11. Joab said to the man, “Why didn’t you kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and ten pieces of silver!”
12. The man said to Joab, “I would not try to hurt the king’s son even if you gave me 1000 pieces 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 Absalom, the king himself would find out, and you would punish me.”
14. Joab said, “I will not waste my time here with you!” Absalom was still alive and hanging in the oak tree. Joab took three sticks in his hand and hit him in the heart.
15. Ten of Joab’s young helpers gathered around Absalom and killed him.
16. Joab blew the trumpet and called the people to stop chasing Israelites.
17. Then Joab’s men took Absalom’s body and threw it into a large hole in the forest and covered it with stones. All the Israelites ran away and went home.
18. While Absalom was alive he put up a memorial stone in King’s Valley. He said, “I have no son to keep my name alive.” So he named that monument after himself. It is called “Absalom’s Monument” even today.
19. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said to Joab, “May I 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 will not carry the message today. You can do it some other time, but not today because it is the king’s son who is dead.”