2 Samuel 18:1-15

New American Standard Bible 1995

Absalom Slain

18 Then David ^[a]numbered the people who were with him and ^(A)set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ² David sent the people out, ^(B)one third under the ^[b]command of Joab, one third under the ^[c]command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the ^[d]command of ^(C)Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you also.” ³ But the people said, “^(D)You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But ^[e]you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.” ⁴ Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So ^(E)the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. ⁵ The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And ^(F)all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.

⁶ Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in ^(G)the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ The people of Israel were ^[f]defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. ⁸ For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And ^(H)his head caught fast in the oak, so he was ^[g]left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. ¹⁰ When a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” ¹¹ Then Joab said to the man who had told him, “Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” ¹² The man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king’s son; for ^(I)in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘^[h]Protect for me the young man Absalom!’ ¹³ Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and ^(J)there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” ¹⁴ Then Joab said, “I will not ^[i]waste time here with you.” ^(K)So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the ^[j]midst of the oak. ¹⁵ And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.