2 and gave the third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abisai the son of Sarvia the brother of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethai, who was of Geth: & the king said to the people: I also will go forth with you.📜💬📚

3 And the people answered: Thou shalt not go forth: for whether we shall fly, it will be no great importance to them of us: or whether the half part of us shall fall, they will not greatly care: because thou alone art accounted for ten thousands: it is better therefore that thou be in the city to aid us.📜💬📚

4 To whom the king said: What seemeth good to you, that will I do. The king therefore stood beside the gate: and all the people went forth by their troops, by hundreds and by thousands.📜💬📚

5 And the king commanded Joab, & Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me the child Absalom. And all the people heard the king commanding all the Princes for Absalom.📜💬📚

6 The people therefore went out into the field against Israel, & the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.📜💬📚

7 And the people of Israel was slain there of David's army, and there was made a great slaughter in that day, of twenty thousand.📜💬📚

8 And the battle there was dispersed upon the face of all the earth, and there were many more, whom the forest had consumed of the people, than they whom the sword devoured in that day.📜💬📚

9 And it chanced that Absalom met the servants of David, sitting on a mule: and when the mule was gone in under a thick oak and a great, his head struck to the oak: & he hanging between heaven & earth, the mule that he rode upon passed through.📜💬📚

10 And one saw this & told Joab: saying: I saw Absalom hang upon an oak.📜💬📚

11 And Joab said to the man that told him: If thou sawest him, why didst thou not nail him to the earth, & I had given thee ten sicles of silver, and one belt?📜💬📚

12 Who said to Joab: If thou wouldest pay down in my hands a thousand pieces of silver, I would not lay my hands upon the king's son: for in our hearing the king commanded thee, & Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Keep me the child Absalom.📜💬📚

13 Yea and if I had done against my life boldly, this could not have been hid from the king, and thou wouldest have stand against it?📜💬📚

14 And Joab said: Not as thou wilt, but I will set upon him before thee. He took therefore three lances in his hand, and thrust them in the heart of Absalom: and when as yet he panted for life sticking on the oak.📜💬📚

15 There ran ten young men the squires of Joab, and striking they killed him.📜💬📚

16 And Joab sounded the trumpet, and stayed the people, that they should not pursue Israel flying, willing to spare the multitude.📜💬📚

17 And they took Absalom, and cast him in the forest into a great pit, and they heaped upon him an exceeding great heap of stones: but all Israel fled into their tabernacles.📜💬📚

18 Moreover Absalom had erected to himself, whiles he yet lived, a title which is in the king's Valley: for he said: I have no son, and this shall be a monument of my name. And he called the title by his name, and it is called The hand of Absalom, until this present day.📜💬📚

David Mourns for Absalom

19 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said: I will run, and tell the king, that our Lord hath done him judgment of the hand of his enemies.📜💬📚

20 To whom Joab said: Thou shalt not be messenger this day, but thou shalt carry the message an other day: to day I will not have thee carry the message, for the king's son is dead.📜💬📚

21 And Joab said to Chusai: Go, and tell the king what thou hast seen. Chusai adored Joab, and ran.📜💬📚

22 And again Achimaas the son of Sadoc said to Joab: What letteth if I also run after Chusai? And Joab said to him: Why wilt thou run my son? Thou shalt not be carrier of good tidings.📜💬📚

23 Who answered: But what if I run? And he said to him: Run. Achimaas therefore running a near way, out went Chusai.📜💬📚

24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchmen that was in the top of the gate upon the wall, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running alone.📜💬📚

25 And crying out he told the king: and the king said: If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And he making haste, and coming nearer,📜💬📚

26 the watchman saw an other man running, and crying aloud in the top, he said: There appeareth unto me an other man running alone. And the king said: And this is a good messenger.📜💬📚

27 And the watchman, I behold, said he, the running of the former, as it were the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said: he is a good man, & cometh bringing good news.📜💬📚

28 And Achimaas crying, said to the king: God save thee, o king. And adoring the king before him flat to the earth, he said: Blessed be our Lord thy God, who hath shut up the men that have lifted up their hands against my lord the king.📜💬📚

29 And the king said: Is the child Absalom safe? And Achimaas said I saw a great tumult, when thy servant Joab sent, o king, me thy servant: other thing I know not.📜💬📚

30 To whom the king: Pass, said he, & stand here. And when he had passed, & stood,📜💬📚

31 Chusai appeared, and coming he said: I bring good tidings my lord king: for our Lord hath judged for thee this day of the hand of all that have risen against thee.📜💬📚

32 And the king said to Chusai: Is the child Absalom safe? To whom Chusai answering, said: Let the enemies of my lord the king become as the child, and all that rise against him unto evil.📜💬📚

33 The king therefore being made sorry, went up into the high chamber of the gate, and wept. And thus he spake, going: My son Absalom, Absalom my son: who would grant me that I might die for thee, Absalom my son, my son Absalom?📜💬📚

Douay Rheims Original ↷

2 Samuel 18 📜 📕 ↷

Absalom Killed

David Mourns for Absalom

Next Chapter: 2 Samuel 19