follow it or not? What do you say?”

7 Hushai said to Absalom, “This time, the advice Ahithophel has given isn’t right. 8 You know that your father and his men are warriors,” he continued, “and they are as desperate as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is a seasoned fighter. He won’t spend the night with his troops. 9 Even now he has probably hidden himself in one of the caves or some other place. When some of the troops[b] fall in the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘The soldiers who follow Absalom have been defeated!’ 10 Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like a lion’s, will melt in fear because all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and that those who are with him are brave. 11 So I would advise that all the Israelites, from Dan to Beer-sheba—a group as countless as sand on the seashore—be summoned to join you, and that you yourself go into battle. 12 When we attack him wherever he might be, we will fall on him like dew that falls on the ground. No one will survive—not him and not one of the soldiers who are with him! 13 If he retreats into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into a valley until not even a pebble of it will be found.”

14 Then Absalom and everyone in Israel agreed, “The advice of Hushai from Erek is better than Ahithophel’s advice.” This was because the Lord had decided to counter Ahithophel’s good advice so that the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.

Hushai warns David

15 Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “Here is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the Israelite elders, and here is what I advised. 16 Now send word immediately to David and tell him, ‘Don’t spend the night in the desert plains. You must cross over immediately. Otherwise, the king and all the troops who are with him will be swallowed up whole.’”

17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were standing by at En-rogel. A female servant would come and report to them, and they would then travel and report to King David because they couldn’t risk being seen entering the city. 18 But a boy saw them and reported it to Absalom. So the two of them left immediately and came to a man’s house at Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19 The man’s wife took a covering and spread it over the well’s opening, then scattered grain over it so no one would notice. 20 When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house they demanded, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

The woman told them, “They crossed over the stream.”[c] They looked for them but found nothing, so they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After they had left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went and reported to King David, “Get up! Cross the water immediately because Ahithophel has made plans against you!” 22 So David and all the troops who were with him got up and crossed the Jordan River. By daybreak there was no one left who hadn’t crossed the Jordan.

23 Meanwhile, once Ahithophel saw that his advice hadn’t been followed, he saddled his donkey and went home to his own town. He gave instructions to his household, then hanged himself and died. He was buried in his father’s tomb.

24 David had reached Mahanaim by the time Absalom and all the Israelites who were with him crossed the Jordan River. 25 Absalom had put Amasa in charge of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, an Ishmaelite[d] who had married Abigail, who was Nahash’s daughter and the sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26 Israel and Absalom camped in the territory of Gilead.

27 When David arrived in Mahanaim, Nahash’s son Shobi, who was from Rabbah of the Ammonites; Ammiel’s son Machir, who was from Lo-debar; and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 28 brought couches, basins, and pottery, along with wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, 29 honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd so that David and the troops who were with him could eat. They said, “The troops have grown hungry, tired, and thirsty in the wilderness.”

Absalom’s death

18 Then David gathered the troops who were with him and appointed unit commanders over thousands and hundreds. 2 David sent out the army—a third under Joab’s command, a third under the command of Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I will march out with you myself.”

3 But the troops replied, “No! You must not march out! If we flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is much better if you support us from the city.”

4 The king said to them, “I will do whatever you think is best.” So the king stood beside the gate as all the troops marched out by hundreds and thousands. 5 The king gave orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, protect my boy Absalom.” All the troops heard what the king ordered regarding Absalom to all the commanders.

6 So the troops marched into the field to meet the Israelites. The battle was fought in the Ephraim forest. 7 The army of Israel was defeated there by David’s soldiers. A great slaughter of twenty thousand men took place that day. 8 The battle spread out over the entire countryside, and the forest devoured more soldiers than the sword that day.

9 Absalom came upon some of David’s men. Absalom was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree. Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair while the mule under him kept on going. 10 One of the men saw this and reported to Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree.”

11 Joab said to the man who told him, “You saw this? Why didn’t you kill him on the spot? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”

12 But the man said to Joab, “Even if I had a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I wouldn’t touch the king’s son! We heard what the king commanded you, Abishai, and Ittai—‘For my sake, take care of my boy Absalom.’[e] 13 If I had taken Absalom’s life behind the king’s back then—though nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me.”[f]

14 Joab said, “I won’t waste time like this with you!” He took three sticks in his hand and drove them into Absalom’s chest while he was still alive in the oak. 15 Then ten young armor-bearers of Joab surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him. 16 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped chasing the Israelites, because Joab held them back.

17 They took Absalom and threw him into a big pit in the forest. They piled over him a huge heap of stones. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes. 18 When he was alive, Absalom had raised a large pillar for himself in the King’s Valley because he said, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself. It is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

David mourns for Absalom

19 Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, “Please let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him against his enemies’ power.”

20 Joab said to him, “You aren’t the one to bring the news today. You can bring news on another day, but not today, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed low before Joab, then ran off.

22 But Zadok’s son Ahimaaz again said to Joab, “I don’t care what happens, just let me run after the Cushite too.”

“Why do you want to go, son?” Joab asked. “You’ll get no reward for going.”[g]

23 “I don’t care what happens, I want to go,” Ahimaaz said.[h]

So Joab said to him, “Run off then!”

Ahimaaz ran off, going by way of the plain, and passed the Cushite.

24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman on duty went up on the roof of the gate by the wall. He looked out and saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out and reported this to the king. The king said, “If he’s alone, it’s good news.”

The man got nearer and nearer, 26 and the watchman saw another man running and called down to the gatekeeper, “There’s another man running alone.”

The king said, “That one must be bringing good news too.”

27 The watchman said, “I can see that the first one runs like Zadok’s son Ahimaaz.”

“He’s a good man,” the king said, “and is coming with good news.”

