3But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us,18:3 As in two Hebrew manuscripts and some Greek and Latin manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts read Now there are 10,000 like us. and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”

4“If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,” the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.

5And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.

6So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim,

7and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives.

8The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.

9During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair18:9 Hebrew his head. got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air.

10One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.”

11“What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver18:11 Hebrew 10 [shekels] of silver, about 4 ounces or 114 grams in weight. and a hero’s belt!”

12“I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,18:12 Hebrew 1,000 [shekels] of silver, about 25 pounds or 11.4 kilograms in weight.” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’

13And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.”

14“Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree.

15Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.

16Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel.

17They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.

18During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day.

20“No,” Joab told him, “it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger another time, but not today.”

21Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia,18:21 Hebrew from Cush; similarly in 18:23, 31, 32. “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The man bowed and ran off.

22But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me go, too.”

23“Yes, but let me go anyway,” he begged.

24While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them.

25He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, “If he is alone, he has news.”

26the watchman saw another man running toward them. He shouted down, “Here comes another one!”

27“The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok,” the watchman said.

28Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “Everything is all right!” He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise to the Lord your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against my lord the king.”

29“What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?”

30“Wait here,” the king told him. So Ahimaaz stepped aside.

31Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, “I have good news for my lord the king. Today the Lord has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you.”

32“What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?”

33 18:33 Verse 18:33 is numbered 19:1 in Hebrew text. The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.”