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¹ And Dauid numbred the people that were with him, and set captaynes of thousandes and of hundredes ouer them.² And Dauid set foorth the third part of the people vnder the hande of Ioab, and the third part vnder the hand of Abisai the sonne of Zaruia Ioabs brother, and the other third part vnder the hand of Ithai the Gethite: And the king said vnto the people, I will go with you my selfe also.³ And the people aunswered, Thou shalt not go foorth: for if we flee away, they wil not care for vs, neither shal they regard vs, though halfe of vs were slaine: but thou art nowe worth ten thousande of vs, Wherfore it is better that thou succour vs out of the citie.⁴ And the king sayde vnto them: What seemeth you best, that wil I do. And the king stoode by the gate syde, and all the people came out by hundredes, and by thousandes.⁵ And the king commaunded Ioab, and Abisai, and Ithai, saying: Intreate the young man Absalom gently for my sake. And all the people hearde that the king gaue all the captaynes charge concerning Absalom.⁶ And so the people wet out into the fielde against Israel (and the battel was in the wood of Ephraim)⁷ Where the people of Israel were slaine before the seruauntes of Dauid: & there was a great slaughter that day, euen of twentie thousande men.⁸ For the battell was scattered ouer al the countrey: And the wood deuoured mo people that day, then dyd the sword.

⁹ And Absalom mette the seruauntes of Dauid ryding vpon a mule, whiche caried him vnder the thycke bowes of a great oke, and his head was caught of the oke, and he was lift vp betweene the heauen and the earth: and the mule that was vnder him, went away.¹⁰ And one that sawe it, tolde Ioab, saying: Beholde, I sawe Absalom hange in an oke.¹¹ And Ioab sayd vnto the man that told him: If thou diddest see him, why diddest not thou there smite him to the ground, and I would haue geuen thee ten sicles of siluer, and a gyrdle?¹² The man sayd vnto Ioab: Though I should receaue a thousande sicles of siluer in myne hande, yet woulde I not stretche out myne hand against ye kinges sonne: For we heard with our eares when the king charged thee, & Abisai, and Ithai, saying: Beware that none touche the young man Absalom.¹³ Moreouer, if I had done it, I shoulde haue done against mine owne lyfe: for there is no matter hyd from the king, yea & thou thy selfe wouldest haue ben against me.¹⁴ Then sayde Ioab, I may not stand thus tarying with thee: And he toke three dartes in his hande, & thrust them through Absalom whyle he was yet alyue in the middes of the oke.¹⁵ And ten seruauntes that bare Ioabs weapons, turned and smote Absalom, and slue him.¹⁶ And Ioab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from folowing Israel: for Ioab held backe the people.¹⁷ And they toke Absalom, and cast him into a great pyt in the wood, and layed a mightie great heape of stones vpon him: And all Israel fled euery one to their tentes.¹⁸ And this Absalom yet in his lyfe time toke and reared vp a piller, whiche is in the kinges dale: For he sayd, I haue no sonne to kepe my name in remembraunce, and he called the piller after his owne name, and it is called vnto this day Absaloms place.

¹⁹ Then sayd Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc: Let me runne nowe and beare the king tydinges, how that the Lord hath iudged him quyte of the hande of his enemies.²⁰ And Ioab sayd vnto him: Thou art no man to beare tidinges to day, thou shalt beare tydinges another time: but to day thou shalt beare none, because the kinges sonne is dead.²¹ Then sayd Ioab to Chusi: Go and tell the kyng what thou hast seene. And Chusi bowed him selfe vnto Ioab, and ranne.²² Then sayd Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc againe to Ioab: What I pray thee, if I also runne after Chusi? And Ioab sayde: Wherfore wilt thou runne my sonne, seyng that thou hast no tydinges to bring?²³ Yet what if I runne? He said vnto him: Runne. Then Ahimaaz ranne by the way of the playne, & came before Chusi.²⁴ And Dauid sate betweene the two gates: And the watchman went vp to the roofe ouer the gate vnto the wal, and lift vp his eyes and sawe, & beholde there came a man runnyng alone.²⁵ And the watchman cryed, & tolde the king. And the king sayd: If he be alone, there is tydinges in his mouth. And he came a pace, and drewe neare.²⁶ And the watchman sawe another man running, and the watchman called vnto the porter, and sayd: Behold, there commeth another man running alone. And the king sayd: He is also a tydinges bringer.²⁷ And the watchman sayde: Me thinketh the running of the formost, is lyke the running of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc. The king sayde: He is a good man, and commeth with good tidinges.²⁸ And Ahimaaz called & said vnto ye king, peace be with thee: And he fell downe to the earth vpo his face before the king, and sayd: Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath shut vp the me that lift vp their handes against my lorde the king.²⁹ And the king sayd: Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz aunswered: When Ioab sent the kinges seruaunt, and me thy seruaunt, I sawe a great tumult, but I wote not what it was.³⁰ And the king sayde vnto him: Turne aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stoode styll.³¹ And behold, Chusi came also, and sayd: Tydinges my lorde the king, for the Lord hath deliuered thee this day out of the hande of al them that rose against thee.³² And the king sayde vnto Chusi: Is the young man Absalom safe? Chusi aunswered: The enemies of my lorde the king, and all that ryse against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.³³ And the king was moued, and went vp to the chamber ouer the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he sayde, O my sonne Absalom, my sonne, my sonne Absalom: woulde God I had died for thee, O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.