1 En Dawid het die manskappe gemonster wat by hom was, en owerstes oor duisend en owerstes oor honderd oor hulle aangestel.
2 En Dawid het die manskappe uitgestuur: 'n derde deel onder bevel van Joab, en 'n derde onder Ab¡sai, die seun van Seruja, die broer van Joab, en 'n derde onder Ittai, die Gittiet; en die koning het aan die manskappe gesê: Ek sal ook seker saam met julle uittrek.
3 Maar die manskappe het gesê: U mag nie uittrek nie, want as ons miskien vlug, sal hulle nie op ons ag gee nie; ja, al sterwe die helfte van ons, hulle sal nie op ons ag gee nie, want u is soos tien duisend van ons. Dit is dan nou beter dat u ons van die stad uit te hulp kom.
4 Toe sê die koning vir hulle: Wat goed is in julle oë, sal ek doen. En die koning het langs die poort gaan staan, terwyl al die manskappe by honderde en by duisende uittrek.
5 En die koning het Joab en Ab¡sai en Ittai bevel gegee en gesê: Saggies met die jongman, met Absalom. En al die manskappe het gehoor toe die koning aan al die owerstes bevel gee omtrent Absalom.
6 Daarop trek die manskappe uit, die veld in om Israel te ontmoet; en die geveg het plaasgevind in die bos van Efraim.
7 En die manskappe van Israel is daar voor die dienaars van Dawid verslaan, en die neerlaag was die dag daar groot, twintig duisend.
8 Maar die geveg is daar uitgebrei oor die oppervlakte van die hele land, en die bos het daardie dag onder die mense meer verteer as wat die swaard verteer het.
9 En die dienaars van Dawid het Absalom onverwags aangetref terwyl Absalom op 'n muil ry; en toe die muil onder die digte takke van 'n groot terpentynboom ingaan, het sy hoof in die terpentynboom vasgehaak, sodat hy tussen hemel en aarde bly hang het, terwyl die muil onder hom wegloop.
10 Toe die man dit sien, het hy aan Joab berig gebring en gesê: Kyk, ek het Absalom aan 'n terpentynboom sien hang.
11 En Joab sê vir die man wat hom die berig gebring het: En as jy dit gesien het, waarom het jy hom dan nie daar teen die grond neergeslaan nie? Dan moes ek jou tien silwerstukke en een gord gegee het.
12 Maar die man sê vir Joab: Al kon ek ook duisend silwerstukke op my hande weeg, ek sou my hand tog nie uitsteek teen die seun van die koning nie; want die koning het u en Ab¡sai en Ittai voor ons ore bevel gegee en gesê: Julle, wie dan ook, moet vir die jongman Absalom sorg.
13 Of as ek vals teen sy lewe gehandel het -- niks tog bly vir die koning verborge nie -- dan sou u opsy gestaan het.
14 Toe sê Joab: Ek wil nie so by jou vertoef nie! En hy het drie spiese in sy hand geneem en die in die hart van Absalom gesteek, terwyl hy nog lewendig was binne-in die terpentynboom.
15 En tien jongmanne, wapendraers van Joab, het nader gekom en Absalom doodgeslaan.
16 Daarop blaas Joab op die ramshoring, en al die manskappe het omgedraai en Israel nie meer agtervolg nie, want Joab het die manskappe teruggehou.
17 Toe het hulle Absalom geneem en hom in die bos in 'n groot kuil gegooi en 'n baie groot hoop klippe bo-op hom gestapel, onderwyl die hele Israel elkeen na sy tent vlug.
18 En Absalom het gedurende sy lewe die gedenksteen wat in die koningsdal staan, geneem en vir homself opgerig met die woorde: Ek het geen seun om my naam in gedagtenis te hou nie; en hy het die gedenksteen na sy naam genoem, en dit word tot vandag toe genoem die gedenkteken van Absalom.
19 Daarop sê Ah¡ma„s, die seun van Sadok: Laat my tog hardloop en aan die koning die goeie boodskap bring dat die HERE aan hom reg verskaf het teenoor sy vyande.
20 Maar Joab sê vir hom: Jy is nie vandag 'n man vir 'n boodskap nie, maar anderdag kan jy 'n boodskap bring -- vandag mag jy nie die boodskap bring nie juis omdat die seun van die koning dood is.
21 Toe sê Joab vir die Kusiet: Gaan vertel die koning wat jy gesien het! En die Kusiet het voor Joab gebuig en gehardloop.
22 Maar Ah¡ma„s, die seun van Sadok, het nog 'n keer aan Joab gesê: Laat kom wat wil -- laat my tog ook agter die Kusiet aan hardloop. En Joab vra: Waarom wil jy dan nou hardloop, my seun? Vir jou is daar tog geen boodskappersloon te kry nie.
23 Laat kom wat wil, sê hy, ek hardloop. En hy antwoord hom: Hardloop! En Ah¡ma„s het met die pad na die Jordaanstreek gehardloop en die Kusiet verbygegaan.
24 En terwyl Dawid tussen die twee poortingange sit, het die wag op die dak van die poort op die muur geklim; en toe hy sy oë opslaan, sien hy meteens 'n man alleen hardloop.
25 Toe het die wag uitgeroep en dit aan die koning meegedeel. En die koning sê: As hy alleen is, dan is daar 'n goeie boodskap in sy mond. Terwyl hy al nader en nader kom,
26 sien die wag 'n ander man hardloop; en die wag het die poortwagter toegeroep en gesê: Kyk, daar hardloop nog 'n man alleen. Daarop sê die koning: Hy bring ook 'n goeie boodskap.
