The Holy Bible

[17:15] Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar what advice he had given to Absalom and the Israelite leaders and what advice Ahithophel had given.

[17:16] Hushai added, “Quick, now! Send a message to David not to spend the night at the river crossings in the wilderness, but to cross the Jordan at once, so that he and his men won't all be caught and killed.”

[17:17] Abiathar's son Jonathan and Zadok's son Ahimaaz were waiting at the spring of Enrogel, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, because they did not dare be seen entering the city. A servant woman would regularly go and tell them what was happening, and then they would go and tell King David.

[17:18] But one day a boy happened to see them, and he told Absalom; so they hurried off to hide in the house of a certain man in Bahurim. He had a well near his house, and they got down in it.

[17:19] The man's wife took a covering, spread it over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it, so that no one would notice anything.

[17:20] Absalom's officials came to the house and asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They crossed the river,” she answered. The men looked for them but could not find them, and so they returned to Jerusalem.

[17:21] After they left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan came up out of the well and went and reported to King David. They told him what Ahithophel had planned against him and said, “Hurry up and cross the river.”

[17:22] So David and his men started crossing the Jordan, and by daybreak they had all gone across.

[17:23] When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and went back to his hometown. After putting his affairs in order, he hanged himself. He was buried in the family grave.

[17:24] David had reached the town of Mahanaim by the time Absalom and the Israelites had crossed the Jordan. (

[17:25] Absalom had put Amasa in command of the army in the place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether the Ishmaelite; his mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah.)

[17:26] Absalom and his men camped in the land of Gilead.

[17:27] When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash, from the city of Rabbah in Ammon, and by Machir son of Ammiel, from Lodebar, and by Barzillai, from Rogelim in Gilead.

[18:1] King David brought all his men together, divided them into units of a thousand and of a hundred, and placed officers in command of them.

[18:2] Then he sent them out in three groups, with Joab and Joab's brother Abishai and Ittai from Gath, each in command of a group. And the king said to his men, “I will go with you myself.”

[18:3] “You mustn't go with us,” they answered. “It won't make any difference to the enemy if the rest of us turn and run, or even if half of us are killed; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It will be better if you stay here in the city and send us help.”

[18:4] “I will do whatever you think best,” the king answered. Then he stood by the side of the gate as his men marched out in units of a thousand and of a hundred.

[18:5] He gave orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake don't harm the young man Absalom.” And all the troops heard David give this command to his officers.

[18:6] David's army went out into the countryside and fought the Israelites in Ephraim Forest.

[18:7] The Israelites were defeated by David's men; it was a terrible defeat, with twenty thousand men killed that day.

[18:8] The fighting spread over the countryside, and more men died in the forest than were killed in battle.

[18:9] Suddenly Absalom met some of David's men. Absalom was riding a mule, and as it went under a large oak tree, Absalom's head got caught in the branches. The mule ran on and Absalom was left hanging in midair.

[18:10] One of David's men saw him and reported to Joab, “Sir, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”

[18:11] Joab answered, “If you saw him, why didn't you kill him on the spot? I myself would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”

[18:12] But the man answered, “Even if you gave me a thousand pieces of silver, I wouldn't lift a finger against the king's son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake don't harm the young man Absalom.’

[18:13] But if I had disobeyed the king and killed Absalom, the king would have heard about it—he hears about everything—and you would not have defended me.”

[18:14] “I'm not going to waste any more time with you,” Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive, hanging in the oak tree.

[18:15] Then ten of Joab's soldiers closed in on Absalom and finished killing him.

[18:16] Joab had the trumpet blown to stop the fighting, and his troops came back from pursuing the Israelites.

[18:17] They took Absalom's body, threw it into a deep pit in the forest, and covered it with a huge pile of stones. All the Israelites fled to their own hometowns.

[18:18] During his lifetime Absalom had built a monument for himself in King's Valley, because he had no son to keep his name alive. So he named it after himself, and to this day it is known as Absalom's Monument.

[18:19] Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab, “Let me run to the king with the good news that the Lord has saved him from his enemies.”

[18:20] “No,” Joab said, “today you will not take any good news. Some other day you may do so, but not today, for the king's son is dead.”

[18:21] Then he said to his Ethiopian slave, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” The slave bowed and ran off.

[18:22] Ahimaaz insisted, “I don't care what happens; please let me take the news also.” “Why do you want to do it, my son?” Joab asked. “You will get no reward for it.”

[18:23] “Whatever happens,” Ahimaaz said again, “I want to go.” “Then go,” Joab said. So Ahimaaz ran off down the road through the Jordan Valley, and soon he passed the slave.

