2 Samuel 14:12

Contemporary English Version

Then she asked, "Your Majesty, may I say something?" "Yes," he answered.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?”

Hebrew Names Version
Then the woman said, Please let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king. He said, Say on.

King James Version
Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

Lexham English Bible
The woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak."

English Standard Version
Then the woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak."

New Century Version
The woman said, "Let me say something to you, my master and king." The king said, "Speak."

New English Translation
Then the woman said, "Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter." He replied, "Tell me."

Amplified Bible
Then the woman said, "Please let your maidservant speak one more word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak."

New American Standard Bible
Then the woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the woman said, I pray thee, let thine handmayde speake a worde to my lord the King. And he sayd, Say on.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the woman said, "Please let your servant-woman speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak."

Complete Jewish Bible
Then the woman said, "Please allow your servant to say something else to my lord the king." "Go on," he replied.

Darby Translation
And the woman said, Let thy bondmaid, I pray thee, speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Speak.

Easy-to-Read Version
The woman said, "My lord and king, please let me say something else to you." The king said, "Speak."

George Lamsa Translation
Then the woman said, Let your handmaid speak a word to the king, and he said to her, Speak.

Good News Translation
"Please, Your Majesty, let me say just one more thing," the woman said. "All right," he answered.

Literal Translation
And the woman said, Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Speak.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the woman sayde: Let thy handmayde speake somwhat to my lorde the kynge. He sayde: speake on.

American Standard Version
Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

Bible in Basic English
Then the woman said, Will the king let his servant say one word more? And he said, Say on.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The woman sayde: Let thyne handmayde speake one worde vnto my lorde the king. And he sayde: Say on.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then the woman said: 'Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king.' And he said: 'Say on.'

King James Version (1611)
Then the woman said, Let thine handmayd, I pray thee, speake one word vnto my lord the king. And hee said, Say on.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the woman said, Let now thy servant speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

English Revised Version
Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the woman said, "Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?" "Speak," he replied.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the womman seide, Thin handmayde speke a word to my lord the kyng. And the kyng seide, Speke thou.

Young's Literal Translation
And the woman saith, `Let, I pray thee, thy maid-servant speak unto my lord the king a word;' and he saith, `Speak.'

Update Bible Version
Then the woman said, Let your slave, I pray you, speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak [one] word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

World English Bible
Then the woman said, Please let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king. He said, Say on.

New King James Version
Therefore the woman said, "Please, let your maidservant speak another word to my lord the king." And he said, "Say on."

New Living Translation
"Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king," she said. "Go ahead and speak," he responded.

New Life Bible
Then the woman said, "Let your woman servant speak to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak."

New Revised Standard
Then the woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said the woman, Pray let thy maidservant speak unto my lord the king, a word. And he said - Speak.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The woman said: Let thy hand maid speak one word to my lord the king. And he said: Speak.

Revised Standard Version
Then the woman said, "Pray let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak."

THE MESSAGE
Then she asked, "May I say one more thing to my master, the king?" He said, "Go ahead."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the woman said, "Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak."

Contextual Overview

¹ Joab knew that David couldn't stop thinking about Absalom, ²and he sent someone to bring in the wise woman who lived in Tekoa. Joab told her, "Put on funeral clothes and don't use any makeup. Go to the king and pretend you have spent a long time mourning the death of a loved one." Then he told her what to say. ⁴ The woman from Tekoa went to David. She bowed very low and said, "Your Majesty, please help me!" ⁵ David asked, "What's the matter?" She replied: My husband is dead, and I'm a widow. ⁶ I had two sons, but they got into a fight out in a field where there was no one to pull them apart, and one of them killed the other. ⁷ Now all of my relatives have come to me and said, "Hand over your son! We're going to put him to death for killing his brother." But what they really want is to get rid of him, so they can take over our land. Please don't let them put out my only flame of hope! There won't be anyone left on this earth to carry on my husband's name. ⁸ "Go on home," David told her. "I'll take care of this matter for you." ⁹ The woman said, "I hope your decision doesn't cause any problems for you. But if it does, you can blame me." ¹⁰ He said, "If anyone gives you any trouble, bring them to me, and it won't happen again!" ¹¹ "Please," she replied, "swear by the Lord your God that no one will be allowed to kill my son!" He said, "I swear by the living Lord that no one will touch even a hair on his head!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Let thine: 1 Samuel 25:24

speak one word: Genesis 18:27, Genesis 18:32, Genesis 44:18, Jeremiah 12:1

Say on: Acts 26:1

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 20:17 - Hear the words 1 Kings 2:14 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 14:11
Their enemies took everything of value from Sodom and Gomorrah, including their food supplies.

Genesis 14:12
They also captured Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom. They took him and his possessions and then left.

Genesis 14:13
At this time Abram the Hebrew was living near the oaks that belonged to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's friends. Someone who had escaped from the battle told Abram

Genesis 14:17
Abram returned after he had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other kings. Then the king of Sodom went to meet Abram in Shaveh Valley, which is also known as King's Valley.

Genesis 14:19
and said to Abram: "I bless you in the name of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.

Numbers 16:26
Then Moses warned the people, "Get away from the tents of these sinful men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them or you'll be wiped out."

Job 9:23
When a good person dies a sudden death, God sits back and laughs.

Revelation 3:19
I correct and punish everyone I love. So make up your minds to turn away from your sins.

Revelation 18:4
Then I heard another voice from heaven shout, "My people, you must escape from Babylon. Don't take part in her sins and share her punishment.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the woman said, let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak [one] word unto my Lord the king,.... Having gained her point, and gotten a decree from him confirmed by an oath, that her son though he had killed his brother should not die; she proceeds to accommodate the parable, and apply it to the case of Absalom, and improve it in his favour:

and he said, say on; gave her leave to say what she had further to observe to him; see Luke 7:40.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Having at last obtained what she wanted, the king’s oath that her son should not die, she proceeds to the case of Absalom. The meaning of 2 Samuel 14:13 may be paraphrased thus: “If you have done right as regards my son, how is it that you harbor such a purpose of vengeance against Absalom as to keep him, one of God’s people, an outcast in a pagan country, far from the worship of the God of Israel? Upon your own showing you are guilty of a great fault in not allowing Absalom to return.”

The king doth speak ... - literally, “And from the king speaking this word (this sentence of absolution to my son) he is as one guilty; i. e. the sentence you have pronounced in favor of my son condemns your own conduct toward Absalom.”