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Absalom’s Demise
18 Then David mustered the people who were with him and set commanders of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2 Then David sent out the troops, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, “I must certainly go out with you also.”
3 But the troops said, “You must not go out! For if we were to flee, they would not care about us, even if half of us die, they still wouldn’t care about us—but you are worth 10,000 of us. Therefore now, it is better that you be ready to support us from 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 troops went out by their hundreds and thousands. 5 Then the king charged Joab, Abishai and Ittai saying, “Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake.” Now all the troops heard the king’s charge to all the commanders concerning Absalom.
6 Then the troops went out to the field to confront Israel but the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7 The people of Israel were defeated there before the followers of David, and the slaughter that day was great—20,000 men. 8 For the battle there was spread over the face of the entire countryside and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 Now Absalom encountered some of David’s servants. When Absalom was riding on his mule, the mule went under the thick branches of the great oak, and his head got caught in the oak, so that he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. 10 Then a certain man saw it and told Joab saying, “Look, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”
11 Then Joab said to his informant, “Look here, you saw him, so why didn’t you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt!”
12 But the man said to Joab, “Even if I had 1,000 pieces of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king charged you, Abishai and Ittai saying, ‘Watch over the young man Absalom for me.’ 13 Otherwise, I would have betrayed his soul—and nothing stays hidden from the king—and you yourself would have stood aloof.”
14 “I won’t wait for you!” Joab said. So he took three darts in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15 Then ten young men who were Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck and finished him off. 16 Then Joab blew the shofar and the troops returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held back the troops. 17 They took Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest and piled over him a very large heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent.
18 (Now Absalom, in his lifetime, had taken and set up for himself a pillar, which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he called the pillar by his name and it has been called Absalom’s Monument to this day.)
19 Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me now run and bring the king news that Adonai has vindicated him against the hand of his enemies.”
20 But Joab said to him, “You are not to be the bearer of news today. You may do it another day, but today you shall bear no news—for 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 to Joab and took off running.
22 But Ahimaaz son of Zadok once again said to Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.”
“Why should you run, my son,” Joab said, “since you would have no news worth telling?”
23 “Whatever may come of it, I want to run!”
So he said to him, “Run!” Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and so passed the Cushite.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. When the watchman on the roof over the gate walked over to the wall, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and all of a sudden, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman cried out and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth.” So he came closer and closer.
26 Then the watchman saw another man running, so the watchman called out to the gatekeeper and said, “Look, another man is running alone.”
The king said, “He too is bringing good news.”
27 Then the watchman said, “I can see that the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”
“This is a good man and he comes with good news,” the king replied.
28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Shalom.” Then he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed be Adonai your God, who has given over the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.”
29 Then the king asked, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?”
Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a great tumult when the king’s servant Joab sent me, your servant, but I did not know what it was about.”
30 “Step aside and stand here,” the king said. So he stepped aside and stood still.
31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, “Let my lord the king receive good news for Adonai has vindicated you today against all who rose up against you.”
32 Then the king asked the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?”
The Cushite answered, “Let the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be as that young man!”
David Weeps Over Absalom
19 The king was shaken. So he went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. As he walked he cried, “My son Absalom! O my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 Then Joab was told, “Look, the king is weeping and mourning over Absalom!” 3 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops, for the troops heard it said that day, “The king is grieving over his son.” 4 So the troops entered into the city stealthily that day, like troops who are ashamed after running away in battle.
5 The king covered his face and cried with a loud voice, “My son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
6 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have humiliated all your servants—who this day have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines— 7 by loving those who hate you, and hating those who love you! For you have shown today that officers and officials are nothing to you. For today I realize that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, then it would have pleased you well. 8 So now arise, go out, and speak to the heart of your servants! For I swear by Adonai that if you do not go out, not a single man will stay with you tonight, and that would be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.”
9 So the king arose and sat in the gate. When they told all the troops saying, “See, the king is sitting at the gate,” all the troops presented themselves before the king.
