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18 A Dafydd a gyfrifodd y bobl oedd gydag ef, ac a osododd arnynt hwy filwriaid a chanwriaid. A Dafydd a anfonodd o’r bobl y drydedd ran dan law Joab, a’r drydedd ran dan law Abisai mab Serfia, brawd Joab, a’r drydedd ran dan law Ittai y Gethiad. A’r brenin a ddywedodd wrth y bobl, Gan fyned yr af finnau hefyd gyda chwi. Ond y bobl a atebodd, Nid ei di allan: canys os gan ffoi y ffown ni, ni osodant hwy eu meddwl arnom ni; ac os bydd marw ein hanner ni, ni osodant eu meddwl arnom: ond yn awr yr ydwyt ti fel deng mil ohonom ni: yn awr gan hynny gwell yw i ti fod i’n cynorthwyo ni o’r ddinas. A dywedodd y brenin wrthynt hwy, Gwnaf yr hyn fyddo da yn eich golwg chwi. A’r brenin a safodd gerllaw y porth; a’r holl bobl a aethant allan yn gannoedd ac yn filoedd. A’r brenin a orchmynnodd i Joab, ac Abisai, ac Ittai, gan ddywedyd, Byddwch esmwyth, er fy mwyn i, wrth y llanc Absalom. A’r holl bobl a glywsant pan orchmynnodd y brenin i’r holl flaenoriaid yn achos Absalom.

Felly yr aeth y bobl i’r maes i gyfarfod Israel: a’r rhyfel fu yng nghoed Effraim. Ac yno y lladdwyd pobl Israel o flaen gweision Dafydd: ac yno y bu lladdfa fawr y dwthwn hwnnw, sef ugain mil. Canys y rhyfel oedd yno wedi gwasgaru ar hyd wyneb yr holl wlad: a’r coed a ddifethodd fwy o’r bobl nag a ddifethodd y cleddyf y diwrnod hwnnw.

Ac Absalom a gyfarfu â gweision Dafydd yn eu hwyneb. Ac Absalom oedd yn marchogaeth ar ful, a’r mul a aeth dan dewfrig derwen fawr, a’i ben ef a lynodd yn y dderwen: felly yr oedd efe rhwng y nefoedd a’r ddaear; a’r mul oedd dano ef a aeth ymaith. 10 A rhyw un a ganfu hynny, ac a fynegodd i Joab, ac a ddywedodd, Wele, gwelais Absalom ynghrog mewn derwen. 11 A dywedodd Joab wrth y gŵr oedd yn mynegi iddo, Ac wele, ti a’i gwelaist ef; paham nas trewaist ef yno i’r llawr, ac arnaf fi roddi i ti ddeg sicl o arian, ac un gwregys? 12 A dywedodd y gŵr wrth Joab, Pe cawn bwyso ar fy llaw fil o siclau arian, nid estynnwn fy llaw yn erbyn mab y brenin: canys gorchmynnodd y brenin lle y clywsom ni wrthyt ti, ac wrth Abisai, ac wrth Ittai, gan ddywedyd, Gwyliwch gyffwrdd o neb â’r llanc Absalom. 13 Os amgen, mi a wnaethwn ffalster yn erbyn fy einioes: canys nid oes dim yn guddiedig oddi wrth y brenin; tithau hefyd a safasit yn fy erbyn. 14 Yna y dywedodd Joab, Nid arhoaf fel hyn gyda thi. Ac efe a gymerth dair o bicellau yn ei law, ac a’u brathodd trwy galon Absalom, ac efe eto yn fyw yng nghanol y dderwen. 15 A’r deg llanc y rhai oedd yn dwyn arfau Joab a amgylchynasant, ac a drawsant Absalom, ac a’i lladdasant ef. 16 A Joab a utganodd mewn utgorn; a’r bobl a ddychwelodd o erlid ar ôl Israel: canys Joab a ataliodd y bobl. 17 A hwy a gymerasant Absalom, ac a’i bwriasant ef mewn ffos fawr yn y coed, ac a osodasant arno garnedd gerrig fawr iawn: a holl Israel a ffoesant bob un i’w babell.

18 Ac Absalom a gymerasai ac a osodasai iddo yn ei fywyd golofn, yn nyffryn y brenin: canys efe a ddywedodd, Nid oes fab gennyf i wneuthur coffa am fy enw: ac efe a alwodd y golofn ar ei enw ei hun. A hi a elwir Lle Absalom, hyd y dydd hwn.

