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Absalom’s Defeat and Death
18 And David [a]numbered the people who were with him, and (A)set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2 Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, (B)one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the hand of (C)Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I also will surely go out with you myself.”
3 (D)But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.”
4 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 by thousands. 5 Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” (E)And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the (F)woods of Ephraim. 7 The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. 8 For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and (G)his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on. 10 Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!”
11 So Joab said to the man who told him, “You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.”
12 But the man said to Joab, “Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. (H)For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [b]‘Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom!’ 13 Otherwise I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.”
14 Then Joab said, “I cannot linger with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. 15 And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him.
16 So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. 17 And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and (I)laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel (J)fled, everyone to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a [c]pillar for himself, which is in (K)the King’s Valley. For he said, (L)“I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.
David Hears of Absalom’s Death
19 Then (M)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the Lord has [d]avenged him of his enemies.”
20 And Joab said to him, “You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran.
22 And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But [e]whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.”
So Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?”
23 “But whatever happens,” he said, “let me run.”
So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
24 Now David was sitting between the (N)two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. 25 Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near.
26 Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “There is another man, running alone!”
And the king said, “He also brings news.”
27 So the watchman said, [f]“I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”
And the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with (O)good news.”
28 So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, [g]“All is well!” Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, (P)“Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!”
29 The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about.”
30 And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
31 Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king! For the Lord has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.”
32 And the king said to the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
So the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!”
David’s Mourning for Absalom
33 Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: (Q)“O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, (R)my son!”
David Returns to Jerusalem
19 And Joab was told, “Behold, the king is weeping and (S)mourning for Absalom.” 2 So the victory that day was turned into (T)mourning for all the people. For the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” 3 And the people [h]stole back (U)into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 4 But the king (V)covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, (W)“O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 Then (X)Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, 6 in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you [i]regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. 7 Now therefore, arise, go out and speak [j]comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.” 8 Then the king arose and sat in the (Y)gate. And they told all the people, saying, “There is the king, sitting in the gate.” So all the people came before the king.
For everyone of Israel had (Z)fled to his tent.
David Returns to Jerusalem
9 Now all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us from the hand of our (AA)enemies, he delivered us from the hand of the (AB)Philistines, and now he has (AC)fled from the land because of Absalom. 10 But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?”
The Empty Tomb(A)
20 Now the (B)first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the (C)stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the (D)other disciple, (E)whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 (F)Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw (G)the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and (H)the [a]handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the (I)other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not [b]know the (J)Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord
11 (K)But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 (L)Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and (M)did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, (N)“Mary!”
She turned and said to [c]Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet (O)ascended to My Father; but go to (P)My brethren and say to them, (Q)‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to (R)My God and your God.’ ”
18 (S)Mary Magdalene came and told the [d]disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
The Apostles Commissioned(T)
19 (U)Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were [e]assembled, for (V)fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, (W)“Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He (X)showed them His hands and His side. (Y)Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! (Z)As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 (AA)If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Seeing and Believing
24 Now Thomas, (AB)called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and (AC)reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be (AD)unbelieving, but believing.”
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, [f]“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. (AE)Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That You May Believe
30 And (AF)truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 (AG)but these are written that (AH)you may believe that Jesus (AI)is the Christ, the Son of God, (AJ)and that believing you may have life in His name.
ר RESH
153 (A)Consider my affliction and deliver me,
For I do not forget Your law.
154 (B)Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes.
156 [a]Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord;
Revive me according to Your judgments.
157 Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
Yet I do not (C)turn from Your testimonies.
158 I see the treacherous, and (D)am disgusted,
Because they do not keep Your word.
159 Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.
160 The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
ש SHIN
161 (E)Princes persecute me without a cause,
But my heart stands in awe of Your word.
162 I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor lying,
But I love Your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.
165 (F)Great peace have those who love Your law,
And [b]nothing causes them to stumble.
166 (G)Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
167 My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
(H)For all my ways are before You.
ת TAU
169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord;
(I)Give me understanding according to Your word.
170 Let my [c]supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word.
171 (J)My lips shall utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.
172 My tongue shall speak of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Your hand become my help,
For (K)I have chosen Your precepts.
174 (L)I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And (M)Your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
176 (N)I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.