Absalom believed that his soldiers would try harder to capture David if he should go with them. So he led them out from Jerusalem, riding on a mule as was the custom of kings. And a great host of men followed, all armed and ready to fight against the servants of David. Now, David was being cared for by kind friends in the city of Mahanaim;. His servants would not let him go out to the battle, so he divided them into three companies and sent them away to meet Absalom and his men in a thick woodland called the woods of Ephraim. Then he waited by the gate of the city to hear the first news that should come from the battle-field.
Before letting his men start David urged them to be kind to Absalom if they should find him in the woods. Even though Absalom was an ungrateful son, David could not forget his love for the young man. And he waited with an anxious heart to hear what the result of the meeting in the woods should be.
David’s servants were successful in the battle. Many of Absa-lom’s soldiers: were killed, and many others were scattered and lost in the thick woods. As Absalom was riding through the woods trying to escape from David’s servants, his mule ran under the boughs of a great oak-tree, and Absalom was caught by his head in the thick boughs. His mule ran away, leaving him hanging there alone. One of David’s servants was near by and saw him; but he remembered David’s words, and would not hurt the young prince. He ran quickly to tell his captain, Joab, what he had seen. And Joab asked, “Why did you not kill Absalom at once?” The servant answered, “Because I heard David command us to spare the young man’s life.”
Although Joab was the chief captain of David’s army, he was not always careful to obey the orders that David gave to him. He was a cruel man, and sometimes he did things that grieved his master very much. When Joab heard that Absalom was hanging in the boughs of a tree he hurried to the place and found the young Prince yet alive, and Joab killed him. The young men who carried Joab’s armor came to help him kill Absalom, and they took Absalom’s body down from the tree and threw it into a deep hole in the ground. Then they covered the hole with a heap of stones.
Absalom’s soldiers soon heard that their leader had been killed, and they ran away from the battle. They had nothing left to fight for, and they were afraid of David’s servants, so they hurried quickly to their own homes on the other side of the Jordan River.
Joab sent a young man named Cushi to carry the news of the battle to David. After he started, one of the priests’ sons asked permission also to run as a messenger to David. But Joab said, “You have nothing to tell.” Still the priest’s son begged to go, so Joab gave his consent. But he did not send a message With this man. And this man ran faster than the first; but when he came to David he could not tell What had happened in the woods.
Cushi then came forward and bowed low before David, saying as he did so, “Tidings, my lord the king.” And David knew he had a message from the battle. How eagerly the old King listened to Cushi’s report of the victory, which his servants had gained over Absalom’s army! “Then he asked in anxious tones, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
Now Cushi knew that David loved the wicked young Prince, and it was not easy to tell what had happened to Absalom. So he said kindly, “Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to harm you, be as the young man is.” And David understood by these words that Absalom was dead.
Instead of rejoicing because of the victory, King David covered his face and began to weep aloud because of his son’s death. Again and again he cried, “O my son Absalom! my son! my son! I would rather have died myself!” And all the people who heard David weeping were made sad that day. No one felt like rejoicing over the victory, for they were afraid that their King would be displeased.
Finally Joab came and spoke to David. He said, “The people will think that you love your enemies and hate your friends. They have risked their lives to save you from harm, and now you only weep, because your ungrateful son has been killed. You do not thank the people who have been true to you in this time of trouble.” So David ceased his weeping and went out to speak again to his brave servants. Not long afterwards David and his servants and all who had come with him returned again to live in Jerusalem. And David showed much kindness to the friends who. had cared for him while his life was being sought by his wicked son.