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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>2 Samuel 18 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_samuel/18.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/2_samuel/18-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</a> > 2 Samuel 18</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_samuel/17.htm" title="2 Samuel 17">◄</a> 2 Samuel 18 <a href="../2_samuel/19.htm" title="2 Samuel 19">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch10018" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn10018" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">Preparation for Battle.</span> <span id="v10018001" class="ver">1</span>After mustering the troops he had with him, David placed officers in command of units of a thousand and units of a hundred. <span id="v10018002" class="ver">2</span>David then divided the troops three ways, a third under Joab, a third under Abishai, son of Zeruiah and brother of Joab, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, “I intend to go out with you myself.” <span id="v10018003" class="ver">3</span>But they replied: “You must not come out with us. For if we flee, no one will care; even if half of us die, no one will care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that we have you to help us from the city.” <span id="v10018004" class="ver">4</span>The king said to them, “I will do what you think best.” So the king stood by the gate as all the soldiers marched out in units of a hundred and a thousand. <span id="v10018005" class="ver">5</span>But the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “Be gentle with young Absalom for my sake.” All the soldiers heard as the king gave commands to the various leaders with regard to Absalom.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Defeat of Absalom’s Forces.</span> <span id="v10018006" class="ver">6</span>David’s army then took the field against Israel, and a battle was fought in the forest near Mahanaim. <span id="v10018007" class="ver">7</span>The forces of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the casualties there that day were heavy—twenty thousand men. <span id="v10018008" class="ver">8</span>The battle spread out over that entire region, and the forest consumed more combatants that day than did the sword.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Death of Absalom.</span> <span id="v10018009" class="ver">9</span>Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants. He was mounted on a mule, and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large oak tree, his hair caught fast in the tree. He hung between heaven and earth while the mule under him kept going. <span id="v10018010" class="ver">10</span>Someone saw this and reported to Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree.” <span id="v10018011" class="ver">11</span>Joab said to the man who told him this: “If you saw him, why did you not strike him to the ground on the spot? Then it would have been my duty to give you fifty pieces of silver and a belt.” <span id="v10018012" class="ver">12</span>But the man replied to Joab: “Even if I already held a thousand pieces of silver in my two hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son, for in our hearing the king gave you and Abishai and Ittai a command: ‘Protect the youth Absalom for my sake.’ <span id="v10018013" class="ver">13</span>Had I been disloyal and killed him, it would all have come out before the king, and you would stand aloof.” <span id="v10018014" class="ver">14</span>Joab replied, “I will not waste time with you in this way.” And taking three pikes in hand, he thrust for the heart of Absalom. He was still alive in the tree.<a id="ren10018014-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10018014-a">a</a> <span id="v10018015" class="ver">15</span>When ten of Joab’s young armor-bearers closed in on Absalom, and killed him with further blows, <span id="v10018016" class="ver">16</span>Joab then sounded the horn, and the soldiers turned back from the pursuit of the Israelites, because Joab called them to halt. <span id="v10018017" class="ver">17</span>They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest, and built up a very large mound of stones over him. And all the Israelites fled to their own tents.<a id="ren10018017-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10018017-b">b</a></p> <p><span id="v10018018" class="ver">18</span>During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and set it up for himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to perpetuate my name.” The pillar which he named for himself is called Absalom’s Monument to the present day.<a id="ren10018018-c" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10018018-c">c</a></p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">David Told of Absalom’s Death.</span> <span id="v10018019" class="ver">19</span>Then Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, “Let me run to take the good news to the king that the <span class="tetr">Lord</span> has set him free from the power of his enemies.” <span id="v10018020" class="ver">20</span>But Joab said to him: “You are not the man to bring the news today. On some other day you may take the good news, but today you would not be bringing good news, for in fact the king’s son is dead.” <span id="v10018021" class="ver">21</span>Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran off. <span id="v10018022" class="ver">22</span>But Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said to Joab again, “Come what may, permit me also to run after the Cushite.” Joab replied: “Why do you want to run, my son? You will receive no reward.” <span id="v10018023" class="ver">23</span>But he insisted, “Come what may, I want to run.” Joab said to him, “Run.” Ahimaaz took the way of the Jordan plain and outran the Cushite.</p> <p><span id="v10018024" class="ver">24</span>Now David was sitting between the two gates, and a lookout mounted to the roof of the gate above the city wall, where he looked out and saw a man running all alone. <span id="v10018025" class="ver">25</span>The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said, “If he is alone, he has good news to report.” As he kept coming nearer, <span id="v10018026" class="ver">26</span>the lookout spied another runner. From his place atop the gate he cried out, “There is another man running by himself.” And the king responded, “He, too, is bringing good news.” <span id="v10018027" class="ver">27</span>Then the lookout said, “I notice that the first one runs like Ahimaaz, son of Zadok.” The king replied, “He is a good man; he comes with good news.”<a id="ren10018027-d" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10018027-d">d</a> <span id="v10018028" class="ver">28</span>Then Ahimaaz called out and greeted the king. With face to the ground he paid homage to the king and said, “Blessed be the <span class="tetr">Lord</span> your God, who has delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king.” <span id="v10018029" class="ver">29</span>But the king asked, “Is young Absalom safe?” And Ahimaaz replied, “I saw a great disturbance when the king’s servant Joab sent your servant on, but I do not know what it was.” <span id="v10018030" class="ver">30</span>The king said, “Step aside and remain in attendance here.” So he stepped aside and remained there. <span id="v10018031" class="ver">31</span>When the Cushite came in, he said, “Let my lord the king receive the good news that this day the <span class="tetr">Lord</span> has freed you from the power of all who rose up against you.” <span id="v10018032" class="ver">32</span>But the king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom all right?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you with evil intent be as that young man!”</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../2_samuel/17.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="2 Samuel 17"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="2 Samuel 17" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../2_samuel/19.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="2 Samuel 19"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="2 Samuel 19" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>