27 Verder het die wag gesê: Ek sien die gang van die eerste is soos die gang van Ah¡ma„s, die seun van Sadok. Toe sê die koning: Hy is 'n goeie man, en hy kom met 'n goeie boodskap.
28 En Ah¡ma„s het uitgeroep en aan die koning gesê: Vrede! En hy het hom voor die koning gebuig met sy aangesig na die aarde en gesê: Geloofd sy die HERE u God wat die manne oorgelewer het wat hulle hand teen my heer die koning opgetel het.
29 Toe vra die koning: Gaan dit goed met die jongman, met Absalom? En Ah¡ma„s antwoord: Ek het 'n groot gewoel gesien toe Joab die dienaar van die koning, naamlik u dienaar, gestuur het, maar ek het nie geweet wat dit was nie.
30 Daarop sê die koning: Gaan opsy en kom hier staan. Toe hy dan opsy gaan en daar bly staan,
31 kom die Kusiet juis aan; en die Kusiet sê: My heer die koning moet die blye boodskap ontvang dat die HERE aan u vandag reg verskaf het teenoor almal wat teen u opgestaan het.
32 En die koning het die Kusiet gevra: Gaan dit goed met die jongman, met Absalom? En die Kusiet sê: Mag dit met die vyande van my heer die koning en met almal wat teen u opstaan om kwaad te doen, gaan soos met die jongman!
33 Toe het die koning baie ontroerd geword en opgeklim na die bovertrek van die poort en geween; en hy het rondgeloop en so gesê: My seun Absalom, my seun, my seun Absalom! Ag, as ek self maar in jou plek gesterf het! Absalom, my seun, my seun!
1 And David had the people who were with him numbered, and he put over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
2 And David sent the people out, a third of them under the orders of Joab, and a third under the orders of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, And I myself will certainly go out with you.
3 But the people said, It is better for you not to go out: for if we are put to flight, they will not give a thought to us, and if death overtakes half of us, it will be nothing to them: but you are of more value than ten thousand of us: so it is better for you to be ready to come to our help from this town.
4 And the king said to them, I will do whatever seems best to you. So the king took his place by the door of the town, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 And the king gave orders to Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Because of me, be gentle to the young man Absalom. And this order about Absalom was given in the hearing of all the people.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the fight took place in the woods of Ephraim.
7 And the people of Israel were overcome there by the servants of David, and there was a great destruction that day, and twenty thousand men were put to the sword.
8 And the fighting went on over all the face of the country: and the woods were responsible for more deaths than the sword.
9 And Absalom came across some of David's men. And Absalom was seated on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great tree, and his head became fixed in the tree and he was lifted up between earth and heaven, and the beast under him went on.
10 And a certain man saw it and said to Joab, I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.
11 And Joab said to the man who had given him the news, If you saw this, why did you not put your sword through him, and I would have given you ten bits of silver and a band for your robe?
12 And the man said to Joab, Even if you gave me a thousand bits of silver, I would not put out my hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king gave orders to you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care that the young man Absalom is not touched.
13 And if I had falsely put him to death (and nothing may be kept secret from the king), you would have had nothing to do with me.
14 Then Joab said, I would have made it safe for you. And he took three spears in his hand, and put them through Absalom's heart, while he was still living, in the branches of the tree.
15 And ten young men, servants of Joab, came round Absalom and put an end to him.
16 And Joab had the horn sounded, and the people came back from going after Israel, for Joab kept them back.
17 And they took Absalom's body and put it into a great hole in the wood, and put a great mass of stones over it: and every man of Israel went in flight to his tent.
18 Now Absalom, before his death, had put up for himself a pillar in the king's valley, naming it after himself; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in memory: and to this day it is named Absalom's pillar.
19 Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me go and give the king news of how the Lord has done right in his cause against those who took up arms against him.
20 And Joab said, You will take no news today; another day you may give him the news, but you will take no news today, because the king's son is dead.
21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, Go and give the king word of what you have seen. And the Cushite, making a sign of respect to Joab, went off running.
22 Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab again, Whatever may come of it, let me go after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why have you a desire to go, my son, seeing that you will get no reward for your news?
23 Whatever may come of it, he said, I will go. Then he said to him, Go. So Ahimaaz went running by the lowland road and overtook the Cushite.
24 Now David was seated between the two town doors; and the watchman went up to the roof of the doorways, on the wall, and, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running by himself.
25 And the watchman gave news of it to the king. And the king said, If he is coming by himself, then he has news. And the man was travelling quickly, and came near.
26 Then the watchman saw another man running: and crying out in the direction of the door he said, Here is another man running by himself. And the king said, He, like the other, comes with news.
27 And the watchman said, It seems to me that the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and his news will be good.
28 And Ahimaaz, crying out to the king, said, It is well. And falling down before the king, with his face to the earth, he said, May the Lord your God be praised, who has given up the men who took up arms against my lord the king!
29 And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said in answer, When Joab sent me, your servant, I saw a great outcry going on, but I had no knowledge of what it was.
30 And the king said, Get back and take your place here. So turning to one side, he took his place there.
31 And then the Cushite came and said, I have news for my lord the king: today the Lord has done right in your cause against all those who took up arms against you.
32 And the king said to the Cushite, Is the young man Absalom safe? And the Cushite said in answer, May all the king's haters and those who do evil against the king, be as that young man is!
33 Then the king was much moved, and went up into the room over the door, weeping, and saying, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! if only my life might have been given for yours, O Absalom, my son, my son!