2 Samuel 18:20

JPS Old Testament

And Joab said unto him: 'Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, forasmuch as the king's son is dead.'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joab replied to him, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but today you aren’t taking good news, because the king’s son is dead.”

Hebrew Names Version
Yo'av said to him, You shall not be the bearer of news this day, but you shall bear news another day; but this day you shall bear no news, because the king's son is dead.

King James Version
And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

Lexham English Bible
Joab said to him, "You will not be a man bringing good news this day! You may bring good news on another day, but today you will not be bringing good news because the king's son is dead."

English Standard Version
And Joab said to him, "You are not to carry news today. You may carry news another day, but today you shall carry no news, because the king's son is dead."

New Century Version
Joab answered Ahimaaz, "No, you are not the one to take the news today. You may do it another time, but do not take it today, because the king's son is dead."

New English Translation
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, for the king's son is dead."

Amplified Bible
But Joab told him, "You are not the man to carry news [to King David] today, but you shall carry news another day. On this day you shall carry no news, because the king's son is dead."

New American Standard Bible
But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to bring news this day, but you shall bring news another day; however, you shall bring no news this day, because the king's son is dead."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ioab said vnto him, Thou shalt not be the messenger to day, but thou shalt beare tidings another time, but to day thou shalt beare none: for the Kings sonne is dead.

Legacy Standard Bible
But Joab said to him, "You are not the man for the good news this day, but you shall proclaim the good news another day; however, you shall not proclaim the good news today because the king's son has died."

Contemporary English Version
Joab answered, "You're not the one to tell the king that his son is dead. You can take him a message some other time, but not today."

Complete Jewish Bible
Yo'av said to him, "You are not to be the one to bring the news today; you can convey news another day; but today you will not bring news, because the king's son is dead."

Darby Translation
And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a bearer of news to-day, but thou shalt carry the news another day; but to-day thou shalt carry no news, because the king's son is dead.

Easy-to-Read Version
Joab answered Ahimaaz, "No, you will not carry the message today. You can do it some other time, but not today because it is the king's son who is dead."

George Lamsa Translation
And Joab said to him, It is not proper that you bear tidings this day, but you may bear tidings another day; this day you shall bear no tidings because the kings son is dead.

Good News Translation
"No," Joab said, "today you will not take any good news. Some other day you may do so, but not today, for the king's son is dead."

Literal Translation
And Joab said to him, You are not a man of tidings today. But you shall bear tidings another day. And today you shall not bear tidings, because the king's son is dead.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Ioab sayde: Thou shalt bringe no good tidinges to daie another daye shalt thou brynge him worde, and not to daye, for the kynges sonne is deed

American Standard Version
And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

Bible in Basic English
And Joab said, You will take no news today; another day you may give him the news, but you will take no news today, because the king's son is dead.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioab sayd vnto him: Thou art no man to beare tidinges to day, thou shalt beare tydinges another time: but to day thou shalt beare none, because the kinges sonne is dead.

King James Version (1611)
And Ioab said vnto him, Thou shalt not beare tidings this day, but thou shalt beare tidings another day: but this day thou shalt beare no tidings, because the Kings sonne is dead.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a messenger of glad tidings this day; thou shalt bear them another day; but on this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.

English Revised Version
And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.

Berean Standard Bible
But Joab replied, "You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king's son is dead."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whom Joab seide, Thou schalt not be messanger in this dai, but thou schalt telle in another dai; I nyle that thou telle to dai, for the sone of the kyng is deed.

Young's Literal Translation
and Joab saith to him, `Thou art not a man of tidings this day, but thou hast borne tidings on another day, and this day thou dost not bear tidings, because the king's son [is] dead.'

Update Bible Version
And Joab said to him, You shall not be the bearer of tidings this day, but you shall bear tidings another day; but this day you shall bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

World English Bible
Joab said to him, You shall not be the bearer of news this day, but you shall bear news another day; but this day you shall bear no news, because the king's son is dead.

New King James Version
And Joab said to him, "You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king's son is dead."

New Living Translation
"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."

New Life Bible
But Joab said to him, "You must not carry news today, but another time. Today you should carry no news, because the king's son is dead."

New Revised Standard
Joab said to him, "You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall not do so, because the king's son is dead."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Joab said to him - Not a man to bear tidings, art thou this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day, - but, this day, shalt thou not bear tidings, for this cause, that, the king's son, is dead.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab said to him: Thou shalt not be the messenger this day, but shalt bear tidings another day: this day I will not have thee bear tidings, because the king’s son is dead.

Revised Standard Version
And Jo'ab said to him, "You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall carry no tidings, because the king's son is dead."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king's son is dead."

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok: 'Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.' ²⁰ And Joab said unto him: 'Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, forasmuch as the king's son is dead.' ²¹ Then said Joab to the Cushite: 'Go tell the king what thou hast seen.' And the Cushite bowed down unto Joab, and ran. ²² Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab: 'But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite.' And Joab said: 'Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no reward for the tidings?' ²³ 'But come what may, [said he,] I will run.' And he said unto him: 'Run.' Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and overran the Cushite. ²⁴ Now David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. ²⁵ And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said: 'If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth.' And he came apace, and drew near. ²⁶ And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the porter, and said: 'Behold another man running alone.' And the king said: 'He also bringeth tidings.' ²⁷ And the watchman said: 'I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.' And the king said: 'He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.' ²⁸ And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king: 'All is well.' And he bowed down before the king with his face to the earth, and said: 'Blessed be the LORD thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bear tidings: Heb. be a man of tidings, 2 Samuel 17:16-21

because: 2 Samuel 18:5, 2 Samuel 18:27, 2 Samuel 18:29, 2 Samuel 18:33

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 19:1 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
And He said: 'What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground.

Genesis 13:13
Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the LORD exceedingly.

Genesis 19:13
for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed great before the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.'

Isaiah 3:9
The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have wrought evil unto themselves.

Isaiah 5:7
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah the plant of His delight; and He looked for justice, but behold violence; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Jeremiah 14:7
Though our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, work Thou for Thy name's sake; for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against Thee.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joab said unto him, thou shall not bear tidings this day,.... Because Joab knew the tidings of Absalom's death would not be acceptable to the king; and Ahimaaz being a good man, and the son of a priest, for whom Joab had a respect, he would not send the tidings by him, which he was sensible would not recommend him to the king:

but thou shalt bear tidings another day; when any salvation is wrought, or victory obtained, the tidings of which will be welcome:

but this day thou shall bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead; and thou must carry the news concerning his death, which it is not proper thou shouldest, being a priest, nor will it be to thine advantage.