1And David mustered the people that were with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
2And David sent forth the people, a third under the hand of Joab, and a third under the hand of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, "I will surely go forth, I also, with you."
3And the people said, "You shall not go forth; for if we flee, they will not set their heart upon us, and if half of us die, they will not set their heart upon us; for now you are like ten thousand of us; and now it is better that you be a help to us from the city."
4And the king said to them, "What is good in your eyes I will do." And the king stood at the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5And the king commanded (tzivvah) Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Gently, for my sake, with the young man, with Absalom." And all the people heard when the king commanded (tzivvah) all the captains concerning Absalom.
6And the people went out into the field to meet Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
7And the people of Israel were struck there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great that day, twenty thousand.
8And the battle there was spread over the face of all the land; and the forest devoured more of the people than the sword devoured that day.
9And Absalom met before the servants of David. And Absalom was riding on the mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of the great terebinth, and his head took hold of the terebinth, and he was put between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him passed on.
10And one man (ish) saw it, and told Joab, and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth."
11And Joab said to the man (ish) that told him, "And behold, you saw, and why did you not strike him there to the ground? And it was upon me to give you ten pieces of silver and one girdle."
12And the man (ish) said to Joab, "Even if I were weighing on my palms a thousand of silver, I would not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our ears the king commanded (tzivvah) you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Guard, whoever you are, the young man, Absalom.'"
13"Or I would have done falsehood against my soul (nephesh), and no matter is hidden from the king, and you yourself would have stood aloof."
14And Joab said, "Not so will I wait before you." And he took three rods in his palm, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive (chai) in the heart of the terebinth.
15And ten young men, bearers of Joab's weapons, surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.
16And Joab blew with the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.
17And they took Absalom and threw him in the forest into the great pit, and raised over him a very great heap of stones; and all Israel fled, each man (ish) to his tents.
18And Absalom, in his life (chai), had taken and raised up for himself the pillar that is in the king's valley; for he said, "I have no son to cause my name to be remembered." And he called the pillar by his own name, and it is called the Hand of Absalom to this day.
19And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Let me run, please, and bear tidings to the king, that YHWH has judged him from the hand of his enemies."
20And Joab said to him, "You are not a man (ish) of tidings this day, but you shall bear tidings on another day; but this day you shall bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead."
21And Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." And the Cushite bowed down to Joab and ran.
22And Ahimaaz son of Zadok added yet again and said to Joab, "And let it be what may, let me also run, please, after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why is this that you run, my son, seeing you have no tidings to be found?"
23"And let it be what may, I will run." And he said to him, "Run." And Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and passed the Cushite.
24And David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went to the roof of the gate, to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a man (ish) running alone.
25And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." And he went on, going and drawing near.
26And the watchman saw another man (ish) running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "Behold, a man (ish) running alone." And the king said, "This one also is bearing tidings."
27And the watchman said, "I see the running of the first like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok." And the king said, "This is a good man (ish), and he comes with good tidings."
28And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, "Peace!" And he bowed down to the king with his face to the earth, and said, "Blessed be YHWH your God, who has delivered up the men (ish) that lifted their hand against my lord the king."
29And the king said, "Is it peace with the young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz said, "I saw the great tumult when Joab sent the king's servant and your servant, but I did not know what."
30And the king said, "Turn aside, stand here." And he turned aside and stood.
31And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, "Let my lord the king receive tidings, for YHWH has judged you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you."
32And the king said to the Cushite, "Is it peace with the young man Absalom?" And the Cushite said, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rose up against you for evil, be as the young man."