The Koine Bible

And David reviewed the people who were with him, and he appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

And David sent 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 David said to the people, I also will surely go out with you.

And they said, You shall not go out, because if we should flee, they will not set their heart on us, and if half of us should die, they will not set their heart on us; because you are like us, ten thousand, and now it is good that you will be for us in the city as help for helping

And the king said to them, Whatsoever may be pleasing in your eyes I will do. And the king stood by the hand of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Spare me the young man Absalom; and all the people heard when the king commanded all the rulers concerning Absalom.

And all the people went out into the forest against Israel, and the battle became in the forest of Ephraim

And there the people of Israel were struck down before the servants of David, and the slaughter was great on that day, twenty thousand men

And the battle spread there over the face of all the land, and the wood devoured more of the people than the sword devoured among the people on that day.

And Absalom met before the servants of David, and Absalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule went into the thick wood of the great oak, and his head was caught in the oak, and he hung between heaven and between the earth, and the mule under him passed on.

And one man saw and reported to Joab and said, Behold, I have seen Absalom hanging in the oak tree.

And Joab said to the man who was reporting, And behold, you have seen; why did you not strike him to the ground? And I would have given you ten shekels of silver and one belt.

And the man said to Joab, Even if I should receive a thousand shekels of silver into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king, for in our ears the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Guard the young man Absalom for me.

that I should not do wrong against his life, and every word will not be hidden from the king, and you will stand opposite

And Joab said, I will begin this; not so will I stay before you. And Joab took three arrows in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the heart of the oak.

And ten young men bearing Joab’s armor-bearings surrounded him and struck Abessalom and put him to death

And Joab blew the trumpet with a ram’s horn, and the people turned back so as not to pursue after Israel, because Joab spared the people.

And they took Absalom and threw him into a great chasm in the forest, into the great pit, and they set over him a very large heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each man to his tent.

And Absalom, still living, and he set up for himself the pillar in which he was taken, and he erected it for taking the pillar that is in the valley of the king, because he said, There is no son to him for the sake of remembering his name; and he called the pillar Absalom’s Hand, until this day.

And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, Let me run now and bring good news to the king, because the Lord has judged for him from the hand of his enemies.

And Joab said to him, You are not a man of good news on this day, and you shall bring good news on another day; but on this day you shall not bring good news, because the son of the king has died.

And Joab said to Hushai, Go, report to the king what you have seen. And Hushai bowed to Joab and went out.

And Ahimaaz son of Zadok added still and said to Joab, And let it be that I run too after Hushai. And Joab said, Why is this, my son, that you run? Come here; there is no good news for you for advantage to one who is going.

And he said, For what if I should run? And Joab said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran the way of the plain, and he passed over Cushi.

And David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went to the roof of the gate by the wall, and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a man running alone before him.

And the watchman cried out and reported to the king and said, The king said, If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth. And he was going, going on and drawing near.

And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman cried out to the gate and said, Behold, another man running alone. And the king said, This one also is bringing good news.

And the watchman said, I see the running of the first, like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, This man is a good man, and indeed he will come with good news.

And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, Peace! and he bowed down to the king with his face to the ground, and said, Blessed be the Lord your God, who has shut up the men who hated their hand against my lord the king.

And the king said, Is it peace with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw the great multitude when Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, but I did not know what was there.

And the king said, Turn back, stand here. And he turned back and stood.

And behold, Hushai came and said to the king, Let my lord the king be told good news, that the Lord has judged for you today from the hand of all who are rising up against you.

And the king said to Housi, Is it peace with the young man Abessalom? And Housi said, May it be as that young man, the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against him for evil.