2 Samuel 18:1-21 ▼

1 And Dauid mustred the people yt was with him, and set captaynes ouer the, ouer thousandes and ouer hundreds.

2 And sent out of the people one thirde parte vnder Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia Ioabs brother, and one thirde parte vnder Ithai the Gethite. And the kynge sayde vnto the people: I wyll go forth with you also.

3 Neuertheles the people sayde: Thou shalt not go forth, for though we fle, or die halfe of vs they shal not regarde vs. For thou art as ten thousande of vs. Therfore is this better that thou mayest helpe vs out of the cite.

4 The kynge sayde: Loke what ye are content withall, that wyl I do. And the kynge stode in the gate, and all the people wente forth by hundreds and by thousandes.

5 And ye kinge comaunded Ioab and Abisai, and Ithai, and sayde: Intreate me the yonge man Absalom gently. And all the people herde it, wha the kynge comaunded all the captaynes concernynge Absalom.

6 And whan the people were come forth in to the felde agaynst Israel, the battayll beganne in the wod of Ephraim.

7 And the people of Israel were smitten there before Dauids seruauntes, so that there was a greate slaughter the same daye, of twentye thousande men.

8 And the battaill was scatred abrode there in the londe. And the wod consumed moch more people the same daye, then the swerde consumed.

9 And Absalom met Dauids seruauntes, and rode vpon a Mule. And whan the Mule came vnder a greate thicke Oke tre, his heade toke holde on the Oke, and so hanged he betwene heauen and earth, but the Mule ranne awaye from vnder him.

10 Whan a certayne man sawe that, he tolde Ioab, and saide: Beholde, I sawe Absalom hange vpo an Oke tre.

11 And Ioab saide vnto the ma yt tolde it him: Beholde, sawest thou that, why smotest thou him not there to the groude? so wolde I haue geuen the of myne awne behalfe ten syluerlynges and a gyrdell.

12 The man sayde vnto Ioab: Yf thou haddest weyed me a thousande syluerlynges in my handes, yet wolde I not haue layed my handes on the kynges sonne. For the kynge commaunded the and Abisai and Ithai before oure eares, and sayde: Kepe me the yonge man Absalom.

13 Or yf I had dyssembled vpon the ioperdy of myne owne soule (for so moch as nothinge shulde be hyd from ye kinge) thou thy selfe shuldest haue stode against me.

14 Ioab sayde: Not so, I wil vpon him before thy face. Then toke Ioab thre speares in his hande, and thrust Absalom thorow ye hert, while he was yet alyue vpon the Oke.

15 And ten yoge men Ioabs weapenbearers, came aboute him, and smote him to death.

16 Then blewe Ioab the trompe, and broughte the people agayne, that they shulde folowe nomore vpon Israel. For Ioab wolde fauoure the people.

17 And they toke Absalom, and cast him in the wod in to a greate pytt, and layed a greate heape of stones vpon him. And all Israel fled, euery one vnto his tente.

18 Absalom had set him vp a piler whyle he was yet alyue, which stode in the kynges valley, for he sayde: I haue no sonne, therfore shall this be a remembraunce of my name: and he called the piler after his owne name. And vnto this daie it is yet called Absaloms place.

19 Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc sayde: Let me runne now, and brynge the kynge worde, that the LORDE hath gotten him righte fro the hande of his enemies.

20 But Ioab sayde: Thou shalt bringe no good tidinges to daie another daye shalt thou brynge him worde, and not to daye, for the kynges sonne is deed

21 But vnto Chusi sayde Ioab: Go thou thy waye, and tell the kynge what thou hast sene. And Chusi did his obeysauce vnto Ioab, and ranne.