2 Samuel 18 Parallel Bible

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	BLB Berean Literal Bible	ESV English Standard Version	NIV New International Version
1	And David numbered the people who were with him, and he set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.	Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.	David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
2	And David sent out a third of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third under the hand of Abishai son of Zeruiah the brother of Joab, and a third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I will surely go out—I also with you⁺.”	And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, “I myself will also go out with you.”	David sent out his troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.”
3	And the people answered, “You shall not go out, for if we surely flee, they will not set the heart on us. If half of us die, they will not set the heart on us, but now you are like ten thousand of us, for now you are more to us in the city for a helper.”	But the men said, “You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.”	But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”
4	And the king said to them, “That which seems best in your⁺ eyes I will do.” And the king stood at the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.	The king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.	The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands.
5	And the king had commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Be gentle for my sake with the young man, Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders all the captains concerning Absalom.	And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.	The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.
6	And the people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.	So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.	David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7	And the people of Israel were struck there before the faces of the servants of David, and there took place that day a great slaughter of twenty thousand.	And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.	There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men.
8	For the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplied to devour the people more than the sword devoured that day.	The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.	The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.
9	And Absalom met before the face of the servants of David. And Absalom rode on a mule. And the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught in the oak. And he was left hanging between the heavens and between the earth, and the mule that was under him went on.	And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.	Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.
10	And a man saw it and told Joab, and he said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”	And a certain man saw it and told Joab, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”	When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”
11	And Joab said to the man who told him, “And behold, you saw him, and why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given to you ten shekels of silver and one belt.”	Joab said to the man who told him, “What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”	Joab said to the man who had told him this, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt.”
12	And the man said to Joab, “Even if I was weighing in my hands a thousand shekels of silver, I would not have sent out my hand against the son of the king. For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect for my sake the young man Absalom.’	But the man said to Joab, “Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not reach out my hand against the king’s son, for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake protect the young man Absalom.’	But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
13	And if I had done against my soul a falsehood—For no matter is hidden from the king—then you would have set yourself against me.”	On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.”	And if I had put my life in jeopardy —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me.”
14	And Joab said, “Not thus will I wait to your face.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the heart of the oak tree.	Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak.	Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.
15	And surrounded ten young men who bore weapons of Joab, and they struck Absalom and killed him.	And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.	And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.
16	And Joab blew in the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people.	Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them.	Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them.
17	And they took Absalom and cast him in the woods, into a large pit, and laid over him a very large heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each man to his tent.	And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home.	They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.
18	And Absalom had taken and set up for himself when he was living a pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “Not unto me is a son to keep in remembrance my name.” And He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called the Hand of Absalom to this day.	Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s monument to this day.	During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
19	And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run now to the king and take the news, how YHWH has avenged him of his enemies.”	Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and carry news to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.”	Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the LORD has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.”
20	And Joab said to him, “You are not the man to take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. And this day you shall not take news, upon that the son of the king is dead.”	And Joab said to him, “You are not to carry news today. You may carry news another day, but today you shall carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.”	“You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
21	And Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” And the Cushite bowed low to Joab, and he ran.	Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed before Joab, and ran.	Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.
22	And Ahimaaz son of Zadok added again and said to Joab, “And what it was, will run, please, I also, after the Cushite!” And Joab said, “Why is this that you will run, my son, since there are there is no news found from you?”	Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?”	Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.” But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”
23	“And what it will be, let me run.” And he said to him, “Run.” And Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.	“Come what may,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.	He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
24	And David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was running by himself.	Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone.	While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone.
25	And the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself, news is in his mouth.” And he came, coming on and drawing near.	The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he drew nearer and nearer.	The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the runner came closer and closer.
26	And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper, and said, “Behold, a man is running by himself.” And the king said, “Also this one brings news.”	The watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the gate and said, “See, another man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.”	Then the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!” The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.”
27	And the watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” And the king said, “This one is a good man, and with good news he comes.”	The watchman said, “I think 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 comes with good news.”	The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”
28	And Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed down before the king with his face to the earth. And he said, “Blessed be YHWH your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.”	Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, “Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.”	Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the LORD your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”
29	And the king said, “Is the young man safe Absalom?” And Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the servant of the king and me, your servant, and I did not know why.”	And the king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.”	The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”
30	And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” And he turned aside and stood still.	And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.	The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.
31	And just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king, for YHWH has avenged you this day against the hand of all those who rose up against you.”	And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.”	Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The LORD has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”
32	And the king said to the Cushite, “Is it all well for the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “And may be the enemies of my lord the king like that young man, all who rise against you to do harm.”	The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.”	The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”
33	And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he went, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Oh that I was given to die in your place, O Absalom, my son, my son!”	And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”	The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”
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2 Samuel 18 Parallel Bible Translations