Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

David counted his people and chose leaders of thousands and hundreds over them. He sent out the army in three groups under Joab, Abishai son of Zeruiah, and Ittai the Gittite, saying to the troops, "I'll also go with you myself."

But the people said, "No, don't go. If we flee away, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't be concerned. But now you're worth ten thousand of us, so it's better that you stay here to help us from the city." The king agreed and stood by the gate as all the people went out in groups.

David told Joab, Abishai, and Ittai to show mercy to Absalom for his sake. Everyone heard when he gave orders to the captains about Absalom. The people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

The Israelites were slaughtered by David's servants, and there was a great slaughter that day among them – twenty thousand men died. The battle raged over the entire countryside, and more people were devoured by the forest than by the sword.

Absalom met David's servants and became entangled in an oak tree's branches. His head stuck between heaven and earth as his mule ran off. A man saw this and told Joab, saying, "I saw Absalom hanging from an oak."

Joab asked the man why he didn't kill Absalom right there on the spot. He offered to pay him ten shekels of silver and a girdle for doing so. However, the man refused, saying that he had heard David order everyone not to touch Absalom.

Joab wouldn't linger with the man any longer and took three darts in his hand. While Absalom was still alive in the midst of the oak, Joab thrust them into his heart. Ten young men who carried Joab's armor surrounded and killed Absalom.

Joab blew a trumpet to signal the people to stop pursuing Israel. He held them back because he didn't want them to kill more innocent people. The soldiers took Absalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest, then piled up a huge heap of stones over him. All of Israel retreated to their homes.

Absalom had built a monument for himself during his lifetime, which stood in the king's valley because he said, "I don't have a son to keep my name remembered." It was called Absalom's Monument even to this day.

Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, wanted to run and tell David that the Lord had avenged him against his enemies. But Joab told him not to go because the king's son had been killed. Instead, he sent Cushi to report back to the king what he saw.

David was sitting between two gates as a watchman spotted a man running alone. He called out and said, "If this person is by himself, there must be news in his mouth." The king quickly went up to the gate to meet him.

The watchman also saw another man running and told David, "There's someone else coming with more news." The king replied, "He too brings tidings." The first runner was identified as Ahimaaz, a good man who came bearing good news. Ahimaaz fell down before David, exclaiming, "Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered those who rose against my lord the king."

David asked Ahimaaz if Absalom was safe, but the young man replied that he didn't know what was happening when Joab sent him to report back. Cushi soon arrived and told David, "Good news, my lord the king: the Lord has avenged you today against all those who rose up against you."

The king asked Cushi if Absalom was safe, but Cushi said, "May my lord the king be safe from all those who seek to harm him just as that young man is." David's response was one of grief, and he wept, saying, "Oh, my son Absalom, my son! Would God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son!"