David’s Restoration and Grace
Meanwhile, Israel had fled each man to his tent. 10 All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were at strife saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and he saved us from the hand of the Philistines. Yet now he had to flee from the land because of Absalom,
The Lamb of God is Resurrected
20 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it is still dark, Miriam from Magdala comes to the tomb. She sees that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. 2 So she comes running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Yeshua loved. She tells them, “They’ve taken the Master out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put Him!”
3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out, going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and arrived at the tomb first. 5 Leaning in, he sees the linen strips lying there. But he didn’t go in.
6 Then Simon Peter comes following him, and he entered the tomb. He looks upon the linen strips lying there, 7 and the face cloth that had been on His head. It was not lying with the linen strips, but was rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also entered. He saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand from Scripture that Yeshua must rise from the dead. [a] 10 So the disciples went back to their own homes.
Yeshua Appears to Miriam
11 But Miriam stood outside the tomb weeping. As she was weeping, she bent down to look into the tomb. 12 She sees two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where Yeshua’s body had been lying.
13 “Woman, why are you crying?” they say to her.
She says to them, “Because they took away my Master, and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.” 14 After she said these things, she turned around. And she sees Yeshua standing there. Yet she didn’t know that it was Yeshua.
15 Yeshua says to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?”
Thinking He’s the gardener, she says to Him, “Sir, if You’ve carried Him away, tell me where You’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Yeshua says to her, “Miriam!”
Turning around, she says to Him in Aramaic,[b] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
17 Yeshua says to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet gone up to the Father. Go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am going up to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”
18 Miriam from Magdala comes, announcing to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord,” and what He had said to her.
Yeshua Appears to the Disciples
19 It was evening on that day, the first of the week. When the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Judean leaders, Yeshua came and stood in their midst! And He said to them, “Shalom aleichem!” 20 After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Yeshua said to them again, “Shalom aleichem! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
22 And after He said this, He breathed on them. And He said to them, “Receive the Ruach ha-Kodesh! 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; but if you hold back, they are held back.”
24 One of the Twelve, Thomas called the Twin, was not with them when Yeshua came. 25 The other disciples were saying to him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”
But he replied to them, “Unless I see the nail prints in His hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand in His side, I will never believe!”
26 Eight days later the disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Yeshua comes, despite the locked doors. He stood in their midst and said, “Shalom aleichem!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe!”
28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Yeshua said to Him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed? Blessed are the ones who have not seen and yet have believed!”
The Reason for Signs and Wonders
30 Yeshua performed many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these things have been written so that you may believe that Yeshua is Mashiach Ben-Elohim, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
RESH ר
153 See my affliction and rescue me,
for I do not forget Your Torah.
154 Defend my cause and redeem me.
Restore my life through Your word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek after Your decrees.
156 Great are Your mercies, Adonai.
Restore my life with Your judgments.
157 Many are my persecutors and my foes.
Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
158 I see the treacherous and loathe them,
because they do not keep Your word.
159 See how I loved Your precepts.
Restore my life, Adonai, with Your lovingkindness.
160 Truth is the essence of Your word,
and all Your righteous rulings are eternal.
SHIN ש
161 Princes persecute me for no reason,
but my heart is in awe of Your words.
162 I rejoice in Your word,
as one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
but Your Torah I love.
164 Seven times a day I praise You,
because of Your righteous judgments.
165 Great peace have they who love Your Torah,
and nothing causes them to stumble.
166 I hope for Your salvation, Adonai,
and do Your mitzvot.
167 My soul has observed Your testimonies
and I love them exceedingly.
168 I observe Your precepts and Your laws,
for all my ways are before You.
TAV ת
169 Let my cry come to You, Adonai.
Grant me understanding by Your word.
170 Let my supplication come before You.
Deliver me, according to Your promise.
171 My lips utter praise,
for You teach me Your statutes.
172 My tongue sings of Your word,
for all Your mitzvot are righteous.
173 Let Your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen Your precepts.
174 I long for Your deliverance, Adonai,
and Your Torah is my delight.
175 Let my soul live and praise You,
and may Your rulings help me.
176 I have strayed like a lost sheep—seek Your servant.
For I did not forget Your mitzvot.
14 A king’s fury is like messengers of death,
but a wise man will appease it.
15 In the light of a king’s face there is life,
and his favor like a cloud of spring rain.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.