Then Absalom happened to meet David’s troops. As Absalom was riding his mule, it went under the thick branches of a large oak tree. Absalom’s head got caught in the tree, and his mule ran out from under him. So Absalom was left hanging above the ground.
    When one of the men saw it happen, he told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
    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!”
    The man answered, “I wouldn’t touch the king’s son even if you gave me twenty-five pounds of silver. We heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Be careful not to hurt young Absalom.’  If I had killed him, the king would have found out, and you would not have protected me!”
    Joab said, “I won’t waste time here with you!” Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, so Joab took three spears and stabbed him in the heart.  Ten young men who carried Joab’s armor also gathered around Absalom and struck him and killed him.
    Then Joab blew the trumpet, so the troops stopped chasing the Israelites.  Then Joab’s men took Absalom’s body and threw it into a large pit in the forest and filled the pit with many stones. All the Israelites ran away to their homes...

    David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the walls, and as he looked up, he saw a man running alone...
   Then the Cushite [African] arrived. He said, “Master and king, hear the good news!  Today the LORD has punished those who were against you!”
    The king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom all right?”
    The Cushite answered, “May your enemies and all who come to hurt you be like that young man!”
    Then the king was very upset, and 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 and not you. Absalom, my son, my son!”