28 Ahimaaz called out to the king, “Peace!” then bowed low before the king, his nose to the ground. He said, “Bless the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my master the king.”

29 The king said, “Is my boy Absalom okay?”

Ahimaaz said, “I saw a large crowd right when Joab, the king’s servant, sent your servant off, but I don’t know what it was about.”

30 “Step aside and stand right here,” the king said. So Ahimaaz stepped aside and waited.

31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My master the king: Listen to this good news! The Lord has vindicated you this day against the power of all who rose up against you.”

32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is my boy Absalom okay?”

The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my master the king and all who rise up against you to hurt you end up like that young man.”

33 [i] The king trembled. He went up to the room over the gate and cried. As he went, he said, “Oh, my son Absalom! Oh, my son! My son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! Oh, Absalom, my son! My son!”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 17:3 LXX; Heb uncertain
  2. 2 Samuel 17:9 LXX
  3. 2 Samuel 17:20 Heb uncertain
  4. 2 Samuel 17:25 LXXA and 1 Chron 2:17; MT an Israelite; LXXM a Jezreelite
  5. 2 Samuel 18:12 LXX, Vulg, Syr; Heb uncertain
  6. 2 Samuel 18:13 Or Otherwise, I would have been dealing recklessly with my own life, because nothing is hidden from the king and you were stationed far from me; Heb uncertain.
  7. 2 Samuel 18:22 Heb uncertain
  8. 2 Samuel 18:23 LXX; MT lacks Ahimaaz said.
  9. 2 Samuel 18:33 19:1 in Heb
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2 Samuel 17-18
New International Version

17 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would[a] choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. 2 I would attack him while he is weary and weak.(A) I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king(B) 3 and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.” 4 This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

5 But Absalom said, “Summon also Hushai(C) the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well.” 6 When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion.”

7 Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time. 8 You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs.(D) Besides, your father is an experienced fighter;(E) he will not spend the night with the troops. 9 Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place.(F) If he should attack your troops first,[b] whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’ 10 Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion,(G) will melt(H) with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.(I)

11 “So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba(J)—as numerous as the sand(K) on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle. 12 Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. 13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley(L) until not so much as a pebble is left.”

14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice(M) of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.”(N) For the Lord had determined to frustrate(O) the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster(P) on Absalom.(Q)

15 Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. 16 Now send a message at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the wilderness;(R) cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.(S)’”

17 Jonathan(T) and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel.(U) A female servant was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left at once and went to the house of a man in Bahurim.(V) He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19 His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.(W)

20 When Absalom’s men came to the woman(X) at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

The woman answered them, “They crossed over the brook.”[c] The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After they had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, “Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you.” 22 So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice(Y) had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order(Z) and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

Absalom’s Death

24 David went to Mahanaim,(AA) and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 Absalom had appointed Amasa(AB) over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether,[d](AC) an Ishmaelite[e] who had married Abigail,[f] the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab. 26 The Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash(AD) from Rabbah(AE) of the Ammonites, and Makir(AF) son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai(AG) the Gileadite(AH) from Rogelim 28 brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils,[g] 29 honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat.(AI) For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.(AJ)”

18 David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 David sent out his troops,(AK) a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai(AL) son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai(AM) the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.”

3 But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten(AN) thousand of us.[h] It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”(AO)

4 The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”

So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands. 5 The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.

6 David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest(AP) of Ephraim. 7 There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.

9 Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair(AQ) got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.

10 When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”

11 Joab said to the man who had told him this, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike(AR) him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels[i] of silver and a warrior’s belt.(AS)”

12 But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels[j] were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.[k]’ 13 And if I had put my life in jeopardy[l]—and nothing is hidden from the king(AT)—you would have kept your distance from me.”

14 Joab(AU) said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. 15 And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.(AV)

16 Then Joab(AW) sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them. 17 They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up(AX) a large heap of rocks(AY) over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.

18 During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley(AZ) as a monument(BA) to himself, for he thought, “I have no son(BB) to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

David Mourns

19 Now Ahimaaz(BC) son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.(BD)”

20 “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

21 Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.

22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.”

But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”

23 He said, “Come what may, I want to run.”

So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain[m] and outran the Cushite.

24 While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman(BE) went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out to the king and reported it.

The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the runner came closer and closer.

26 Then the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!”

The king said, “He must be bringing good news,(BF) too.”

27 The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like(BG) Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”

“He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”

28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the Lord your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”

29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”

30 The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.

31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”

32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”(BH)

33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died(BI) instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”[n](BJ)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 17:1 Or Let me
  2. 2 Samuel 17:9 Or When some of the men fall at the first attack
  3. 2 Samuel 17:20 Or “They passed by the sheep pen toward the water.”
  4. 2 Samuel 17:25 Hebrew Ithra, a variant of Jether
  5. 2 Samuel 17:25 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 2:17); Hebrew and other Septuagint manuscripts Israelite
  6. 2 Samuel 17:25 Hebrew Abigal, a variant of Abigail
  7. 2 Samuel 17:28 Most Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew lentils, and roasted grain
  8. 2 Samuel 18:3 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts care; for now there are ten thousand like us
  9. 2 Samuel 18:11 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
  10. 2 Samuel 18:12 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms
  11. 2 Samuel 18:12 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts may be translated Absalom, whoever you may be.
  12. 2 Samuel 18:13 Or Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously toward him
  13. 2 Samuel 18:23 That is, the plain of the Jordan
  14. 2 Samuel 18:33 In Hebrew texts this verse (18:33) is numbered 19:1.
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