Old/New Testament
Ziba Meets David
16 David passed a short way over the top of the Mount of Olives. There Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met David. Ziba had two donkeys with saddles on them. They carried 200 loaves of bread, 100 cakes of raisins and 100 cakes of figs. They also carried leather bags full of wine. 2 The king asked Ziba, “What are these things for?”
Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and cakes of figs are for the servants to eat. And the wine is for anyone to drink who becomes weak in the desert.”
3 The king asked, “Where is Mephibosheth?”
Ziba answered him, “Mephibosheth is staying in Jerusalem. He thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will give my father’s kingdom back to me!’”
4 Then the king said to Ziba, “All right. Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth, I now give to you!”
Ziba said, “I bow to you. I hope I will always be able to please you.”
Shimei Curses David
5 As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out from there. He was from Saul’s family group. His name was Shimei son of Gera. Shimei came out, cursing David as he came. 6 He began throwing stones at David and his officers. But the people and soldiers gathered all around David. 7 Shimei cursed David. He said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you troublemaker. 8 The Lord is punishing you for the people in Saul’s family you killed! You took Saul’s place as king! But now the Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom! Now you are ruined because you are a murderer!”
9 Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
10 But the king answered, “This does not concern you, sons of Zeruiah! If he is cursing me because the Lord told him to, who can question him?”
11 David also said to Abishai and all his officers, “My own son is trying to kill me! This man is a Benjaminite and has more right to kill me! Leave him alone. Let him curse me. The Lord told him to do this. 12 Maybe the Lord will see my misery. Then maybe he will repay me with something good for the curses Shimei says today!”
13 So David and his men went on down the road. But Shimei kept following David. Shimei walked on the hillside on the other side of the road. He kept cursing David and throwing stones and dirt at him. 14 The king and all his people arrived at the Jordan. They were very tired. So they rested there.
15 Meanwhile, Absalom, Ahithophel and all the men of Israel arrived at Jerusalem. 16 David’s friend Hushai the Arkite came to Absalom. He said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 Absalom asked, “Why are you not loyal to your friend David? Why didn’t you leave Jerusalem with your friend?”
18 Hushai said, “I belong to the one chosen by the Lord and by these people and all the men of Israel. I will stay with you. 19 In the past I served your father. So whom should I serve now? David’s son! I will serve you.”
Ahithophel’s Advice
20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Please tell us what we should do.”
21 Ahithophel said, “Your father left behind some of his slave women who give birth to his children. He left them here to take care of the palace. Have physical relations with them. Then all the Israelites will hear that your father is your enemy. And all your people will be encouraged to give you more support.” 22 So they put up a tent for Absalom on the flat roof[a] of the palace. Everyone in Israel could see it. And Absalom had physical relations with his father’s slave women.
23 At that time people thought Ahithophel’s advice was as reliable as God’s own word. Both David and Absalom thought it was that reliable.
17 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men. I’ll chase David tonight. 2 I’ll catch him while he is tired and weak. I’ll frighten him so all his people will run away. But I’ll kill only King David. 3 Then I’ll bring everyone back to you. If the man you are looking for is dead, everyone else will return safely.” 4 This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the leaders of Israel.
5 But Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Arkite. I also want to hear what he says.” 6 So Hushai came to Absalom. Absalom said to him, “This is the plan Ahithophel gave. Should we follow it? If not, tell us.”
7 Hushai said to Absalom, “Ahithophel’s advice is not good this time.” 8 Hushai added, “You know your father and his men are strong. They are as angry as a bear that is robbed of its babies. Your father is a skilled fighter. He won’t stay all night with the people. 9 He is probably already hiding in a cave or some other place. If your father attacks your men first, people will hear the news. And they will think, ‘Absalom’s followers are losing!’ 10 Then even the men who are as brave as a lion will become frightened. This is because all the Israelites know your father is a fighter. They know his men are brave!
11 “This is what I suggest: Gather all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba.[b] There will be as many people as grains of sand by the sea. Then you yourself must go into the battle. 12 We will catch David where he is hiding. We will fall on him as dew falls on the ground. We will kill him and all of his men. No one will be left alive. 13 What if David escapes into a city? Then all the Israelites will bring ropes to that city. We’ll pull that city into the valley. There won’t be even a small stone left there!”
