2 Samuel

And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

1David counted the soldiers who were with him. He picked leaders for large groups and for small groups.

2And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

2David split the army into three parts. Joab led one part. Abishai, Joab's brother, led one part. Ittai, a man from the city of Gath, led one part. The king said, "I will march out with you too."

3But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

3But the people said, "You must not come. If we run away, no one will care about us. Even if half of us die, no one will care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better if you help us from inside the city."

4And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

4The king said, "I will do what you think is best." So the king stood beside the city gate. All the soldiers marched out in groups, large and small.

5And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

5The king gave an order to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He said, "Be gentle with the young man Absalom, for my sake." All the soldiers heard the king say this about Absalom.

6So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

6So David's army marched out to fight the army of Israel. The battle happened in the forest of Ephraim.

7Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

7There David's men beat the army of Israel. Many men were killed that day. Twenty thousand died.

8For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

8The fighting spread out all over the countryside. That day the forest killed more men than the swords did.

9And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

9Absalom was riding his mule and ran into David's men. The mule went under the thick branches of a big oak tree. Absalom's head got stuck in the tree. The mule kept walking, so he hung there in the air.

10And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

10One of David's men saw this. He told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"

11And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

11Joab said to him, "You saw him? Then why did you not strike him down right there? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a soldier's belt."

NoteA shekel was a weight of silver used as money. The "girdle" was a belt a soldier wore as a prize for a brave deed.

12And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.

12The man answered Joab, "Even for a thousand pieces of silver, I would not hurt the king's son. We all heard the king tell you and Abishai and Ittai to leave the young man Absalom alone."

13Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

13"If I had killed him, I would have put my own life in danger. Nothing stays hidden from the king. And you would have turned against me."

14Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

14Joab said, "I will not stand here waiting with you." He took three spears and pushed them through Absalom's heart. Absalom was still alive in the tree.

Note"Darts" in the old English here means spears, not the small darts we throw at a board.

15And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

15Ten young men who carried Joab's weapons came around Absalom. They struck him and killed him.

16And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

16Then Joab blew a horn, and the soldiers stopped chasing the army of Israel. Joab called them back.

17And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

17They took Absalom's body and threw it into a big pit in the forest. They piled a huge heap of stones over it. All the men of Israel ran away to their homes.

18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.

18While Absalom was alive, he had set up a tall stone for himself in the King's Valley. He had said, "I have no son to keep my name alive." So he named the stone after himself. People still call it Absalom's Monument today.

19Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.

19Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, "Let me run and tell the king the news. The LORD has saved him from his enemies."

20And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.

20Joab said, "You are not the one to carry news today. You may do it another day. But not today, because the king's son is dead."

21Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

21Then Joab said to a man from Cush, "Go and tell the king what you saw." The man bowed to Joab and started running.

NoteThe King James Bible writes this man's name as "Cushi." It really means "the man from Cush," a land south of Egypt.

22Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?

22Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, asked Joab again. He said, "No matter what, please let me run after him too." Joab said, "Why run, my son? Your news will not earn you any reward."

23But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.

23"No matter what, I want to run," he said. Joab said, "Then run." So Ahimaaz ran along the flat road and passed the other man.

24And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

24David was sitting between the two gates of the city. A guard climbed up to the roof over the gate. He looked out and saw a man running alone.

25And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.

25The guard shouted the news down to the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing news." The runner came closer and closer.

26And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.

26Then the guard saw another man running. He called down to the gatekeeper, "Look, another man is running alone!" The king said, "He is bringing news too."

27And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.

27The guard said, "The first man runs like Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man. He is bringing good news."

28And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.

28Ahimaaz called out to the king, "All is well!" He bowed down with his face to the ground. He said, "Praise the LORD your God! He has handed over the men who fought against you, my king."

29And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

29The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent me, I saw a lot of noise and rushing about. But I did not know what it was."

30And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.

30The king said to him, "Step aside and wait here." So he stepped aside and stood still.

31And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

31Then the man from Cush arrived. He said, "Good news, my king! Today the LORD has saved you from everyone who fought against you."

32And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.

32The king asked him, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The man answered, "May all your enemies end up like that young man. May everyone who wants to hurt you end up like him."

33And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

33The king shook with sadness. He went up to the room over the gate and cried. As he walked, he said, "Oh, my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you. Oh Absalom, my son, my son!"

Note"Much moved" in the old English means deeply upset and shaken, not moved from one place to another.