CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//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"><title>2 Samuel 18 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></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="../topmenuchap/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="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</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">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">David Gets Ready for Battle</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_1"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.1" class="v10_18_1">1</span>David divided his soldiers into groups of 100 and groups of 1,000. Then he chose officers to be in command of each group. </span><span class="v10_18_2"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.2" class="v10_18_2">2</span>He sent out one third of his army under the command of Joab, another third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, and the rest under the command of Ittai from Gath. He told the soldiers, “I'm going into battle with you.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_3"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.3" class="v10_18_3">3</span>But the soldiers said, “No, don't go into battle with us! It won't matter to our enemies if they make us all run away, or even if they kill half of us. But you are worth 10,000 of us. It would be better for you to stay in town and send help if we need it.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_4"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.4-2Sam.18.6" class="v10_18_4">4-6</span>David said, “All right, if you think I should.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_4">Then in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, “Joab! Abishai! Ittai! For my sake, be sure that Absalom comes back unharmed.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_4">David stood beside the town gate as his army marched past in groups of 100 and in groups of 1,000.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Joab Kills Absalom</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_4">The war with Israel took place in Ephraim Forest. </span><span class="v10_18_7"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.7-2Sam.18.8" class="v10_18_7">7-8</span>Battles were being fought all over the forest, and David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.18.7-2Sam.18.8!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> that day, and more of them died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting itself.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_9"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.9" class="v10_18_9">9</span>Absalom was riding his mule under a huge tree when his head<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.18.9!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> caught in the branches. The mule ran off and left Absalom hanging in midair. Some of David's soldiers happened by, </span><span class="v10_18_10"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.10" class="v10_18_10">10</span>and one of them went and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_11"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.11" class="v10_18_11">11</span>Joab said, “You saw Absalom? Why didn't you kill him? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a special belt.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_12"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.12" class="v10_18_12">12</span>The man answered, “Even if you paid me 1,000 pieces of silver here and now, I still wouldn't touch the king's son. We all heard King David tell you and Abishai and Ittai not to harm Absalom. </span><span class="v10_18_13"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.13" class="v10_18_13">13</span>He always finds out what's going on. I would have been risking my life to kill Absalom, because you would have let me take the blame.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_14"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.14" class="v10_18_14">14</span>Joab said, “I'm not going to waste any more time on you!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_14">Absalom was still alive, so Joab took three spears and stuck them through Absalom's chest. </span><span class="v10_18_15"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.15" class="v10_18_15">15</span>Ten of Joab's bodyguards came over and finished him off. </span><span class="v10_18_16"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.16" class="v10_18_16">16</span>Then Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers. </span><span class="v10_18_17"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.17" class="v10_18_17">17</span>They threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and put a big pile of rocks over it.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_17">Meanwhile, the people of Israel had all run back to their own homes.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_18"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.18" class="v10_18_18">18</span>When Absalom was alive, he had set up a stone monument for himself in King's Valley. He explained, “I don't have any sons<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.18.18!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> to keep my name alive.” He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.18.18!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><h3 class="s1">Ahimaaz Wants To Tell David</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_19"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.19" class="v10_18_19">19</span>Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Joab, let me run and tell King David that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> has rescued him from his enemies.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_20"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.20" class="v10_18_20">20</span>Joab answered, “You're not the one to tell the king that his son is dead. You can take him a message some other time, but not today.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_21"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.21" class="v10_18_21">21</span>Someone from Ethiopia<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.18.21!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> was standing there, and Joab told him, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” The man knelt down in front of Joab, then got up and started running.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_22"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.22" class="v10_18_22">22</span>Ahimaaz spoke to Joab again, “No matter what happens, I still want to go. And besides, the Ethiopian has already left.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_22">Joab said, “Why should you go? You won't get a reward for the news you have!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_23"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.23" class="v10_18_23">23</span>“I'll run no matter what!” Ahimaaz insisted.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_23">“All right then, run!” Joab said.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_23">Ahimaaz took the road through the Jordan Valley and outran the Ethiopian.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_24"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.24" class="v10_18_24">24</span>Meanwhile, David was sitting between the inner and outer gates<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.18.24!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> in the city wall. One of his soldiers was watching from the roof of the gate-tower. He saw a man running toward the town </span><span class="v10_18_25"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.25" class="v10_18_25">25</span>and shouted down to tell David.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_25">David answered, “If he's alone, he must have some news.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_25">The runner was getting closer, </span><span class="v10_18_26"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.26" class="v10_18_26">26</span>when the soldier saw someone else running. He shouted down to the gate, “Look! There's another runner!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_26">David said, “He must have some news too.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_27"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.27" class="v10_18_27">27</span>The soldier on the roof shouted, “The first one runs just like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_27">This time David said, “He's a good man. He must have some good news.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_28"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.28" class="v10_18_28">28</span>Ahimaaz called out, “We won! We won!” Then he bowed low to David and said, “Your Majesty, praise the <span class="nd">Lord</span> your God! He has given you victory over your enemies.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_29"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.29" class="v10_18_29">29</span>“Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_29">Ahimaaz said, “When Joab sent your personal servant and me, I saw a noisy crowd. But I don't know what it was all about.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_30"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.30" class="v10_18_30">30</span>David told him, “Stand over there and wait.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_30">Ahimaaz went over and stood there. </span><span class="v10_18_31"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.31" class="v10_18_31">31</span>The Ethiopian came and said, “Your Majesty, today I have good news! The <span class="nd">Lord</span> has rescued you from all your enemies!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_32"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.32" class="v10_18_32">32</span>“Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_32">The Ethiopian replied, “I wish that all Your Majesty's enemies and everyone who tries to harm you would end up like him!”</span></p><h3 class="s1">David Cries for Absalom</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_18_33"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.18.33" class="v10_18_33">33</span>David started trembling. Then he went up to the room above the city gate to cry. As he went, he kept saying, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I could have died instead of you! Absalom, my son, my son!”<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.18.33!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p></div> </div> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.7,8 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Twenty … killed: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This may refer to the total number or to the number of Absalom's soldiers who were killed.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.9 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">head: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “hair.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.18 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">I don't have any sons: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">According to 14.27, Absalom had three sons. But they could have died young or been put to death for Absalom's murder of Amnon.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.18 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">today: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">That is, at the time of writing. This monument is not the same as the structure now known as “Absalom's Tomb,” which was built at least 600 years later.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.21 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Ethiopia: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.24 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">between … gates: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The city gate was often like a tower in the city wall, with one gate on the outside of the wall and another gate on the inside of the wall.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.33 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">son: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">In Hebrew, this verse is 19.1.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at <a href="http://www.get.bible/cev">www.get.bible/cev</a></span></p><br /><br /><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /><br /><br /></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="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/2_samuel/18-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchapnoad.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>