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2 Samuel 18:19-33
New English Translation

David Learns of Absalom’s Death

19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and give the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him before his enemies.”[a] 20 But Joab said to him, “You will not be a bearer of good news today. You will bear good news some other day, but not today,[b] for the king’s son is dead.”

21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” After bowing to Joab, the Cushite ran off. 22 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, “Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite.” But Joab said, “Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward.” 23 But he said,[c] “Whatever happens, I want to go!” So Joab[d] said to him, “Then go!” So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain, and he passed the Cushite.

24 Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates,[e] and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate at the wall. When he looked, he saw a man running by himself. 25 So the watchman called out and informed the king. The king said, “If he is by himself, he brings good news.”[f] The runner[g] came ever closer.

26 Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called out to the gatekeeper, “There is another man running by himself.” The king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” 27 The watchman said, “It appears to me that the first runner is Ahimaaz[h] son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and he comes with good news.”

28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Greetings!”[i] He bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and said, “May the Lord your God be praised because he has defeated[j] the men who opposed[k] my lord the king!”

29 The king replied, “How is the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz replied, “I saw a great deal of confusion when Joab was sending the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was all about.” 30 The king said, “Turn aside and take your place here.” So he turned aside and waited.

31 Then the Cushite arrived and said,[l] “May my lord the king now receive the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today and delivered you from the hand of all who have rebelled against you!”[m] 32 The king asked the Cushite, “How is the young man Absalom?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who have plotted against you[n] be like that young man!”

33 (19:1)[o] The king then became very upset. He went up to the upper room over the gate and wept. As he went he said, “My son, Absalom! My son, my son,[p] Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!”[q]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 18:19 tn Heb “that the Lord has vindicated him from the hand of his enemies.”
  2. 2 Samuel 18:20 tn Heb “but this day you will not bear good news.”
  3. 2 Samuel 18:23 tn The words “but he said” are not in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  4. 2 Samuel 18:23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. 2 Samuel 18:24 tn Heb “the two gates.”
  6. 2 Samuel 18:25 tn Heb “good news is in his mouth.”
  7. 2 Samuel 18:25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the runner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. 2 Samuel 18:27 tn Heb “I am seeing the running of the first one like the running of Ahimaaz.”
  9. 2 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “Peace.”
  10. 2 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “delivered over.”
  11. 2 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “lifted their hand against.”
  12. 2 Samuel 18:31 tn Heb “And look, the Cushite came and the Cushite said.”
  13. 2 Samuel 18:31 tn Heb “for the Lord has vindicated you today from the hand of all those rising against you.”
  14. 2 Samuel 18:32 tn Heb “and all those rising against you for evil.”
  15. 2 Samuel 18:33 sn This marks the beginning of ch. 19 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 18:33, the verse numbers through 19:43 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 18:33 ET = 19:1 HT, 19:1 ET = 19:2 HT, 19:2 ET = 19:3 HT, etc., through 19:43 ET = 19:44 HT. From 20:1 the versification in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible is again the same.
  16. 2 Samuel 18:33 tc One medieval Hebrew ms, some mss of the LXX, and the Vulgate lack this repeated occurrence of “my son” due to haplography.
  17. 2 Samuel 18:33 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack this repeated occurrence of “my son” due to haplography.
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2 Samuel 18:19-33
International Standard Version

David Learns of Absalom’s Death

19 Zadok’s son Ahimaaz told Joab, “Let me run over to King David and take him the news. I’ll mention that the Lord has delivered him from his enemies.”

20 But Joab answered Ahimaaz, “You’re not the man to deliver news today. Do it any other time, but not today, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 So Joab ordered a man from Ethiopia,[a] “Go tell the king what you’ve seen.” So the Ethiopian[b] saluted[c] Joab and then ran to tell David.

22 “Please,” Zadok’s son Ahimaaz continued, “No matter what happens, let me follow the Ethiopian!”

Joab asked him, “Why this request[d] to run, my son? There’s no reward in it for you.”

23 “No matter what, I’m running,” Ahimaaz replied.[e]

So Joab told Ahimaaz, “Run!” And Ahimaaz ran, taking the Jordan Valley road, passing the Ethiopian.

24 Meanwhile, David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman was up on the roof of the gateway near the walls, looking around, and there was a man running by himself! 25 So the watchman[f] called out his news to the king.

The king responded, “If he’s alone, he’s bringing some news to report.”[g] As the man continued to draw near and approach the palace,[h] 26 the watchman observed another man running. So he called out to the gatekeeper, “There’s another[i] man running by himself!”

The king replied, “He’s also bringing some news to report!”

27 Then the watchman observed, “It looks to me that the runner out in front is running like Zadok’s son Ahimaaz!”

The king replied, “This is a good man bearing good news!”

28 “Everything’s fine!”[j] Ahimaaz announced to the king. He bowed low with his face to the ground[k] before the king and said, “Praise be to the Lord your God! He has handed over the men who rebelled against your majesty the king.”

29 “Are things fine[l] with respect to the young man Absalom?” the king asked.

Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a lot of confusion about the time Joab was getting ready to send the king’s courier and me, your servant, but I’m not sure what was going on.”[m]

30 The king replied, “Stand here at attention and wait.” So he stepped to the side and stood there waiting.

31 Just then the Ethiopian arrived. He[n] reported, “Good news, your majesty the king! The Lord has delivered you from the control of everyone who rebelled against you!”

32 The king asked the Ethiopian, “Is the young man safe?”

The Ethiopian answered, “May the enemies of your majesty the king—including everyone who rebels and tries to harm you—become like that young man….”

David Mourns for Absalom

33 [o]Deeply shaken, the king went up to the chamber overlooking the city gate, weeping bitterly and crying out as he went along, “My son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you, Absalom my son, my son!”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 18:21 Lit. Cush
  2. 2 Samuel 18:21 Lit. Cushite; and so throughout the chapter
  3. 2 Samuel 18:21 Lit. bowed to
  4. 2 Samuel 18:22 The Heb. lacks request
  5. 2 Samuel 18:23 The Heb. lacks Ahimaaz replied
  6. 2 Samuel 18:25 Lit. he
  7. 2 Samuel 18:25 Lit. news in his mouth
  8. 2 Samuel 18:25 The Heb. lacks the palace
  9. 2 Samuel 18:26 The Heb. lacks another
  10. 2 Samuel 18:28 Lit. Peace!
  11. 2 Samuel 18:28 The Heb. lacks to the ground
  12. 2 Samuel 18:29 Lit. Peace!
  13. 2 Samuel 18:29 The Heb. lacks was going on
  14. 2 Samuel 18:31 Lit. The Cushite
  15. 2 Samuel 18:33 This v. is 19:1 in MT
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