David Weeps Over Absalom

¹⁹ Then ^(A)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and proclaim the good news to the king ^(B)that Yahweh has judged to save him from the hand of his enemies.” ²⁰ But Joab said to him, “You are not the man for the good news this day, but you shall proclaim the good news another day; however, you shall not proclaim the good news today because the king’s son has died.” ²¹ Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. ²² Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why would you run, my son, since ^(C)you will have no reward for going?” ²³ “But whatever happens,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed the Cushite.

²⁴ Now ^(D)David was sitting between the two gates; and ^(E)the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. ²⁵ And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer. ²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” ²⁷ And the watchman said, “I see that the running of the first one ^(F)is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “^(G)This is a good man and comes with good news.”

²⁸ And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “Peace!” And ^(H)he prostrated himself before the king with his ^[a]face to the ground. And he said, “^(I)Blessed is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” ²⁹ Then the king said, “^(J)Is there peace with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but ^(K)I did not know what it was.” ³⁰ Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹ Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for ^(L)Yahweh has judged to save you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” ³² Then the king said to the Cushite, “^(M)Is there peace with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “^(N)Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!”

^33 [b]Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “^(O)O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! ^(P)Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”