David commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, with Absalom!” All the people heard when he gave the commanders this order about Absalom.
So the troops went out into the field against Israel. The battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. And the soldiers of Israel were defeated there by those who were loyal to David, and the loss of life on that day was great—twenty thousand men. The battle spread over the whole country; and the dense thickets killed more people than were killed by the sword.
Absalom happened to meet the soldiers of David while riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and Absalom’s head caught fast in the oak, and he was hung between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. A certain man saw it and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” Joab said to the man who told him, “You saw him! Why did you not strike him to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” But the man said to Joab, “If I were to feel the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the ruler’s son, for in our hearing he commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Take care of the young man Absalom.’ If I had treacherously taken his life, nothing would have been hidden from the ruler of Israel, and you yourself would not have tried to save me.” Joab answered, “I will not waste time with you.”
So he took three spears in his hand and drove them into Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the oak. Then Joab said to a negro slave, “Go, tell the ruler of Israel what you have seen.” And the negro bowed before Joab and ran off.
Now David was sitting between the two gates, and when the negro came, he said, “Let my lord receive the good news; the LORD has punished for you this day all those who rose up against you.'” David said to the negro, “Is it well with the young Absalom?” The negro answered, “May the enemies of my lord and all who rebel against you to harm you be as that young man!”
Then David was very sad and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. As he wept he said, “My son Absalom, my son, O my son Absalom! Oh that I had died for you, Absalom, my son, my son!” And it was reported to Joab, “The ruler of Israel is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” So for all the people the victory that day was turned to mourning, because they heard that David was mourning for his son. Therefore, the people stole away into the city, as people who are ashamed steal away when they have run away in battle. But David covered his face and cried aloud, “My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!”
Popular Bible Queries
Proverbs 31:28
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her.
Revelations 5:2
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
Numbers 3:13
Because all the firstborn [are] mine; [for] on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I [am] the LORD.
Genesis 40:19
Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
Matthew 2:16
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
Isaiah 30:19
For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
Matthew 6:2
Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matthew 2:18
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping [for] her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
Revelations 2:22
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Genesis 8:21
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart [is] evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
Romans 1:26
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Jeremiah 51:54
A sound of a cry [cometh] from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:
Numbers 22:10
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, [saying],
Exodus 22:9
For all manner of trespass, [whether it be] for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, [or] for any manner of lost thing, which [another] challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; [and] whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.
Isaiah 22:5
For [it is] a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
Hebrews 10:26
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Hosea 13:3
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff [that] is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
Job 27:13
This [is] the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, [which] they shall receive of the Almighty.
Job 39:27
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
Zephania 2:4
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
Daniel 9:8
O Lord, to us [belongeth] confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
Genesis 19:29
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
Psalms 32:3
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Ezekiel 3:3
And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat [it]; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
Numbers 6:11
And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.
Isaiah 34:14
The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.
Ezekiel 38:4
And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts [of armour, even] a great company [with] bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
Hebrews 1:3
Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Psalms 68:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm [or] Song of David. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
Romans 3:28
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
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