Study Desk

When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has proposed this plan. Should we carry out his plan? If not, say so yourself."

So Hushai said to Absalom, "This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good."

But a boy did see them, and he told Absalom; so the two of them left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.

And the woman took a cover and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered barley meal on it, so that nothing was known.

Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; so he died and was buried in his father's grave.

But the people said, "You should not go out; for if in fact we flee, they will not care about us; and if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you will be ready to help us from the city."

Then the king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands.

Then Joab said to the man who had informed him, "So behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And it would have been my duty to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt."

Then Joab said, "I will not waste time here with you." So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.

Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial stone, which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to continue my name." So he named the memorial stone after his own name, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.

Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.

"But whatever happens," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed by the Cushite.

So the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer.

Then the king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still.

So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, because the people heard it said that day, "The king is in mourning over his son."

So the king got up and sat at the gate. When they told all the people, saying, "Behold, the king is sitting at the gate," then all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled, each to his tent.

"And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more so, if you will not be commander of the army for me continually, in place of Joab.'"

So he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, "Return, you and all your servants."

And he said to the king, "May my lord not consider me guilty, nor call to mind what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart.

"For your servant knows that I have sinned; so behold, I have come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king."