[18:24] David was sitting in the space between the inner and outer gates of the city. The lookout went up to the top of the wall and stood on the roof of the gateway; he looked out and saw a man running alone.

[18:25] He called down and told the king, and the king said, “If he is alone, he is bringing good news.” The runner kept coming closer.

[18:26] Then the lookout saw another man running alone, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There's another man running!” The king answered, “This one also is bringing good news.”

[18:27] The lookout said, “I can see that the first man runs like Ahimaaz.” “He's a good man,” the king said, “and he is bringing good news.”

[18:28] Ahimaaz called out a greeting to the king, threw himself down to the ground before him, and said, “Praise the Lord your God, who has given you victory over the men who rebelled against Your Majesty!”

[18:29] “Is the young man Absalom all right?” the king asked. Ahimaaz answered, “Sir, when your officer Joab sent me, I saw a great commotion, but I couldn't tell what it was.”

[18:30] “Stand over there,” the king told him; and he went over and stood there.

[18:31] Then the Ethiopian slave arrived and said to the king, “I have good news for Your Majesty! Today the Lord has given you victory over all who rebelled against you!”

[18:32] “Is the young man Absalom all right?” the king asked. The slave answered, “I wish that what has happened to him would happen to all your enemies, sir, and to all who rebel against you.”

[18:33] The king was overcome with grief. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he cried, “O my son! My son Absalom! Absalom, my son! If only I had died in your place, my son! Absalom, my son!”

[19:1] Joab was told that King David was weeping and mourning for Absalom.

[19:2] And so the joy of victory was turned into sadness for all of David's troops that day, because they heard that the king was mourning for his son.

[19:3] They went back into the city quietly, like soldiers who are ashamed because they are running away from battle.

[19:4] The king covered his face and cried loudly, “O my son! My son Absalom! Absalom, my son!”

[19:5] Joab went to the king's house and said to him, “Today you have humiliated your men—the men who saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and of your wives and concubines.

[19:6] You oppose those who love you and support those who hate you! You have made it clear that your officers and men mean nothing to you. I can see that you would be quite happy if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.

[19:7] Now go and reassure your men. I swear by the Lord's name that if you don't, not one of them will be with you by tomorrow morning. That would be the worst disaster you have suffered in all your life.”

[19:8] Then the king got up, and went and sat near the city gate. His men heard that he was there, and they all gathered around him.

[19:8] Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their own hometowns.

[19:9] All over the country they started quarreling among themselves. “King David saved us from our enemies,” they said to one another. “He rescued us from the Philistines, but now he has fled from Absalom and left the country.

[19:10] We anointed Absalom as our king, but he has been killed in battle. So why doesn't somebody try to bring King David back?”

[19:11] The news of what the Israelites were saying reached King David. So he sent the priests Zadok and Abiathar to ask the leaders of Judah, “Why should you be the last to help bring the king back to his palace?

[19:12] You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood; why should you be the last to bring me back?”

[19:13] David also told them to say to Amasa, “You are my relative. From now on I am putting you in charge of the army in place of Joab. May God strike me dead if I don't!”

[19:14] David's words won the complete loyalty of all the men of Judah, and they sent him word to return with all his officials.

[19:15] On his way back the king was met at the Jordan River by the men of Judah, who had come to Gilgal to escort him across the river.

[19:16] At the same time the Benjaminite Shimei son of Gera from Bahurim hurried to the Jordan to meet King David.

[19:17] He had with him a thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin. And Ziba, the servant of Saul's family, also came with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, and they arrived at the Jordan before the king.

[19:18] They crossed the river to escort the royal party across and to do whatever the king wanted.

[19:18] As the king was getting ready to cross, Shimei threw himself down in front of him

[19:19] and said, “Your Majesty, please forget the wrong I did that day you left Jerusalem. Don't hold it against me or think about it any more.

[19:20] I know, sir, that I have sinned, and this is why I am the first one from the northern tribes to come and meet Your Majesty today.”

[19:21] Abishai son of Zeruiah spoke up: “Shimei should be put to death because he cursed the one whom the Lord chose as king.”

[19:22] But David said to Abishai and his brother Joab, “Who asked your opinion? Are you going to give me trouble? I am the one who is king of Israel now, and no Israelite will be put to death today.”

[19:23] And he said to Shimei, “I give you my word that you will not be put to death.”

[19:24] Then Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down to meet the king. He had not washed his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the time the king left Jerusalem until he returned victorious.

[19:25] When Mephibosheth arrived from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Mephibosheth, you didn't go with me. Why not?”

[19:26] He answered, “As you know, Your Majesty, I am crippled. I told my servant to saddle my donkey so that I could ride along with you, but he betrayed me.

[19:27] He lied about me to Your Majesty, but you are like God's angel, so do what seems right to you.

