The Reign of David

Yo'av said to him, "You are not to be the one to bring the news today; you can convey news another day; but today you will not bring news, because the king's son is dead."

Then Yo'av said to the Ethiopian, "Go, tell the king what you saw."The Ethiopian bowed to Yo'av, then ran off.

But Achima'atz the son of Tzadok said again to Yo'av, "Come what may, please let me also run after the Ethiopian." Yo'av answered, "Why do you want to run, my son? You won't receive any reward for bringing the news."

"I don't care - whatever happens, I want to run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Achima'atz ran by the road through the desert flats and outran the Ethiopian.

David was sitting between the two gates. A watchman went up to the roof of the gate and out onto the wall, raised his eyes, looked, and saw there a man running by himself.

The watchman cried out and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, he has good news to tell."As he ran along and came close,

the watchman saw another man running and called to the gatekeeper, "There's another man running by himself."The king said, "He too must have good news."

The watchman said, "The first one runs like Achima'atz the son of Tzadok."The king said, "He's a good man, he comes with good news."

Achima'atz called to the king, "Shalom," prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Blessed be ADONAI your God, who has handed over the men who rebelled against my lord the king."

The king asked, "Is everything all right with young Avshalom?" Achima'atz answered, "When Yo'av sent the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a big commotion; but I didn't know what it was."

The king said, "Go, and stand over there." So he went and stood there.

Then up came the Ethiopian, and the Ethiopian said, "There's good news for my lord the king, for ADONAI has judged in your favor and rid you of all those who rebelled against you."

The king asked the Ethiopian, "Is everything all right with young Avshalom?"The Ethiopian answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you in order to harm you be as that young man is."

Trembling, the king went up to the room over the gate, weeping and crying, "Oh, my son Avshalom! My son! My son Avshalom! If only I had died instead of you! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!"

Yo'av was told, "The king is weeping, mourning for Avshalom."

Thus the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day that the king was grieving for his son;

so that the people entered the city furtively that day, the way that people who are ashamed creep away when fleeing a battlefield.

Meanwhile, the king covered his face and cried aloud, "Oh, my son Avshalom! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!"

Yo'av went inside to the king and said, "Today you made all your servants feel ashamed. They saved your life today, and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives and concubines.

But you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today you said that princes and servants mean nothing to you - for I can see today that it would have pleased you more if Avshalom had lived today, and we had all died!

Now get up, go out and speak heart-to-heart with your servants. For I swear by ADONAI that if you don't go out, not one man will stay here with you tonight - and that will be worse for you than all the misfortunes you have suffered from your youth until now."

So the king got up and sat in the city gateway; and when all the people were told, "Now the king is sitting in the gate," they came before the king. Meanwhile, Isra'el had fled, each man to his tent;

and throughout all the tribes of Isra'el there was dissension among all the people. They were saying, "The king delivered us from the power of our enemies, and he saved us from the power of the P'lishtim; but now he has fled the land to escape Avshalom.

However, Avshalom, whom we anointed to rule us, is dead in battle. So now, why doesn't anyone suggest bringing the king back?"

King David sent this message to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim: "Ask the leaders of Y'hudah, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace? The king has already heard that all Isra'el wants to return him to his palace.