David gathered the men who were still loyal to him. He counted them carefully and placed them under commanders—some over thousands, others over hundreds.
When the time came to march, he divided the army into three companies: one under Joab, another under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and the third under Ittai the Gittite.
"I myself will go out with you," the king said.
But the men answered him at once, firm and united.
"No," they said. "You must not go. If we are forced to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better that you stay in the city and give us support."
David looked at them and nodded. "I will do whatever seems best to you."
So the king stood by the gate while the army marched out in units—hundreds and thousands passing before him. As they went, David called out to the commanders, and his voice carried so that all could hear.
"Be gentle," he said, "be gentle with the young man Absalom—for my sake."
The troops marched into the field, and the battle was joined in the forest of Ephraim. There, the army of Israel was struck down before David's men, and the slaughter that day was great—twenty thousand fell. The fighting spread across the countryside, and the forest itself devoured more lives than the sword.
In the chaos of battle, Absalom came face to face with David's men. He was riding his mule when it passed beneath the thick branches of a great oak. His head was caught fast in the tree, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth while the mule went on without him.
A soldier saw it and ran to Joab.
"I just saw Absalom," he said. "He is hanging in an oak tree."
Joab stared at him. "What? You saw him and did nothing? Why didn't you strike him down on the spot? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt."
The man shook his head.
"Even if you weighed out a thousand shekels into my hands, I would not lift my hand against the king's son. We all heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.' If I had risked my life like that, nothing would have been hidden from the king—and you yourself would have stood aside."
Joab cut him off. "I'm not going to wait like this."
He took three javelins in his hand and drove them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive, hanging in the tree. Then ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
Joab sounded the trumpet, and the pursuit stopped. The troops were called back. They took Absalom, threw him into a great pit in the forest, and piled a large heap of stones over him. And all the Israelites fled, each to his own home.
Now during his lifetime, Absalom had set up a pillar for himself in the King's Valley.
"I have no son," he had said, "to carry on the memory of my name."
So he named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok spoke up.
"Let me run," he said, "and take the news to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies."
Joab shook his head. "You are not the one to carry the news today. Another day, yes—but not today, because the king's son is dead."
Turning, Joab said to a Cushite, "Go. Tell the king what you have seen."
The Cushite bowed before Joab and ran but Ahimaaz would not let go.
"Come what may," he said again, "please let me run behind the Cushite."
Joab replied, "My son, why run? You will bring no reward."
"Come what may," Ahimaaz said, "I want to run."
Joab sighed. "Run, then."
Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
David was sitting between the inner and outer gates when the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. He looked out and saw a man running alone.
He called down to the king. "I see a man running alone."
"If he is alone," David said, "he brings good news."
As the runner drew nearer, the watchman saw another man running.
"Look!" he cried. "Another man running alone!"
"He also brings good news," the king said.
Then the watchman said, "The first runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok."
"He is a good man," David said softly. "He comes with good news."
Ahimaaz reached the king and cried out, "All is well!" He bowed with his face to the ground and said, "Praise be to the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king."
But David's voice trembled. "Is the young man Absalom safe?"
Ahimaaz hesitated.
"I saw great confusion," he said, "just as Joab was sending the king's servant and me—but I do not know what it was."
"Stand aside," the king said. "Wait here."
Then the Cushite arrived.
"My lord the king," he said, "hear the good news! The LORD has delivered you today from all who rose up against you."
Again David asked, his heart pounding,
"Is the young man Absalom safe?"
The Cushite answered carefully,
"May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to harm you, be like that young man."
The words struck David like a blade. He was shaken. He turned away and went up to the room above the gateway. And as he went, he wept.
"My son Absalom," he cried.
"My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!"