[19:28] All of my father's family deserved to be put to death by Your Majesty, but you gave me the right to eat at your table. I have no right to ask for any more favors from Your Majesty.”

[19:29] The king answered, “You don't have to say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba will share Saul's property.”

[19:30] “Let Ziba have it all,” Mephibosheth answered. “It's enough for me that Your Majesty has come home safely.”

[19:31] Barzillai, from Gilead, had also come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan.

[19:32] Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He was very rich and had supplied the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim.

[19:33] The king said to him, “Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you.”

[19:34] But Barzillai answered, “I don't have long to live; why should I go with Your Majesty to Jerusalem?

[19:35] I am already eighty years old, and nothing gives me pleasure any more. I can't taste what I eat and drink, and I can't hear the voices of singers. I would only be a burden to Your Majesty.

[19:36] I don't deserve such a great reward. So I will go just a little way with you beyond the Jordan.

[19:37] Then let me go back home and die near my parents' grave. Here is my son Chimham, who will serve you; take him with you, Your Majesty, and do for him as you think best.”

[19:38] The king answered, “I will take him with me and do for him whatever you want. And I will do for you anything you ask.”

[19:39] Then David and all of his men crossed the Jordan. He kissed Barzillai and gave him his blessing, and Barzillai went back home.

[19:40] When the king had crossed, escorted by all the people of Judah and half the people of Israel, he went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him.

[19:41] Then all the Israelites went to the king and said to him, “Your Majesty, why did our brothers, the men of Judah, think they had the right to take you away and escort you, your family, and your men across the Jordan?”

[19:42] The men of Judah answered, “We did it because the king is one of us. So why should this make you angry? He hasn't paid for our food nor has he given us anything.”

[19:43] The Israelites replied, “We have ten times as many claims on King David as you have, even if he is one of you. Why do you look down on us? Don't forget that we were the first to talk about bringing the king back!” But the men of Judah were more violent in making their claims than the men of Israel.

[20:1] There happened to be in Gilgal a worthless character named Sheba son of Bikri, of the tribe of Benjamin. He blew the trumpet and called out, “Down with David! We won't follow him! Men of Israel, let's go home!”

[20:2] So the Israelites deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah remained loyal and followed David from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

[20:3] When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs, but did not have intercourse with them. They were kept confined for the rest of their lives, living like widows.

[20:4] The king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together and be back here with them by the day after tomorrow.”

[20:5] Amasa went to call them, but he did not get back by the time the king had told him to.

[20:6] So the king said to Abishai, “Sheba will give us more trouble than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or else he may occupy some fortified towns and escape from us.”

[20:7] So Joab's men, the royal bodyguards, and all the other soldiers left Jerusalem with Abishai to go after Sheba.

[20:8] When they reached the large rock at Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was dressed for battle, with a sword in its sheath fastened to his belt. As he came forward, the sword fell out.

[20:9] Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my friend?” and took hold of his beard with his right hand in order to kiss him.

[20:10] Amasa was not on guard against the sword that Joab was holding in his other hand, and Joab stabbed him in the belly, and his insides spilled out on the ground. He died immediately, and Joab did not have to strike again. Then Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba.

[20:11] One of Joab's men stood by Amasa's body and called out, “Everyone who is for Joab and David follow Joab!”

[20:12] Amasa's body, covered with blood, was lying in the middle of the road. Joab's man saw that everybody was stopping, so he dragged the body from the road out into the field and threw a blanket over it.

[20:13] After the body had been removed from the road, everyone followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba.

[20:14] Sheba passed through the territory of all the tribes of Israel and came to the city of Abel Beth Maacah, and all the members of the clan of Bikri assembled and followed him into the city.

[20:15] Joab's men heard that Sheba was there, and so they went and besieged the city. They built ramps of earth against the outer wall and also began to dig under the wall to make it fall down.

[20:16] There was a wise woman in the city who shouted from the wall, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here; I want to speak with him.”

[20:17] Joab went, and she asked, “Are you Joab?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. “Listen to me, sir,” she said. “I'm listening,” he answered.

[20:18] She said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Go and get your answer in the city of Abel’—and that's just what they did.

[20:19] Ours is a great city, one of the most peaceful and loyal in Israel. Why are you trying to destroy it? Do you want to ruin what belongs to the Lord?”

[20:20] “Never!” Joab answered. “I will never ruin or destroy your city!

[20:21] That is not our plan. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, who is from the hill country of Ephraim, started a rebellion against King David. Hand over this one man, and I will withdraw from the city.” “We will throw his head over the wall to you,” she said.

[20:22] Then she went to the people of the city with her plan, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall to Joab. He blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to leave the city, and they went back home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.