2 Samuel 18 And Dauid nombred the people that were wyth hym, and sett captaynes of thousandes and of hundredes ouer them.

Great⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ And Dauid nombred the people that were wyth hym, and sett captaynes of thousandes and of hundredes ouer them. ² And Dauid sent forth the thirde parte of the people vnder the hande of Ioab, and another parte vnder the hande of Abisai the sonne of Zeruia Ioabs brother, and the other thyrde parte vnder the hande of Ithai the Gethite. And the kynge sayde vnto the people: I wyll go with you also. ³ And the people answered: Thou shalt not go forth: for yf we fle, oure aduersaries will not care for vs: nether shall they regard vs, though halfe vs were slayne: but thou art worth ten thousande of vs: Wherfore it is better, that thou succoure vs out of the cytie. ⁴ And the kynge sayde vnto them: what semeth you best, that wyll I do. And the kynge stode by the gate syde, and all the people came out by hundredes and by thousandes. ⁵ And the kynge commaunded Ioab & Abisai, & Ithai sayeng: intreate the younge man Absalom gently for my sake. And all the people hearde, that the kynge gaue all the captaynes charge concernynge Absalom. ⁶ And so the people went out into the felde agaynst Israel, and the battel was in the woode of Ephraim: ⁷ Where the people of Israel were put to the worsse before the seruauntes of Dauid, & there was a great slaughter that daye, euen of twentye thousande men. ⁸ For the felde was fought there in dyuerse places, all abroade vpon the erthe. And the wodd deuoured moo people that daye, than dyd the swerde. ⁹ And Absalom came before the seruauntes of Dauid rydynge vpon a Mule, whych caryed hym vnder the thicke bowes of a great Oke. And his heed was caught of the Oke, and he was lifte vp betwene heuen & erthe: & the Mule that was vnder hym, went his waye. ¹⁰ And one that saw it tolde Ioab, sayeng: beholde, I sawe Absalom hange in an Ocke: ¹¹ and Ioab sayde vnto the man that tolde him. Yf thou dydest se hym, why dydest not thou there smyte him to the ground, & I wold haue geuen the ten sicles of siluer, & a girdle? ¹² The man sayde vnto Ioab: though thou woldest laye a thousande sycles of syluer in my hande, yet wolde I not stretche out myne hande agaynst the kynges sonne. For we hearde with oure eares when the kynge charged the, and Abisai and Ithai, sayenge: Beware, that none touch the younge man Absalom: ¹³ Moreouer, yf I had done it, I shulde haue done agaynst myne owne life: for there is no matter hyd from the kinge: yee and thou thy selfe woldest haue bene agaynst me. ¹⁴ Then sayde Ioab: I may not stande thus taryeng wyth the. And he toke thre speares in his hande, & thrust them thorowe Absalom, while he was yet a lyue on the bodye of the tree. ¹⁵ And ten seruauntes that bare Ioabs wepons, turned, and smote Absalom and slue him. ¹⁶ And when Ioab blewe the trompet, the people returned from folowynge Israel: for Ioab spared the people. ¹⁷ And they toke Absalom, and cast hym into a great pytt in the wood, & layed a myghtie great heape of stones vpon hym. And all Israel fled to their tentes. ¹⁸ And thys Absalom yet in hys lyfe tyme toke counsell & reared vp a piller, whyche is in kynges dale. For he sayd: I haue no sonne. And therfore to kepe my name in remembraunce do I it. And he called the pyller after hys awne name. And it is called vnto thys daye: Absaloms pyller. ¹⁹ Then sayde Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadock: let me runne nowe, and beare the kyng tydinges, how that the Lorde hath iudged hym quyte of the hande of hys enemyes. ²⁰ And Ioab sayd vnto hym: thou art no man to beare good tydynges to daye: thou shalt beare tydynges another tyme: but to daye thou shalt beare none, because the kynges sonne is deed. ²¹ Then sayde Ioab to Chusi: go and tell the kynge, what thou hast sene: And Chusi bowed him selfe vnto Ioab, and ranne. ²² Then sayd Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadock agayne to Ioab: come what come wyll, let me also runne after Chusi. And Ioab sayd: Wherfore wilt thou runne my sonne? seing that for the tydynges thou shalt haue no rewarde: well (sayde he) come what will, let me runne. ²³ He sayd vnto him: runne. Then Ahimaaz ranne by the playne waye, and came before Chusi. ²⁴ And Dauid sat betwene the two gates. And the watcheman went vp to the rouffe ouer the gate vnto the walle, & lyfte vp hys eyes, and sawe: & beholde, there cam a man runnynge alone. ²⁵ And the watcheman cryed, & tolde the kynge. And the kynge sayde: yf he be alone, there is good tydinges in his mouth. And he came, & drewe nye. ²⁶ And the watcheman sawe another man runnynge, and he called vnto the porter and sayde: beholde, there commeth another man runnynge alone. And the kynge sayde: he is also a tydinges brynger. ²⁷ And the watcheman sayde. me thynketh the runnynge of the formost is lyke the runnynge of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadock The kynge sayde: he is a good man, and commeth with good tydinges. ²⁸ And Ahimaaz called, & sayde vnto the kynge: good tydinges, and he fell downe flatt to the erth vpon his face before the kynge, and sayde: blessed be the Lorde thy God, which hath shutt vp the men that lyft vp their handes agaynst my Lorde the kynge. ²⁹ And the kynge sayde: is the younge man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz answered: When Ioab sent (Chusi) the kynges seruaunt, and me thy seruaunt, I sawe much a doo. But I whotte not what it was. ³⁰ And the kynge sayde vnto him: turne, and stande here. And he turned, and stode styll. ³¹ And beholde, Chusi came also, and sayde: Good tydinges my Lorde the kynge, For the Lorde hath quytte the thys daye out of the hande of all them that rose agaynst the. ³² And the Kynge sayde vnto Chusi. Is the younge man Absalom safe? Chusi answered: The enemyes of my Lord the kynge, and all that ryse agaynst the, to do the hurt, be as that younge man is. ³³ And the kynge was moued, and went vp to a chambre ouer the gate, and wept. And as he went, thus he sayde: O my sonne Absalom, my sonne, my sonne Absalom, wolde God I had dyed for the: O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.