14 Absalom and all the Israelites said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.” They said this because the Lord had planned to destroy the good advice of Ahithophel. In this way the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.
15 Hushai told these things to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. He told them what Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He also reported to them what he himself had suggested. Hushai said, 16 “Quickly! Send a message to David. Tell him not to stay tonight at the crossings into the desert. Tell him to cross over the Jordan River at once. If he crosses the river, he and all his people won’t be caught.”
17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They did not want to be seen going into the town. So a servant girl would go out to them and give them messages. Then Jonathan and Ahimaaz would go and tell King David.
18 But a boy saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz ran away quickly. They went to a man’s house in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19 The man’s wife spread a sheet over the opening of the well. Then she covered it with grain. No one could tell that Jonathan and Ahimaaz were hiding there.
20 Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house. They asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
She said to them, “They have already crossed the brook.”
Absalom’s servants then went to look for Jonathan and Ahimaaz. But they could not find them. So they went back to Jerusalem.
21 After Absalom’s servants had left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. Then they went to tell King David. They said, “Hurry, cross over the river! Ahithophel has said these things against you!” 22 So David and all his people crossed the Jordan River. By dawn, everyone had crossed the Jordan.
23 Now Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not accept his advice. So he saddled his donkey and went to his hometown. He gave orders for his family and property. Then he hung himself. After Ahithophel died, he was buried in his father’s tomb.
War Between David and Absalom
24 David arrived at Mahanaim. And Absalom and all his Israelites crossed over the Jordan River. 25 Now Absalom had made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether the Ishmaelite. Amasa’s mother was Abigail daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah. Zeruiah was Joab’s mother. 26 Absalom and the Israelites camped in the land of Gilead.
27 Shobi, Makir and Barzillai were at Mahanaim when David arrived. Shobi son of Nahash was from the Ammonite town of Rabbah. Makir son of Ammiel was from Lo Debar. And Barzillai was from Rogelim in Gilead. 28 They brought beds, bowls and clay pots. They brought wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans and small peas. 29 They also brought honey and milk curds, sheep, and cheese made from cows’ milk. They brought these things for David and his people. They had said, “The people have become hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert.”
18 David counted his men. He chose commanders over groups of 1,000 and commanders over groups of 100. 2 He sent the troops out in three groups. Joab commanded one-third of the men. Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah commanded another third. And Ittai from Gath commanded the last third. King David said to them, “I will also go with you.”
3 But the men said, “No! You must not go with us! If we run away in the battle, Absalom’s men won’t care. Even if half of us are killed, Absalom’s men won’t care. But you’re worth 10,000 of us! It is better for you to stay in the city. Then, if we need help, you can send it.”
4 The king said to his people, “I will do what you think is best.” So the king stood at the side of the gate as the army went out. They went out in groups of 100 and 1,000.
5 The king gave a command to Joab, Abishai and Ittai. He said, “Be gentle with young Absalom for my sake.” Everyone heard the king’s orders about Absalom to the commanders.
6 David’s army went out into the field against Absalom’s Israelites. They fought in the forest of Ephraim. 7 There David’s army defeated the Israelites. Many died that day—20,000 men. 8 The battle spread through all the country. But that day more men died in the forest than in the fighting.
Absalom Dies
9 Then Absalom happened to meet David’s troops. As Absalom was riding his mule, it went under a large oak tree. The branches were thick, and Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. His mule ran out from under him. So Absalom was left hanging above the ground.
10 When one of the men saw it happen, he told Joab. He said, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 Joab said to him, “You saw him? Why didn’t you kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and four ounces of silver!”
12 The man answered, “I wouldn’t try to hurt the king’s son. I wouldn’t even if you gave me 25 pounds of silver. We heard the king’s command to you, Abishai and Ittai. The king said, ‘Be careful not to hurt young Absalom.’ 13 If I had killed him, the king would have found out. And you would not have protected me!”
