18:1 And David 1732 numbered 6485 8799 the people 5971 that [were] with him, and set 7760 8799 captains 8269 of thousands 505 and captains 8269 of hundreds 3967 over them.

18:2 And David 1732 sent forth 7971 8762 a third part 7992 of the people 5971 under the hand 3027 of Joab 3097, and a third part 7992 under the hand 3027 of Abishai 52 the son 1121 of Zeruiah 6870, Joab's 3097 brother 251, and a third part 7992 under the hand 3027 of Ittai 863 the Gittite 1663. And the king 4428 said 559 8799 unto the people 5971, I will surely 3318 8800 go forth 3318 8799 with you myself 589 also.

18:3 But the people 5971 answered 559 8799, Thou shalt not go forth 3318 8799: for if we flee 5127 8799 away 5127 8800, they will not care 7760 8799 3820 for us; neither if half 2677 of us die 4191 8799, will they care 7760 8799 3820 for us: but now [thou art] worth 3644 ten 6235 thousand 505 of us: therefore now [it is] better 2896 that thou succour 5826 8800 8675 5826 8687 us out of the city 5892.(care…: Heb. set their heart on us)(worth…: Heb. as ten thousand of us)(succour: Heb. be to succour or help)

18:4 And the king 4428 said 559 8799 unto them, What seemeth 5869 you best 3190 8799 I will do 6213 8799. And the king 4428 stood 5975 8799 by the gate 8179 side 3027, and all the people 5971 came out 3318 8804 by hundreds 3967 and by thousands 505.

18:5 And the king 4428 commanded 6680 8762 Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 and Ittai 863, saying 559 8800, [Deal] gently 328 for my sake with the young man 5288, [even] with Absalom 53. And all the people 5971 heard 8085 8804 when the king 4428 gave all the captains 8269 charge 6680 8763 concerning 1697 Absalom 53.

18:6 So the people 5971 went out 3318 8799 into the field 7704 against 7125 8800 Israel 3478: and the battle 4421 was in the wood 3293 of Ephraim 669;

18:7 Where the people 5971 of Israel 3478 were slain 5062 8735 before 6440 the servants 5650 of David 1732, and there was there a great 1419 slaughter 4046 that day 3117 of twenty 6242 thousand 505 [men].

18:8 For the battle 4421 was there scattered 6327 8737 over the face 6440 of all the country 776: and the wood 3293 devoured 398 8800 more 7235 8686 people 5971 that day 3117 than the sword 2719 devoured 398 8804.(devoured: Heb. multiplied to devour)

18:9 And Absalom 53 met 7122 8735 the servants 6440 5650 of David 1732. And Absalom 53 rode 7392 8802 upon a mule 6505, and the mule 6505 went 935 8799 under the thick boughs 7730 of a great 1419 oak 424, and his head 7218 caught hold 2388 8799 of the oak 424, and he was taken up 5414 8714 between the heaven 8064 and the earth 776; and the mule 6505 that [was] under him went away 5674 8804.

18:10 And a certain 259 man 376 saw 7200 8799 [it], and told 5046 8686 Joab 3097, and said 559 8799, Behold, I saw 7200 8804 Absalom 53 hanged 8518 8803 in an oak 424.

18:11 And Joab 3097 said 559 8799 unto the man 376 that told 5046 8688 him, And, behold, thou sawest 7200 8804 [him], and why didst thou not smite 5221 8689 him there to the ground 776? and I would have given 5414 8800 thee ten 6235 [shekels] of silver 3701, and a 259 girdle 2290.

18:12 And the man 376 said 559 8799 unto Joab 3097, Though 3863 I should receive 8254 8802 a thousand 505 [shekels] of silver 3701 in mine hand 3709, [yet] would I not put forth 7971 8799 mine hand 3027 against the king's 4428 son 1121: for in our hearing 241 the king 4428 charged 6680 8765 thee and Abishai 52 and Ittai 863, saying 559 8800, Beware 8104 8798 that none [touch] the young man 5288 Absalom 53.(receive: Heb. weigh upon mine hand)(Beware…: Heb. Beware whosoever ye be of, etc)

18:13 Otherwise 176 I should have wrought 6213 8804 falsehood 8267 against mine own life 5315: for there is no matter 1697 hid 3582 8735 from the king 4428, and thou thyself wouldest have set 3320 8691 thyself against [me].

18:14 Then said 559 8799 Joab 3097, I may not tarry 3176 8686 thus with thee 6440. And he took 3947 8799 three 7969 darts 7626 in his hand 3709, and thrust 8628 8799 them through the heart 3820 of Absalom 53, while he [was] yet alive 2416 in the midst of the oak 424.(with…: Heb. before thee)(midst: Heb. heart)

18:15 And ten 6235 young men 5288 that bare 5375 8802 Joab's 3097 armour 3627 compassed about 5437 8799 and smote 5221 8686 Absalom 53, and slew 4191 8686 him.

18:16 And Joab 3097 blew 8628 8799 the trumpet 7782, and the people 5971 returned 7725 8799 from pursuing 7291 8800 after 310 Israel 3478: for Joab 3097 held back 2820 8804 the people 5971.

18:17 And they took 3947 8799 Absalom 53, and cast 7993 8686 him into a great 1419 pit 6354 in the wood 3293, and laid 5324 8686 a very 3966 great 1419 heap 1530 of stones 68 upon him: and all Israel 3478 fled 5127 8804 every one 376 to his tent 168.

