1   David therfore hauing viewed his people, appointed ouer them tribunes & centurions,

2   and gaue the third part of the people vnder the hand of Ioab, and the third part

Dauid. vnder the hand of Abisai the sonne of Seruia the brother of Ioab, and the third part vnder the hand of Ethai, who was of Geth: and the king said to the people: I also wil goe forth with you.

3   And the people answered: Thou shalt not goe forth: for whether we shal flee, it wil be no great importance to them of vs: or whether the halfe part of vs shal fal, they wil not greatly care: because thou alone art accounted for ten thousandes: it is better therefore that thou be in the citie to ayde vs.

4   To whom the king said: What seemeth good to you, that wil I doe. The king therfore stoode beside the gate: and al the people went forth by their troupes, by hundredes and by thousandes.

5   And the King commanded Ioab, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: ^note Saue me the child Absalom. And al the people heard the King commanding al the princes for Absalom.

6   The people therfore went out into the filde against Israel, & the battel was fought in the forest of Ephraim.

7   And the people of Israel was slayne there of Dauids armie, and there was made a great slaughter in that day, of twentie thousand.

8   And the battel there was dispersed vpon the face of al the earth, and there were manie moe, whom the forest had consumed of the people, then they whom the sword deuoured in that day.

9   And it chanced that Absalom mette the seruantes of Dauid, sitting on a mule: and when the mule was gone in vnder a thicke oke and a great, his head stucke to the oke: and he hanging betwen heauen and earth, the mule that he rode vpon passed through.

10   And one sawe this & told Ioab: saying: I saw Absolom hang vpon an oke.

11   And Ioab sayd to the man that told him: If thou sawest him, why didst thou not nayle him to the earth, and I had geuen thee ten sicles of siluer, and one belt?

12   Who sayd to Ioab: If thou wouldest pay downe in my handes a thousand peeces of siluer, I would not lay my handes vpon the kinges sonne: for in our hearing the king commanded thee, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Keepe me the child Absalom.

13   Yea and if I had done agaynst my life boldly, this could not haue beene hid from the king, and thou wouldest haue stand agaynst it?

14   And Ioab sayd: Not as thou wilt, but I wil set vpon him before thee. He tooke therefore three lances in his hand, and thrust them in the hart of Absalom: and when as yet he panted for life sticking on the oke,

15   there ranne ten yong men the squyers of Ioab, and striking they killed him.

Dauid.

16   And Ioab sounded the trumpet, and stayed the people, that they should not pursew Israel fleeing, willing to spare the multitude.

17   And they tooke Absalom, and cast him in the forrest, into a great pitte, and they heaped vpon him an exceding great heape of stones: but al Israel fled into their tabernacles.

18   Moreouer Absalom had erected to himself, whiles he yet liued, a title which is in the kinges Valley: for he said: I haue ^note no sonne, and this shal be a monument of my name. And he called the title by his name, and it is called The hand of Absalom, vntil this present day.

19   And Achimaas the sonne of Sadoc said: I wil runne, and tel the king, that our Lord hath done him iudgement of the hand of his enemies.

20   To whom Ioab said: Thou shalt not be messenger this day, but thou shalt carie the message an other day: to day I wil not haue thee carie the message, for the kinges sonne is dead.

21   And Ioab said to Chusai: Goe, and tel the king what thou hast seene. Chusai adored Ioab, and ranne.

22   And againe Achimaas the sonne of Sadoc said to Ioab: What letteth if I also runne after Chusai? And Ioab sayd to him: Why wilt thou runne my sonne? thou shalt not be caryer of good tydinges.

23   Who answered: But what if I runne? And he said to him: Runne. Achimaas therfore running a nere way out went Chusai.

24   And Dauid sate betwen the two gates: and the watchman that was in the toppe of the gate vpon the wal, lifting vp his eies, saw a man running alone.

25   And crying out he told the king: and the king said: If he be alone, there are good tydinges in his mouth. And he making hast, and coming neerer,

26   the watchman saw an other man running, and crying alowde in the toppe, he said: There appeareth vnto me an other man running alone. And the king said: And this is a good messenger.

27   And the watchman, I behold, said he, the running of the former, as it were the running of Achimaas the sonne of Sadoc. And the king said: He is a good man: and cometh bringing good newes.

28   And Achimaas crying, sayd to the king: God saue thee ô king. And adoring the king before him flatte to the earth, he said: Blessed be our Lord thy God, who hath shut vp the men that haue lifted vp their handes against my lord the king.

29   And the king said: Is the child Absalom safe? And Achimaas sayd? I saw a great tumult, when thy seruant Ioab sent, ô king, me thy seruant: other thing I know not.

30   To whom

Dauid. the king, Passe, sayd he, and stand here.

31   And when he had passed, and stood,

31   Chusai appeared: and coming he sayd: I bring good tydinges my lord king: for our Lord hath iudged for thee this day of the hand of al that haue rysen against thee.

32   And the king sayd to Chusai: Is the child Absalom safe? To whom Chusai answering, sayd: Let the enemies of my lord the king become, as the child, and al that ryse against him vnto euil.

33   The king therfore being made sorie, went vp into the high chamber of the gate, and wept. And thus he spake, going: My sonne Absalom, Absalom my sonne: who would graunt me that I might die for thee, Absalom my sonne, my sonne Absalom.

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