14 Joab said, “I won’t waste time here with you!” Now Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. So Joab took three spears and stabbed him in the heart. 15 Ten young men who carried Joab’s armor also gathered around Absalom. They struck him and killed him.
16 Then Joab blew the trumpet. So the troops stopped chasing Absalom’s Israelites. 17 Then Joab’s men took Absalom’s body. They threw it into a large pit in the forest. Then they filled the pit with many stones. All the Israelites who followed Absalom ran away and went home.
18 When Absalom was alive, he had put up a pillar in the King’s Valley. It was a monument to himself. He said, “I have no son to keep my name alive.” So he named the pillar after himself. That pillar is called Absalom’s Monument even today.
19 Ahimaaz son of Zadok spoke to Joab. He said, “Let me run and take the news to King David. I’ll tell him the Lord has destroyed the enemy for him.”
20 Joab answered Ahimaaz, “No, you are not the one to take the news today. You may do it another time. But do not take it today, because the king’s son is dead.”
21 Then Joab said to a man from Cush, “Go. Tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran to tell David.
22 But Ahimaaz son of Zadok begged Joab again. He said, “No matter what happens, please let me go, along with the Cushite!”
Joab said, “Son, why do you want to carry the news? You won’t get any reward for the news you bring!”
23 Ahimaaz answered, “No matter what happens, I will run.”
So Joab said to Ahimaaz, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the Jordan Valley and passed the Cushite.
24 Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman went up to the roof by the gate walls. As he looked up, he saw a man running alone. 25 He shouted to tell King David.
The king said, “If he is alone, he is bringing good news!”
The man came nearer and nearer to the city. 26 Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!”
The king said, “He is also bringing good news!”
27 The watchman said, “I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”
The king said, “Ahimaaz is a good man. He must be bringing good news!”
28 Then Ahimaaz called a greeting to the king. He bowed facedown on the ground to the king. He said, “Praise the Lord your God! The Lord has defeated the men who were against you, my king.”
29 The king asked, “Is young Absalom all right?”
Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent me, I saw some great excitement. But I don’t know what it was.”
30 Then the king said, “Step over here and wait.” So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.
31 Then the Cushite arrived. He said, “Master and king, hear the good news! Today the Lord has punished the people who were against you!”
32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom all right?”
The Cushite answered, “May your enemies be like that young man. May all who come to hurt you be like that young man!”
33 Then the king knew Absalom was dead. He was very upset. He went to the room over the city gate and cried. As he went, he cried out, “My son Absalom, my son Absalom! I wish I had died for you. Absalom, my son, my son!”
God’s Kingdom Is Within You
20 Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the kingdom of God come?”
Jesus answered, “God’s kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes. 21 People will not say, ‘Look, God’s kingdom is here!’ or, ‘There it is!’ No, God’s kingdom is within you.”
22 Then Jesus said to his followers, “The time will come when you will want very much to see one of the days of the Son of Man. But you will not be able to see it. 23 People will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’ or, ‘Look, here he is!’ Stay where you are; don’t go away and search.
When Jesus Comes Again
24 “The Son of Man will come again. On the day he comes he will shine like lightning, which flashes across the sky and lights it up from one side to the other. 25 But first, the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the people of this time. 26 When the Son of Man comes again, it will be as it was when Noah lived. 27 In the time of Noah, people were eating, drinking, and getting married even on the day when Noah entered the boat. Then the flood came and killed all the people. 28 It will be the same as during the time of Lot. Those people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. 29 They were doing these things even on the day Lot left Sodom.[a] Then fire and sulfur rained down from the sky and killed them all. 30 This is exactly how it will be when the Son of Man comes again.
31 “On that day, if a man is on his roof, he will not have time to go inside and get his things. If a man is in the field, he cannot go back home. 32 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife?[b] 33 Whoever tries to keep his life will give up true life. But whoever gives up his life will have true life. 34 At the time when I come again, there may be two people sleeping in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left. 35 There may be two women grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other will be left. 36 [Two men will be in the same field. One man will be taken, but the other man will be left behind.]”[c]
37 The followers asked Jesus, “Where will this be, Lord?”
Jesus answered, “People can always find a dead body by looking for the vultures.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.