The Revolt of Absalom

It began two years earlier, and inside the family. Amnon, David's eldest son, violated his sister Tamar; their father, hearing of it, was angry but did nothing. Two years later Absalom, her full brother, invited all the king's sons to a sheep-shearing and had his servants kill Amnon at the table. Then he fled and lived three years with his grandfather in Geshur, and after returning was kept two more years from his father's face.

Then he went to work. For four years he rose early and stood by the road to the gate: to everyone coming with a lawsuit he said his case was right but there was no one to hear it — "if only I were made judge in the land!" — and would not let anyone bow to him, but embraced and kissed him. "And Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel."

At Hebron he proclaimed himself king. Ahithophel came over to him — David's counsellor, whose word in those days was valued "as if one inquired of the word of God." David, on hearing it, left the city on foot, going up the Mount of Olives "weeping, his head covered and barefoot." The one thing he prayed for in that hour: O LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel to foolishness.

The answer came at once: Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn and earth on his head. David sent him back into the city with a single task — to break Ahithophel's counsel. Zadok and Abiathar, who had carried out the Ark, he also sent back: let the Ark stand in the city, and let the priests be his eyes and ears.

That night decided everything. Ahithophel proposed the simple thing: give me twelve thousand men, I will go after David tonight while he is weary and weak, strike him alone, and all the people will come back. The counsel was sound. Hushai objected at length and beautifully: your father is a soldier, he does not sleep among the troops, he is already hidden in a pit; better to gather all Israel from Dan to Beersheba and lead them yourself. And Absalom chose Hushai's counsel.

Ahithophel saw that his counsel had not been followed, saddled his donkey, rode home, set his house in order — and hanged himself.

The battle was in the forest of Ephraim, and the forest "devoured more people than the sword." Absalom rode his mule under a great tree, his head caught in the branches, and he hung between heaven and earth. Before the battle David had asked all who were with him: "deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." Joab drove three darts into him.

The news was brought to the king. He went up to the chamber over the gate and walked, repeating: "my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you!" The victorious army came into the city the way men come in ashamed.