The Reign of David

And David came to Mahanaim, and Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him;

and Amasa hath Absalom set instead of Joab over the host, and Amasa is a man's son whose name is Ithra the Israelite who hath gone in unto Abigail, daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, mother of Joab;

and Israel encampeth with Absalom in the land of Gilead.

And it cometh to pass at the coming in of David to Mahanaim, that Shobi, son of Nahash, from Rabbah of the Bene-Ammon, and Machir son of Ammiel, from Lo-Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite, from Rogelim,

couch, and basin, and earthen vessel, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and roasted corn , and beans, and lentiles, and roasted pulse ,

and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, have brought nigh for David, and for the people who are with him to eat, for they said, `Thy people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.'

And David inspecteth the people who are with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,

and David sendeth the third of the people by the hand of Joab, and the third by the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and the third by the hand of Ittai the Gittite, and the king saith unto the people, `I certainly go out--I also--with you.'

And the people say, `Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set their heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set their heart unto us--for now like us are ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.'

And the king saith unto them, `That which is good in your eyes I do;' and the king standeth at the side of the gate, and all the people have gone out by hundreds and by thousands,

and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, `Gently--for me, for the youth, for Absalom;' and all the people heard in the king's charging all the heads concerning Absalom.

And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim;

and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day--twenty thousand;

and the battle is there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplieth to devour among the people more than those whom the sword hath devoured in that day.

And Absalom meeteth before the servants of David, and Absalom is riding on the mule, and the mule cometh in under an entangled bough of the great oak, and his head taketh hold on the oak, and he is placed between the heavens and the earth, and the mule that is under him hath passed on.

And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, `Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.'

And Joab saith to the man who is declaring it to him, `And lo, thou hast seen--and wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earth--and on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?'

And the man saith unto Joab, `Yea, though I am weighing on my hand a thousand silverlings, I do not put forth my hand unto the son of the king; for in our ears hath the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Observe ye who is against the youth--against Absalom;

or I had done against my soul a vain thing, and no matter is hid from the king, and thou--thou dost station thyself over-against.'

And Joab saith, `Not right--I tarry before thee;' and he taketh three darts in his hand, and striketh them into the heart of Absalom, while he is alive, in the midst of the oak.

And they go round--ten youths bearing weapons of Joab--and smite Absalom, and put him to death.

And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;

and they take Absalom and cast him in the forest unto the great pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones, and all Israel have fled--each to his tent.

And Absalom hath taken, and setteth up for himself in his life, the standing-pillar that is in the king's valley, for he said, `I have no son to cause my name to be remembered;' and he calleth the standing-pillar by his own name, and it is called `The monument of Absalom' unto this day.

And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, `Let me run, I pray thee, and I bear the king tidings, for Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of his enemies;'