2 Samuel 19:1-8
New English Translation
19 (19:2) Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.” 2 So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.” 3 That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle. 4 The king covered his face and cried out loudly,[a] “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 So Joab visited[b] the king at his home. He said, “Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 6 You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now[c] that if[d] Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today,[e] it would be all right with you. 7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to[f] your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”
8 So the king got up and sat at the city gate. When all the people were informed that the king was sitting at the city gate, they[g] all came before him.
David Goes Back to Jerusalem
But the Israelite soldiers[h] had all fled to their own homes.[i]
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- 2 Samuel 19:4 tn Heb “with a great voice.”
- 2 Samuel 19:5 tn Heb “came to.”
- 2 Samuel 19:6 tn Heb “today.”
- 2 Samuel 19:6 tc The translation follows the Qere, 4QSama, and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading לוּ (lu, “if”) rather than MT לֹא (loʾ, “not”).
- 2 Samuel 19:6 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack “today.”
- 2 Samuel 19:7 tn Heb “and speak to the heart of.”
- 2 Samuel 19:8 tn Heb “all the people.”
- 2 Samuel 19:8 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Israel” (see 18:16-17).
- 2 Samuel 19:8 tn Heb “had fled, each to his tent.”
2 Samuel 19:1-8
Common English Bible
19 [a] Joab was told that the king was crying and mourning Absalom. 2 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops because they heard that day that the king was grieving for his son. 3 So that day the troops crept back into the city like soldiers creep back ashamed after they’ve fled from battle. 4 The king covered his face and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, my son Absalom! Oh, Absalom, my son! My son!”
5 Joab came to the king inside and said, “Today you have humiliated all your servants who have saved your life today, not to mention the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your secondary wives, 6 by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you! Today you have announced that the commanders and their soldiers are nothing to you, because I know that if Absalom were alive today and the rest of us dead, that would be perfectly fine with you! 7 Now get up! Go out and encourage your followers! I swear to the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not one man will stick with you tonight—and that will be more trouble for you than all the trouble that you’ve faced from your youth until now.”
8 So the king went and sat down in the city gate. All the troops were told that the king was sitting in the gate, so they came before the king.
David returns to Jerusalem
Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes.
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- 2 Samuel 19:1 19:2 in Heb
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