19And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Let me run, please, and let me carry the news to the king, for the LORD has judged him from the hand of his enemies."20And Joab said to him, "You are not a bearer of good news this day. You may carry news on another day, but this day you shall not carry news, because the king's son is dead."21And Joab said to the Ethiopian, "Go and tell the king what you have seen." So the Ethiopian bowed before Joab and ran.22Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok spoke again: "Whatever may happen, let me also run after the Ethiopian, please." But Joab said, "Why should you run, my son, when you will find no good news?"23And he said, "Whatever may happen, I will run." So Joab said to him, "Run." And Ahimaaz ran by way of the Plain and overtook the Ethiopian.24Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall. He lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was running alone.25The watchman called out and reported to the king. The king said, "If he is alone, then the news in his mouth is good." And the man continued to come nearer.26Then the watchman saw another man running and called to the gatekeeper, "Behold, another man is running alone." The king said, "This one also brings news."27The watchman said, "I see that the running of the first resembles the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man and comes with good news."28Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "Peace." He bowed with his face to the ground before the king and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king."29The king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "I saw the great crowd when Joab the king's servant sent your servant, but I do not know what happened."30The king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood.31And behold, the Ethiopian arrived and said, "My lord the king, receive good news, for the LORD has judged you today from the hand of all who rose against you."32The king said to the Ethiopian, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The Ethiopian answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rose against you become like the young man, to his harm."33The king was shaken. He went up to the upper room over the gate and wept. As he went he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you, Absalom my son, my son!"
Chapter 19
1It was told to Joab, "Behold, the king is weeping and mourning over Absalom."2So the victory that day turned into mourning for all the people, because the people heard it said that day, "The king is grieved over his son."3That day the people stole into the city, just as people who have been humiliated steal away when they flee from battle.4The king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, "My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"5Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, "Today you have put to shame the faces of all your servants who have saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines.6You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have declared today that you have no officers or servants, because I know that if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead, then it would be right in your eyes.7Now therefore arise, go out, and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will stay with you tonight, and this will be worse for you than all the harm that has come upon you from your youth until now."8So the king arose and sat in the gate. When all the people were told, "Behold, the king is sitting in the gate," they came before the king. And Israel had fled, each man to his own tent.