2 Samuel 18:19-33

GOD’S WORD Translation

¹⁹ Then Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, said, “Let me run and bring the king the good news that the Lord has freed him from his enemies.”

²⁰ But Joab told him, “You won’t be the man carrying good news today. You can carry the news some other day. You must not deliver the news today because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Then Joab said to a man from Sudan, “Go, tell the king what you saw.” The messenger bowed down with his face touching the ground in front of Joab and then ran off.

²² Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, spoke to Joab again, “Whatever may happen, I also want to run after the Sudanese messenger.”

“Now, son, why should you deliver the message?” Joab asked. “You won’t be rewarded for this news.”

²³ “Whatever happens, I’d like to run,” ⌞replied Ahimaaz.⌟

“Run,” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran along the valley road and got ahead of the Sudanese messenger.

²⁴ David was sitting between the two gates while the watchman walked along the roof of the gate by the wall. As he looked, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵ The watchman called and alerted the king.

“If he’s alone,” the king said, “he has good news to tell.” The runner continued to come closer.

²⁶ When the watchman saw another man running, the watchman called, “There’s ⌞another⌟ man running alone.”

The king said, “This one is also bringing good news.”

²⁷ The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son.”

“He’s a good man,” the king said. “He must be coming with good news.”

²⁸ Then Ahimaaz came up to the king, greeted him, and bowed down in front of him. Ahimaaz said, “May the Lord your God be praised. He has handed over the men who rebelled against Your Majesty.”

²⁹ “Is the young man Absalom alright?” the king asked.

Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a lot of confusion when Joab sent me away, but I didn’t know what it meant.”

³⁰ “Step aside, and stand here,” the king said. He stepped aside and stood there.

³¹ Then the Sudanese messenger came. “Good news for Your Majesty!” he said. “Today the Lord has freed you from all who turned against you.”

³² “Is the young man Absalom alright?” the king asked.

The Sudanese messenger answered, “May your enemies and all who turned against you be like that young man!” ^[a]

³³ The king was shaken ⌞by the news⌟. He went to the room above the gate and cried. “My son Absalom!” he said as he went. “My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!”