5. Then the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” The whole army heard what the king commanded the three captains regarding Absalom.
11. Joab said to the man who told him, “If you saw him, why didn’t you kill him then and there? I’d have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a fancy belt.”
18. While alive, Absalom had erected for himself a pillar in the Valley of the King, “because,” he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He inscribed the pillar with his own name. To this day it is called “The Absalom Memorial.”
21. Then Joab ordered a Cushite, “You go. Tell the king what you’ve seen.”“Yes sir,” said the Cushite, and ran off.
22. Ahimaaz son of Zadok kept at it, begging Joab, “What does it matter? Let me run, too, following the Cushite.”Joab said, “Why all this ‘Run, run’? You’ll get no thanks for it, I can tell you.”
23. “I don’t care; let me run.”“Okay,” said Joab, “run.” So Ahimaaz ran, taking the lower valley road, and passed the Cushite.
27. Then the sentry said, “I can see the first man now; he runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”“He’s a good man,” said the king. “He’s bringing good news for sure.”
28. Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Peace!” Then he bowed deeply before the king, his face to the ground. “Blessed be your God; he has handed over the men who rebelled against my master the king.”
29. The king asked, “But is the young man Absalom all right?”Ahimaaz said, “I saw a huge ruckus just as Joab was sending me off, but I don’t know what it was about.”
30. The king said, “Step aside and stand over there.” So he stepped aside.
31. Then the Cushite arrived and said, “Good news, my master and king! God has given victory today over all those who rebelled against you!”