Abšāloma nāve
1 Dāvids nostādīja karapulku, kas bija pie viņa, un iecēla virsniekus pār tūkstošiem un virsniekus pār simtiem. 2 Tad Dāvids sūtīja karapulku kaujā – trešo daļu Joāba vadībā, trešo daļu Abīšaja, Cerūjas dēla, Joāba brāļa vadībā, un trešo daļu gatieša Itaja vadībā. Ķēniņš sacīja ļaudīm: “Ietin iešu jums līdzi – es ar!” 3 Ļaudis sacīja: “Nenāc! Ja mēs bēgtin bēgsim, par mums tiem maza bēda! Ja puse no mums ies bojā, par mums tiem maza bēda! Jo tu viens pats kā desmit tūkstoši no mums – būs labāk, ja tu mūs no pilsētas atbalstīsi!”
4 Ķēniņš tiem sacīja: “Kā jums šķiet labāk, tā es darīšu!” Ķēniņš nostājās pie vārtiem, un viss karapulks izgāja pa simtiem un pa tūkstošiem. 5 Ķēniņš pavēlēja Joābam, Abīšajam un Itajam: “Es jūs lūdzu, esiet saudzīgi pret šo puisi Abšālomu!” Viss karapulks dzirdēja, ko ķēniņš par Abšālomu pavēlēja virsniekiem. 6 Karapulks izgāja Israēlam pretī, un kauja notika Efraima mežā. 7 Tur Dāvida kalpi sakāva Israēla pulku. Tā todien bija milzīga sakāve – divdesmit tūkstoši krita. 8 Kauja pletās pa visu zemi, un mežs todien aprija vairāk ļaužu nekā zobens. 9 Abšāloms sastapās ar Dāvida kalpiem. Abšāloms jāja uz mūļa, un, kad mūlis pagāja zem liela ozola zaru jūkļa, Abšāloma mati ieķērās ozola zaros un viņš palika starp debesīm un zemi, un mūlis zem viņa aizgāja. 10 Kāds vīrs to ieraudzīja un teica Joābam: “Redzi, es redzēju Abšālomu karājamies ozolā!” 11 Joābs sacīja tam vīram, kas viņam to pateica: “Kā – tu redzēji?! – kādēļ tad nenotrieci viņu turpat zemē? Tu būtu no manis dabūjis desmit sudraba gabalus un jostu!” 12 Tas vīrs atbildēja Joābam: “Pat ja man iesvērtu tūkstoš sudraba gabalu, es nepaceltu roku pret ķēniņa dēlu, jo, mums dzirdot, ķēniņš pavēlēja tev, Abīšajam un Itajam: saudzējiet taču to puisi Abšālomu! – 13 Ja es izdarītu tādu viltību, pats savai dzīvībai kaitēdams, tas nepaliktu apslēpts ķēniņam, bet tu būtu stāvējis malā.” 14 Joābs teica: “Nav man te ko gaidīt uz tevi!” – un, paķēris rokā trīs šautras, ietrieca tās Abšāloma sirdī – tas vēl dzīvs karājās ozola lapotnē. 15 Desmit puiši, Joāba ieroču nesēji, apstāja Abšālomu, kāva un nonāvēja viņu. 16 Tad Joābs pūta ragu, un karapulks pārstāja vajāt Israēlu, jo Joābs viņus apturēja. 17 Viņi ņēma Abšālomu, ielika to lielā bedrē mežā un virsū sakrāva ļoti lielu akmeņu kaudzi. Bet visi israēlieši bēga katrs uz savu telti.
18 Abšāloms, vēl dzīvs būdams, bija uzslējis sev piemiņas stabu Ķēniņu ielejā, jo viņš domāja: “Man nav dēla, kas nestu tālāk manu vārdu.” Viņš nosauca piemiņas stabu savā vārdā, un to sauc par Abšāloma piemiņas stabu līdz šai dienai.
