David Is Grief-stricken

19 Then (A)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the king news (B)that the Lord has [a]freed him from the hand of his enemies!” 20 But Joab said to him, “You are not the man to bring news this day, but you shall bring news another day; however, you shall bring no news this day, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. 22 However, 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 messenger’s 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 by the Cushite.

24 Now (D)David was sitting between the two gates; and (E)the watchman went to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked; and behold, a man was running by himself. 25 So the watchman called out 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 is running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” 27 The watchman said, “I [b]think the running form of the first one (F)is like the running form of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “(G)This is a good man, and he is coming with good news.”

28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “[c]All is well.” And (H)he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, “(I)Blessed is the Lord your God, who has turned over the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.” 29 But the king said, “(J)Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great commotion, 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 Then behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for (L)the Lord has [d]freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” 32 Then the king said to the Cushite, “(M)Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “(N)May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be like that young man!”

33 [e]Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And this is what he said as he walked: “(O)My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! (P)If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 18:19 Lit vindicated
  2. 2 Samuel 18:27 Lit see
  3. 2 Samuel 18:28 Lit Peace; Heb Shalom
  4. 2 Samuel 18:31 Lit vindicated
  5. 2 Samuel 18:33 Ch 19:1 in Heb

19 Ahimaaz son of Zadok(A) said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the Lord has delivered him from his enemies.”

20 Joab replied to him, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but today you aren’t taking good news, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Joab then said to the Cushite, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.

22 However, Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!”

Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to run since you won’t get a reward?”

23 “No matter what, I want to run!”

“Then run!” Joab said to him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

24 David was sitting between the two gates(B) when the watchman went up to the roof of the gate and over to the wall.(C) The watchman looked out and saw a man running alone. 25 He called out and told the king.

The king said, “If he’s alone, he bears good news.”

As the first runner came closer, 26 the watchman saw another man running. He called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!”

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

27 The watchman said, “The way the first man runs looks to me like the way Ahimaaz son of Zadok runs.”(D)

“This is a good man; he comes with good news,”(E) the king commented.

28 Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well,” and then bowed down to the king with his face to the ground. He continued, “May the Lord your God be praised! He delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king.”

29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?”

Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a big disturbance, but I don’t know what it was.”

30 The king said, “Move aside and stand here.” So he stood to one side.

31 Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: today the Lord has delivered you from all those rising up against you!”

32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?”

The Cushite replied, “May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you with evil intent.”(F)

33 [a]The king was deeply moved and went up to the gate chamber and wept. As he walked, he cried, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 18:33 2Sm 19:1 in Hb