September 15, 2019

2 SAMUEL 18:9-24

18:9 And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David, and Absalom was riding upon his mule. And the mule went under the tangled branches of a great terebinth; and his head was caught in the terebinth, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth while the mule that was under him went on.
18:10 And a certain man saw this; and he told Joab and said, I have just seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
18:11 And Joab said to the man who told him this, And you have just seen this. Why did you not strike him down to the ground there? For I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.
18:12 And the man said to Joab, Though I would receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put forth my hand against the son of the king; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care of the young man Absalom, whoever you be.
18:13 On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously with his life (there is nothing hidden from the king), you would have set yourself against me.
18:14 Then Joab said, I will not linger here with you. And he took three staves in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth.
18:15 And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom and struck him, and they killed him.
18:16 And Joab blew the trumpet; and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab restrained the people.
18:17 And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest, and they cast up over him a very great mound of stones. And all Israel fled, every man to his tent.
18:18 Now Absalom, while he was alive, had taken a pillar which was in the king’s valley and raised it up for himself, for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. And he called the pillar by his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
18:19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me now run and announce the news to the king, that Jehovah has avenged him of his enemies.
18:20 And Joab said to him, You shall not be the bearer of the news this day, but you shall announce the news on another day; yet on this day you shall not announce the news, for the king’s son is dead.
18:21 And Joab said to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what you have seen. And the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.
18:22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, But come what may, let me also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?
18:23 But come what may, he said, I will run. And he said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed the Cushite.
18:24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up on the roof of the gate to the wall; and lifted up his eyes and looked, and there came a man running alone.