2 Samuel 19:9-15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
9 All the people were disputing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land because of Absalom.(A) 10 But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
11 King David sent this message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house? The talk of all Israel has come to the king.[a] 12 You are my kin; you are my bone and my flesh; why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’(B) 13 And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? So may God do to me and more, if you are not the commander of my army from now on, in place of Joab.’ ”(C) 14 Amasa[b] swayed the hearts of all the people of Judah as one, and they sent word to the king, “Return, both you and all your servants.”(D) 15 So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring him over the Jordan.(E)
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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.
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