2 Samuel 19:9-15
New English Translation
9 All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. 10 But Absalom, whom we anointed as our king,[a] has died in battle. So now why do you hesitate to bring the king back?”[b]
11 Then King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests saying, “Tell the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back to his palace,[c] when everything Israel is saying has come to the king’s attention.[d] 12 You are my brothers—my very own flesh and blood![e] Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back?’ 13 Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood?[f] God will punish me severely,[g] if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
14 He[h] won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. Then they sent word to the king saying, “Return, you and all your servants as well.” 15 So the king returned and came to the Jordan River.[i]
Now the people of Judah[j] had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him[k] cross the Jordan.
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- 2 Samuel 19:10 tn Heb “over us.”
- 2 Samuel 19:10 tc The LXX includes the following words at the end of v. 11: “And what all Israel was saying came to the king’s attention.” The words are misplaced in the LXX from v. 12 (although the same statement appears there in the LXX as well).
- 2 Samuel 19:11 tn Heb “his house.”
- 2 Samuel 19:11 tc The Hebrew text adds “to his house” (= palace), but the phrase, which also appears earlier in the verse, is probably accidentally repeated here.
- 2 Samuel 19:12 tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.”
- 2 Samuel 19:13 tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.”
- 2 Samuel 19:13 tn Heb “Thus God will do to me and thus he will add.”
- 2 Samuel 19:14 tn The referent of “he” is not entirely clear: cf. NCV “David”; TEV “David’s words”; NRSV, NLT “Amasa.”
- 2 Samuel 19:15 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 19:15 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Judah.”
- 2 Samuel 19:15 tn Heb “the king.” The pronoun (“him”) has been used in the translation to avoid redundancy.
2 Samuel 19:9-15
Common English Bible
9 Everyone was arguing throughout Israel’s tribes, saying, “The king delivered us from our enemies’ power, and he rescued us from the Philistines’ power, but now he has fled from the land and from controlling his own kingdom.[a] 10 And Absalom, the one we anointed over us, is dead in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
11 When the things that all the Israelites were saying reached the king,[b] David sent a message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “Say the following to the elders of Judah: ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace?[c] 12 You are my relatives! You are my flesh and bones! Why should you be the last to bring the king back?’ 13 And tell Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and bones too? May God deal harshly with me and worse still if you don’t become commander of my army from now on instead of Joab!’”
14 So he won over the hearts of everyone in Judah as though they were one person, and they sent word to the king: “Come back—you and all your servants.” 15 So the king came back and arrived at the Jordan River. Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and bring him across the Jordan.
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- 2 Samuel 19:9 LXX; MT from over Absalom
- 2 Samuel 19:11 LXX, OL; MT lacks When… the king, though a version of this clause appears in 19:12.
- 2 Samuel 19:11 MT adds The things that all the Israelites were saying reached the king in his home (or palace).
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