1David counted the people who were with him. He put commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds over them.
2David sent the army out in three parts. One third was under Joab, one third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, "I myself will surely go out with you too."
3But the people answered, "You must not go out. For if we run away, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So it is better that you help us from the city."
4The king said to them, "I will do what seems best to you." So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
5The king gave an order to Joab, Abishai and Ittai. He said, "Be gentle with the young man Absalom, for my sake." And all the people heard the king give this order to all the commanders about Absalom.
6So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the wood of Ephraim.
7There the people of Israel were beaten by David's servants. There was a great slaughter that day, of twenty thousand men.
8The fighting spread over all that country, and the wood destroyed more people that day than the sword destroyed.
9Absalom happened to meet David's servants. Absalom was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. Absalom's head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between the sky and the ground, while the mule under him went on.
11Joab said to the man who told him, "You saw him? Then why did you not strike him down to the ground there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt."
12The man said to Joab, "Even if I were given a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not lift my hand against the king's son. For we all heard the king order you and Abishai and Ittai, 'Take care that no one touches the young man Absalom.'"
13"If I had done it, I would have been false to my own life. For nothing is hidden from the king, and you yourself would have turned against me."
14Then Joab said, "I will not waste any more time with you." He took three darts in his hand and drove them through Absalom's heart, while he was still alive in the middle of the oak.
16Joab blew the trumpet, and the people came back from chasing Israel, because Joab held the people back.
17They took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the wood, and piled a very great heap of stones over him. And all Israel ran away, every man to his tent.
18Now while Absalom was alive he had set up a pillar for himself, which is in the king's valley. For he said, "I have no son to keep my name remembered." He called the pillar by his own name, and to this day it is called Absalom's place.
19Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Let me run now and take the news to the king, that the LORD has given him justice against his enemies."
20Joab said to him, "You will not carry the news today. You may carry news another day, but today you will carry no news, because the king's son is dead."
21Then Joab said to Cushi, "Go and tell the king what you have seen." Cushi bowed to Joab and ran.
22Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab again, "Whatever happens, please let me run after Cushi too." Joab said, "Why will you run, my son, when you have no news to bring?"
23He said, "Whatever happens, let me run." So Joab said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and passed Cushi.
24David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman went up to the roof over the gate, by the wall, and looked up. He saw a man running alone.
25The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he brings news." And the man came on quickly and drew near.
26Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "Look, another man is running alone." The king said, "He is bringing news too."
27The watchman said, "It seems to me the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man, and he comes with good news."
28Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "All is well." He bowed down to the ground before the king and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has handed over the men who lifted their hand against my lord the king."
29The king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and me your servant, I saw a great uproar, but I did not know what it was."
30The king said to him, "Step aside and stand here." So he stepped aside and stood still.
31Then Cushi came, and Cushi said, "News, my lord the king. The LORD has given you justice today against all who rose up against you."
32The king said to Cushi, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Cushi answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to harm you, be as that young man is."
33The king was deeply shaken. He went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he went, he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom. If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son."