Ziņa par uzvaru ķēniņam
19 Ahīmaacs, Cādoka dēls, teica: “Ļauj, ka skrienu un nesu ķēniņam labo ziņu, ka Kungs viņu iztiesājis no viņa ienaidnieku rokām.” 20 Joābs sacīja viņam: “Šodien tu nebūsi labās ziņas nesējs. Nesīsi ziņu citu reizi, nevis šodien, kad ķēniņa dēls miris.” 21 Un Joābs teica kādam kūšietim: “Ej, stāsti ķēniņam, ko esi redzējis!” Kūšietis palocījās Joābam un aizskrēja. 22 Ahīmaacs, Cādoka dēls, atkal sacīja Joābam: “Lai būtu kā būdams, ļauj, es arī skriešu pakaļ kūšietim!” Joābs sacīja viņam: “Kāpēc gan tu skriesi, mans dēls, – tev nav labas ziņas, ko nest!” 23 “Lai būtu kā būdams, es skriešu!” Joābs sacīja: “Skrien arī!” – un Ahīmaacs aizskrēja pa līdzenuma ceļu un apsteidza kūšieti. 24 Dāvids sēdēja starp abiem vārtiem, un sargs staigāja pa vārtu jumtu uz mūra. Viņš ieskatījās, un redzi – kāds vīrs viens pats skrien! 25 Sargs sauca un pavēstīja ķēniņam. Ķēniņš sacīja: “Ja viņš viens, tad tam ir laba ziņa.” Un tas nāca tuvāk un tuvāk. 26 Tad sargs ieraudzīja vēl vienu skrejošu vīru, un sargs uzsauca vārtu sargam: “Re, vēl viens vīrs skrien!” Ķēniņš sacīja: “Tas arī būs ziņnesis.” 27 Sargs sacīja: “Es redzu, ka pirmais skrien gluži kā Ahīmaacs, Cādoka dēls.” Ķēniņš sacīja: “Tas ir krietns vīrs un nāk ar labu ziņu.” 28 Un Ahīmaacs sauca ķēniņam: “Miers!” Viņš noliecās ķēniņam ar seju līdz zemei un sacīja: “Slavēts Kungs, tavs Dievs, kas gūstījis tos vīrus, kuri pacēla roku pret manu kungu, ķēniņu!” 29 Ķēniņš prasīja: “Kā klājas tam puisim Abšālomam?” Ahīmaacs sacīja: “Es redzēju lielu kņadu, kad Joābs izsūtīja ķēniņa kalpu un mani, tavu kalpu, bet es nezinu, kas tur bija!” 30 Ķēniņš sacīja: “Paej malā un gaidi šeit!” Viņš pagāja malā un apstājās.
31 Un redzi – ienāca kūšietis un sacīja: “Saņem labu ziņu, mans kungs, ķēniņ, jo Kungs tevi iztiesājis no visu to rokām, kas pret tevi sacēlušies!” 32 Un ķēniņš prasīja kūšietim: “Kā klājas tam puisim Abšālomam?” Kūšietis sacīja: “Lai tā, kā šim puisim, notiek ķēniņa ienaidniekiem un visiem, kas pret tevi ceļas ar ļaunu!”
David Gets Ready for Battle
1 David divided his soldiers into groups of 100 and groups of 1,000. Then he chose officers to be in command of each group. 2 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.”
3 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.”
4-6 David said, “All right, if you think I should.”
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.”
David stood beside the town gate as his army marched past in groups of 100 and in groups of 1,000.
Joab Kills Absalom
The war with Israel took place in Ephraim Forest. 7-8 Battles were being fought all over the forest, and David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed that day, and more of them died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting itself.
9 Absalom was riding his mule under a huge tree when his head caught in the branches. The mule ran off and left Absalom hanging in midair. Some of David's soldiers happened by, 10 and one of them went and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree!”
11 Joab said, “You saw Absalom? Why didn't you kill him? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a special belt.”
12 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. 13 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.”
14 Joab said, “I'm not going to waste any more time on you!”
Absalom was still alive, so Joab took three spears and stuck them through Absalom's chest. 15 Ten of Joab's bodyguards came over and finished him off. 16 Then Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers. 17 They threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and put a big pile of rocks over it.
Meanwhile, the people of Israel had all run back to their own homes.
18 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 to keep my name alive.” He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.
Ahimaaz Wants To Tell David
19 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Joab, let me run and tell King David that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20 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.”
21 Someone from Ethiopia 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.
22 Ahimaaz spoke to Joab again, “No matter what happens, I still want to go. And besides, the Ethiopian has already left.”
Joab said, “Why should you go? You won't get a reward for the news you have!”
23 “I'll run no matter what!” Ahimaaz insisted.
“All right then, run!” Joab said.
Ahimaaz took the road through the Jordan Valley and outran the Ethiopian.
24 Meanwhile, David was sitting between the inner and outer gates 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 25 and shouted down to tell David.
David answered, “If he's alone, he must have some news.”
The runner was getting closer, 26 when the soldier saw someone else running. He shouted down to the gate, “Look! There's another runner!”
David said, “He must have some news too.”
27 The soldier on the roof shouted, “The first one runs just like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”
This time David said, “He's a good man. He must have some good news.”
28 Ahimaaz called out, “We won! We won!” Then he bowed low to David and said, “Your Majesty, praise the Lord your God! He has given you victory over your enemies.”
29 “Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.
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.”
30 David told him, “Stand over there and wait.”
Ahimaaz went over and stood there. 31 The Ethiopian came and said, “Your Majesty, today I have good news! The Lord has rescued you from all your enemies!”
32 “Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.
The Ethiopian replied, “I wish that all Your Majesty's enemies and everyone who tries to harm you would end up like him!”
David Cries for Absalom
33 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!”