19 Yna Ahimaas mab Sadoc a ddywedodd, Gad i mi redeg yn awr, a mynegi i’r brenin, ddarfod i’r Arglwydd ei ddial ef ar ei elynion. 20 A Joab a ddywedodd wrtho ef, Ni byddi di yn genhadwr y dydd hwn, eithr mynegi ddiwrnod arall: ond heddiw ni byddi di gennad, oherwydd marw mab y brenin. 21 Yna y dywedodd Joab wrth Cusi, Dos, dywed i’r brenin yr hyn a welaist. A Chusi a ymgrymodd i Joab, ac a redodd. 22 Yna Ahimaas mab Sadoc a ddywedodd eilwaith wrth Joab, Beth bynnag a fyddo, gad i minnau, atolwg, redeg ar ôl Cusi. A dywedodd Joab, I ba beth y rhedi di, fy mab, gan nad oes gennyt genadwriaeth addas? 23 Ond beth bynnag a fyddo, eb efe, gad i mi redeg. A dywedodd yntau wrtho, Rhed. Felly Ahimaas a redodd ar hyd y gwastadedd, ac a aeth heibio i Cusi. 24 A Dafydd oedd yn eistedd rhwng y ddau borth: a’r gwyliedydd a aeth ar nen y porth ar y mur, ac a ddyrchafodd ei lygaid, ac a edrychodd; ac wele ŵr yn rhedeg ei hunan. 25 A’r gwyliedydd a waeddodd, ac a fynegodd i’r brenin. A’r brenin a ddywedodd, Os ei hun y mae efe, cenadwriaeth sydd yn ei enau ef. Ac efe a ddaeth yn fuan, ac a nesaodd. 26 A’r gwyliedydd a ganfu ŵr arall yn rhedeg: a’r gwyliedydd a alwodd ar y porthor, ac a ddywedodd, Wele ŵr arall yn rhedeg ei hunan. A dywedodd y brenin, Hwn hefyd sydd gennad. 27 A’r gwyliedydd a ddywedodd, Yr ydwyf fi yn gweled rhediad y blaenaf fel rhediad Ahimaas mab Sadoc. A dywedodd y brenin, Gŵr da yw hwnnw, ac â chenadwriaeth dda y daw efe. 28 Ac Ahimaas a alwodd, ac a ddywedodd wrth y brenin, Heddwch: ac a ymgrymodd i lawr ar ei wyneb gerbron y brenin, ac a ddywedodd, Bendigedig fyddo yr Arglwydd dy Dduw, yr hwn a warchaeodd ar y gwŷr a gyfodasant eu llaw yn erbyn fy arglwydd frenin. 29 A’r brenin a ddywedodd, Ai dihangol y llanc Absalom? A dywedodd Ahimaas, Gwelais gythrwfl mawr, pan anfonodd Joab was y brenin, a’th was dithau, ond ni wybûm i beth ydoedd. 30 A’r brenin a ddywedodd, Tro heibio; saf yma. Ac efe a drodd heibio, ac a safodd. 31 Ac wele, Cusi a ddaeth. A dywedodd Cusi, Cenadwri, arglwydd frenin: canys yr Arglwydd a’th ddialodd di heddiw ar bawb a’r a ymgyfododd i’th erbyn. 32 A dywedodd y brenin wrth Cusi, A ddihangodd y llanc Absalom? A dywedodd Cusi, Fel y llanc hwnnw y byddo gelynion fy arglwydd frenin, a’r holl rai a ymgyfodant i’th erbyn di er niwed i ti.

33 A’r brenin a gyffrôdd, ac a aeth i fyny i ystafell y porth, ac a wylodd: ac fel hyn y dywedodd efe wrth fyned; O fy mab Absalom, fy mab, fy mab Absalom! O na buaswn farw drosot ti, Absalom, fy mab, fy mab!

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

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(D) thousand of us.[a] It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”(E)

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. 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.

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

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(G) 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(H) him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels[b] of silver and a warrior’s belt.(I)

12 But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels[c] 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.[d] 13 And if I had put my life in jeopardy[e]—and nothing is hidden from the king(J)—you would have kept your distance from me.”

14 Joab(K) 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.(L)

16 Then Joab(M) 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(N) a large heap of rocks(O) 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(P) as a monument(Q) to himself, for he thought, “I have no son(R) 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(S) 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.(T)

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[f] and outran the Cushite.

24 While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman(U) 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,(V) too.”

27 The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like(W) 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.”(X)

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(Y) instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”[g](Z)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 18:3 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts care; for now there are ten thousand like us
  2. 2 Samuel 18:11 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
  3. 2 Samuel 18:12 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms
  4. 2 Samuel 18:12 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts may be translated Absalom, whoever you may be.
  5. 2 Samuel 18:13 Or Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously toward him
  6. 2 Samuel 18:23 That is, the plain of the Jordan
  7. 2 Samuel 18:33 In Hebrew texts this verse (18:33) is numbered 19:1.