181 Then David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds . 2 David sent the people out, one third under the command of Joab , one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah , Joab's brother , and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite . And the king said to the people , "I myself will surely go out with you also ." 3 But the people said , " You should not go out; for if we indeed flee , they will not care e about us; even if half of us die , they will not care e about us. But 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 the king stood beside e 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 all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning e Absalom . 6 Then the people went out into the field against Israel , and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim . 7 The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David , and the slaughter there that day was great , 20,000 e men. 8 For the battle there was spread over e the whole countryside , and the forest devoured more people that day than e 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 his head caught fast in the oak , so he was 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 in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai , saying , 'Protect for me the young man Absalom !' 13 "Otherwise , if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing e e hidden from the king ), then you yourself would have stood aloof e ." 14 Then Joab said , "I will not waste time here with you." So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak . 15 And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him. 16 Then Joab blew the trumpet , and the people returned from pursuing Israel , for Joab restrained the people . 17 They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones . And all Israel fled , each to his tent . 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King's Valley , for he said , " I have no son to preserve my name ." So he named the pillar after his own name , and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day .
19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said , "Please let me run and bring the king news that the Lord has freed him from the hand of his enemies ." 20 But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to carry news this day , but you shall carry news another day ; however, you shall carry no news today because e the king's son is dead ." 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite , "Go , tell the king what you have seen ." So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran . 22 Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once e more e to Joab , "But whatever happens , please let me also run after the Cushite ." And Joab said , "Why e would you run , my son , since you will have no reward for going ?" 23 "But whatever happens ," he said, "I will run ." So he said to him, "Run ." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed up the Cushite . 24 Now David was sitting between the two gates ; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall , and raised his eyes and looked , and behold , a man running by himself . 25 The watchman called and told the king . And the king said , "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth ." And he came nearer and nearer . 26 Then the watchman saw another man running ; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said , "Behold , another man running by himself ." And the king said , "This one also is bringing good news ." 27 The watchman said , "I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok ." And the king said , " This is a good man and comes with good news ." 28 Ahimaaz called and said to the king , "All is well ." And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground . And he said , " Blessed is the Lord your God , who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king ." 29 The king said , " Is it well with the young man Absalom ?" And Ahimaaz answered , "When Joab sent the king's servant , and your servant , I saw a great tumult , but I did not know what it was." 30 Then the king said , "Turn aside and stand here ." So he turned aside and stood still . 31 Behold , the Cushite arrived , and the Cushite said , "Let my lord the king receive good news , for the Lord has freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you." 32 Then the king said to the Cushite , " Is it well with the young man Absalom ?" And the Cushite answered , " Let the enemies of my lord the king , and all who rise up against you for evil , be as that young man !" 33 The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept . And thus he said as he walked , " O my son Absalom , my son , my son Absalom ! Would e I had died instead of you, O Absalom , my son , my son !"
31 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David ; and David grew steadily stronger , but the house of Saul grew weaker continually .
2 Sons were born to David at Hebron : his firstborn was Amnon , by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess ; 3 and his second , Chileab , by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite ; and the third , Absalom the son of Maacah , the daughter of Talmai , king of Geshur ; 4 and the fourth , Adonijah the son of Haggith ; and the fifth , Shephatiah the son of Abital ; 5 and the sixth , Ithream , by David's wife Eglah . These were born to David at Hebron .
6 It came about while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul .
7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah , the daughter of Aiah ; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner , "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine ?" 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said , " Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah ? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father , to his brothers and to his friends , and have not delivered you into the hands of David ; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman . 9 " May God do so to Abner , and more also , if as the Lord has sworn to David , I do not accomplish this for him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah , from Dan even to Beersheba ." 11 And he could no longer answer Abner a word , because he was afraid of him. 12 Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place , saying , "Whose is the land ? Make your covenant with me, and behold , my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you." 13 He said , "Good ! I will make a covenant with you, but I demand one thing of you, namely , you shall not see my face unless e you first bring Michal , Saul's daughter , when you come to see me." 14 So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth , Saul's son , saying , "Give me my wife Michal , to whom I was betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines ." 15 Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband , from Paltiel the son of Laish . 16 But her husband went with her, weeping as he went , and followed her as far as Bahurim . Then Abner said to him, "Go , return ." So he returned . 17 Now Abner had consultation with the elders of Israel , saying , "In times e past you were seeking for David to be king over you. 18 "Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David , saying , ' By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies .' " 19 Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin ; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin . 20 Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron . And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 Abner said to David , "Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king , that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires ." So David sent Abner away , and he went in peace .
22 And behold , the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron , for he had sent him away , and he had gone in peace . 23 When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived , they told Joab , saying , "Abner the son of Ner came to the king , and he has sent him away , and he has gone in peace ." 24 Then Joab came to the king and said , "What have you done ? Behold , Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone ? 25 "You know Abner the son of Ner , that he came to deceive you and to learn of your going out and coming in and to find out all that you are doing ." 26 When Joab came out from David , he sent messengers after Abner , and they brought him back from the well of Sirah ; but David did not know it. 27 So when Abner returned to Hebron , Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately , and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother . 28 Afterward when David heard it, he said , "I and my kingdom are innocent before e the Lord forever e of the blood of Abner the son of Ner . 29 " May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house ; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge , or who is a leper , or who takes hold of a distaff , or who falls by the sword , or who lacks bread ." 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because e he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon . 31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, " Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner ." And King David walked behind the bier . 32 Thus they buried Abner in Hebron ; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner , and all the people wept . 33 The king chanted a lament for Abner and said , "Should Abner die as a fool dies ? 34 "Your hands were not bound , nor your feet put in fetters ; As one falls before the wicked e , you have fallen ." And all the people wept again over him. 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day ; but David vowed , saying , " May God do so to me, and more also , if e I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down." 36 Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased e them, just as everything e the king did pleased e all the people . 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death . 38 Then the king said to his servants , "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel ? 39 "I am weak today , though anointed king ; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil ."