18:18 Now Absalom 53 in his lifetime 2416 had taken 3947 8804 and reared up 5324 8686 for himself a pillar 4678, which [is] in the king's 4428 dale 6010: for he said 559 8804, I have no son 1121 to keep my name 8034 in remembrance 2142 8687: and he called 7121 8799 the pillar 4678 after his own name 8034: and it is called 7121 8735 unto this day 3117, Absalom's 53 place 3027.

18:19 Then said 559 8804 Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659, Let me now run 7323 8799, and bear 1319 0 the king 4428 tidings 1319 8762, how that the LORD 3068 hath avenged 8199 8804 him of his enemies 3027 341 8802.(avenged…: Heb. judged him from the hand, etc)

18:20 And Joab 3097 said 559 8799 unto him, Thou 376 shalt not bear tidings 1309 this day 3117, but thou shalt bear tidings 1319 8765 another 312 day 3117: but this day 3117 thou shalt bear no tidings 1319 8762, because the king's 4428 son 1121 is dead 4191 8804.(bear tidings this: Heb. be a man of tidings, etc)

18:21 Then said 559 8799 Joab 3097 to Cushi 3569, Go 3212 8798 tell 5046 8685 the king 4428 what thou hast seen 7200 8804. And Cushi 3569 bowed 7812 8691 himself unto Joab 3097, and ran 7323 8799.

18:22 Then said 559 8799 Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659 yet again 3254 8686 to Joab 3097, But howsoever 4100, let me, I pray thee, also run 7323 8799 after 310 Cushi 3569. And Joab 3097 said 559 8799, Wherefore wilt thou run 7323 8801, my son 1121, seeing that thou hast no tidings 1309 ready 4672 8802?(howsoever: Heb. be what may)(ready: or, convenient)

18:23 But howsoever, [said he], let me run 7323 8799. And he said 559 8799 unto him, Run 7323 8798. Then Ahimaaz 290 ran 7323 8799 by the way 1870 of the plain 3603, and overran 5674 8799 Cushi 3569.

18:24 And David 1732 sat 3427 8802 between the two 8147 gates 8179: and the watchman 6822 8802 went up 3212 8799 to the roof 1406 over the gate 8179 unto the wall 2346, and lifted up 5375 8799 his eyes 5869, and looked 7200 8799, and behold a man 376 running 7323 8801 alone.

18:25 And the watchman 6822 8802 cried 7121 8799, and told 5046 8686 the king 4428. And the king 4428 said 559 8799, If he [be] alone, [there is] tidings 1309 in his mouth 6310. And he came 3212 8799 apace 1980 8800, and drew near 7131.

18:26 And the watchman 6822 8802 saw 7200 8799 another 312 man 376 running 7323 8801: and the watchman 6822 8802 called 7121 8799 unto the porter 7778, and said 559 8799, Behold [another] man 376 running 7323 8801 alone. And the king 4428 said 559 8799, He also bringeth tidings 1319 8764.

18:27 And the watchman 6822 8802 said 559 8799, Me thinketh 7200 8802 the running 4794 of the foremost 7223 is like the running 4794 of Ahimaaz 290 the son 1121 of Zadok 6659. And the king 4428 said 559 8799, He [is] a good 2896 man 376, and cometh 935 8799 with good 2896 tidings 1309.(Me…: Heb. I see the running)

18:28 And Ahimaaz 290 called 7121 8799, and said 559 8799 unto the king 4428, All is well 7965. And he fell down 7812 8691 to the earth 776 upon his face 639 before the king 4428, and said 559 8799, Blessed 1288 8803 [be] the LORD 3068 thy God 430, which hath delivered up 5462 8765 the men 582 that lifted up 5375 8804 their hand 3027 against my lord 113 the king 4428.(All…: or, Peace be to thee: Heb. Peace)(delivered…: Heb. shut up)

18:29 And the king 4428 said 559 8799, Is the young man 5288 Absalom 53 safe 7965? And Ahimaaz 290 answered 559 8799, When Joab 3097 sent 7971 8800 the king's 4428 servant 5650, and [me] thy servant 5650, I saw 7200 8804 a great 1419 tumult 1995, but I knew 3045 8804 not what [it was].(Is…: Heb. Is there peace?)

18:30 And the king 4428 said 559 8799 [unto him], Turn aside 5437 8798, [and] stand 3320 8690 here 3541. And he turned aside 5437 8735, and stood still 5975 8799.

18:31 And, behold, Cushi 3569 came 935 8802; and Cushi 3569 said 559 8799, Tidings 1319 8691, my lord 113 the king 4428: for the LORD 3068 hath avenged 8199 8804 thee this day 3117 of all them 3027 that rose up 6965 8801 against thee.(Tidings: Heb. Tidings is brought)

18:32 And the king 4428 said 559 8799 unto Cushi 3569, Is the young man 5288 Absalom 53 safe 7965? And Cushi 3569 answered 559 8799, The enemies 341 8802 of my lord 113 the king 4428, and all that rise 6965 8804 against thee to do [thee] hurt 7451, be as [that] young man 5288 [is].

18:33 And the king 4428 was much moved 7264 8799, and went up 5927 8799 to the chamber 5944 over the gate 8179, and wept 1058 8799: and as he went 3212 8800, thus he said 559 8804, O my son 1121 Absalom 53, my son 1121, my son 1121 Absalom 53! would God I had died 4191 8800 for thee 5414 8799, O Absalom 53, my son 1121, my son 1121!

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