2 Samuel 18:19-33
1599 Geneva Bible
19 ¶ Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, I pray thee, let me run and bear the King tidings that the Lord hath [a]delivered him out of the hand of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto him, Thou [b]shalt not be the messenger today, but thou shalt bear tidings another time, but today thou shalt bear none: for the King’s son is dead.
21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go, tell the King, what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again to Joab, What, I pray thee, if I also run after Cushi? And Joab said, Wherefore now wilt thou run my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings to bring?
23 Yet what if I run? Then he said unto him, Run. So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overwent Cushi.
24 Now David sat between the two [c]gates. And the watchman went to the top of the gate upon the wall, and lift up his eyes, and saw, and behold, a man came running alone.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the King said, If he be alone, [d]he bringeth tidings. And he came apace, and drew near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called unto the potter, and said, Behold, another man runneth alone. And the King said, He also bringeth tidings.
27 And the watchman said, [e]Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. Then the King said, He is a [f]good man, and cometh with good tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the King, Peace be with thee: and he fell down to the earth upon his face before the King, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath [g]shut up the men that lift up their hands against my Lord the King.
29 And the King said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the King’s [h]servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what.
30 And the King said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here: so he turned aside and stood still.
31 And behold, Cushi came, and Cushi said, [i]Tidings, my lord the King: for the Lord hath delivered thee this day out of the hand of all that rose against thee.
32 Then the King said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the King, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
33 And the King was [j]moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom: would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Samuel 18:19 Hebrew, judged.
- 2 Samuel 18:20 For Joab bare a good affection to Ahimaaz, and doubted how David would take the report of Absalom’s death.
- 2 Samuel 18:24 He sat in the gate of the city of Mahanaim.
- 2 Samuel 18:25 Hebrew, tidings are in his mouth.
- 2 Samuel 18:27 Hebrew, I see the running.
- 2 Samuel 18:27 He had experience of his fidelity, 2 Sam. 17:21.
- 2 Samuel 18:28 Or, delivered up.
- 2 Samuel 18:29 To wit, Cushi, who was an Ethiopian.
- 2 Samuel 18:31 Hebrew, tidings is brought.
- 2 Samuel 18:33 Because he considereth both the judgment of God against his sin, and could not otherwise hide his fatherly affection toward his son.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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