2 Samuel 18:19-33
New Living Translation
David Mourns Absalom’s Death
19 Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, “Let me run to the king with the good news that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20 “No,” Joab told him, “it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger another time, but not today.”
21 Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia,[a] “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The man bowed and ran off.
22 But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me go, too.”
“Why should you go, my son?” Joab replied. “There will be no reward for your news.”
23 “Yes, but let me go anyway,” he begged.
Joab finally said, “All right, go ahead.” So Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim ahead of the Ethiopian.
24 While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them. 25 He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, “If he is alone, he has news.”
As the messenger came closer, 26 the watchman saw another man running toward them. He shouted down, “Here comes another one!”
The king replied, “He also will have news.”
27 “The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok,” the watchman said.
“He is a good man and comes with good news,” the king replied.
28 Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “Everything is all right!” He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise to the Lord your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against my lord the king.”
29 “What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?”
Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn’t know what was happening.”
30 “Wait here,” the king told him. So Ahimaaz stepped aside.
31 Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, “I have good news for my lord the king. Today the Lord has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you.”
32 “What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?”
And the Ethiopian replied, “May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!”
33 [b]The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.”
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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!”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Samuel 18:21 Lit. Cush
- 2 Samuel 18:21 Lit. Cushite; and so throughout the chapter
- 2 Samuel 18:21 Lit. bowed to
- 2 Samuel 18:22 The Heb. lacks request
- 2 Samuel 18:23 The Heb. lacks Ahimaaz replied
- 2 Samuel 18:25 Lit. he
- 2 Samuel 18:25 Lit. news in his mouth
- 2 Samuel 18:25 The Heb. lacks the palace
- 2 Samuel 18:26 The Heb. lacks another
- 2 Samuel 18:28 Lit. Peace!
- 2 Samuel 18:28 The Heb. lacks to the ground
- 2 Samuel 18:29 Lit. Peace!
- 2 Samuel 18:29 The Heb. lacks was going on
- 2 Samuel 18:31 Lit. The Cushite
- 2 Samuel 18:33 This v. is 19:1 in MT
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