Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Bible in Basic English

2 Samuel 17:16

So now send the news quickly to David, and say, Do not take your night's rest by the way across the river to the waste land, but be certain to go over; or the king and all the people with him will come to destruction.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abiathar;   Ahithophel;   Citizens;   Falsehood;   Friendship;   Gilead;   Loyalty;   Spies;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Ahithophel;   Amasa;   Hushai;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Friend, Friendship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel;   Desert;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Abiathar;   Absalom;   Ahimaaz;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Abi'athar;   Ahim'a-Az;   Ahith'ophel;   Jon'athan,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ford;   Samuel, Books of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ahimaaz;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Now send someone quickly and tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night at the wilderness ford, but be sure to cross over the Jordan, or the king and all the people with him will be devoured.’”
Hebrew Names Version
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Don't lodge this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.
King James Version
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
Lexham English Bible
So then, send quickly and tell David, ‘Don't spend the night at the fords of the wilderness! Moreover, by all means cross over lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'"
English Standard Version
Now therefore send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'"
New Century Version
"Quickly! Send a message to David. Tell him not to stay tonight at the crossings into the desert but to cross over the Jordan River at once. If he crosses the river, he and all his people won't be destroyed."
New English Translation
Now send word quickly to David and warn him, "Don't spend the night at the fords of the desert tonight. Instead, be sure you cross over, or else the king and everyone who is with him may be overwhelmed."
Amplified Bible
"Now then, send word quickly and tell David, 'Do not spend the night at the fords [on the west side of the Jordan] in the wilderness, but by all means cross over [to the east side of the river], or else the king and all the people with him will be destroyed [if Ahithophel is allowed by Absalom to lead an attack].'"
New American Standard Bible
"Now then, send a messenger quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not spend the night at the river crossing places of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now therefore sende quickely, and shewe Dauid, saying, Tarie not this night in the fieldes of the wildernesse, but rather get thee ouer, lest the King be deuoured and all the people that are with him.
Legacy Standard Bible
So now, send quickly and inform David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'"
Contemporary English Version
Then he said, "Hurry! Send someone to warn David not to spend the night on this side of the river. He must get across the river, so he and the others won't be wiped out!"
Complete Jewish Bible
Now therefore send quickly and tell David, "Don't stay tonight in the desert plains; but, whatever it takes, move on from there! Otherwise, the king and all the people with him will be engulfed."
Darby Translation
And now send quickly, and tell David saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Send a message to David now! Tell him not to spend the night at the places where people cross into the desert. Tell him to go across the Jordan River at once. If he crosses the river, the king and all his people will not be caught."
George Lamsa Translation
Now therefore send quickly and tell David, saying, Do not spend the night in the plain of the wilderness, but pass over, lest you and all the people who are with you be destroyed.
Good News Translation
Hushai added, "Quick, now! Send a message to David not to spend the night at the river crossings in the wilderness, but to cross the Jordan at once, so that he and his men won't all be caught and killed."
Literal Translation
And now send quickly and tell David, saying, Do not stay in the fords of the wilderness tonight. And, also, crossing pass over, that there not be a swallowing up of the king and of all the people with him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Sende now therfore in all the haist, and tell Dauid, and saye: Abyde not all nighte in the playne felde of the wyldernes, but get the ouer, that the kynge be not swalowed vp, and all the people that is with him.
American Standard Version
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nowe therfore send quickly, & shewe Dauid, saying: Tarie not this night in ye fieldes of the wildernesse, but get thee ouer, lest the king be deuoured, & all the people that are with him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying: Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but in any wise pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.'
King James Version (1611)
Now therefore send quickly, and tell Dauid, saying, Lodge not this night in the plaines of the wildernes, but speedily passe ouer, lest the King be swallowed vp, and all the people that are with him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And now send quickly and report to David, saying, Lodge not this night in Araboth of the wilderness: even go and make haste, lest one swallow up the king, and all the people with him.
English Revised Version
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night at the fords of the wilderness, but in any wise pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
Berean Standard Bible
Now send quickly and tell David, 'Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but be sure to cross over. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Now therfor sende ye soone, and telle ye to Dauid, and seie ye, Dwelle thou not this nyyt in the feeldi places of deseert, but passe thou with out delay; lest perauenture the kyng be destried, and al the puple which is with hym.
Young's Literal Translation
and now, send hastily, and declare to David, saying, Lodge not to-night in the plains of the wilderness, and also, certainly pass over, lest there be a swallowing up of the king and of all the people who are with him.'
Update Bible Version
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Don't lodge this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; or else the king will be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him.
World English Bible
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Don't lodge this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.
New King James Version
Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, "Do not spend this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up."'
New Living Translation
"Quick!" he told them. "Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River tonight. He must go across at once into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will die and his entire army with him."
New Life Bible
So be quick to send someone to tell David, ‘Do not stay the night in the desert beside the place where the Jordan is crossed. But cross over, or the king and all the people with him will be destroyed.'"
New Revised Standard
Therefore send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over; otherwise the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, therefore, send quickly, and tell David, saying, - Do not lodge to-night in the waste plains of the wilderness, thou must, even pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying: Tarry not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but without delay pass over: lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that is with him.
Revised Standard Version
Now therefore send quickly and tell David, 'Do not lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.'"

Contextual Overview

15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, This is the suggestion made by Ahithophel to Absalom and the responsible men of Israel, and this is what I said to them. 16 So now send the news quickly to David, and say, Do not take your night's rest by the way across the river to the waste land, but be certain to go over; or the king and all the people with him will come to destruction. 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting by En-rogel; and a servant-girl went from time to time and gave them news and they went with the news to King David, for it was not wise for them to let themselves be seen coming into the town. 18 But a boy saw them, and gave word of it to Absalom: so the two of them went away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a water-hole in his garden, and they went down into it. 19 And a woman put a cover over the hole, and put crushed grain on top of it, and no one had any knowledge of it. 20 And Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone from here to the stream. And after searching for them, and seeing nothing of them, they went back to Jerusalem. 21 Then after the servants had gone away, they came up out of the water-hole and went to give King David the news; and they said, Get up and go quickly over the water, for such and such are Ahithophel's designs against you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lodge: 2 Samuel 15:28

but speedily: 2 Samuel 17:21, 2 Samuel 17:22, 2 Samuel 15:14, 2 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 20:38, Psalms 55:8, Proverbs 6:4, Proverbs 6:5, Matthew 24:16-18

be swallowed: 2 Samuel 20:19, 2 Samuel 20:20, Psalms 35:25, Psalms 56:2, Psalms 57:3, 1 Corinthians 15:54, 2 Corinthians 5:4

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 15:35 - thou shalt tell 2 Samuel 18:20 - bear tidings Psalms 119:87 - almost Psalms 119:150 - draw nigh

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
And God gave them his blessing and said to them, Be fertile and have increase, and make the earth full and be masters of it; be rulers over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing moving on the earth.
Genesis 12:2
And I will make of you a great nation, blessing you and making your name great; and you will be a blessing:
Genesis 17:6
I will make you very fertile, so that nations will come from you and kings will be your offspring.
Genesis 17:10
And this is the agreement which you are to keep with me, you and your seed after you: every male among you is to undergo circumcision.
Genesis 17:14
And any male who does not undergo circumcision will be cut off from his people: my agreement has been broken by him.
Genesis 17:26
Abraham and Ishmael, his son, underwent circumcision on that very day.
Genesis 24:60
And they gave Rebekah their blessing, saying, O sister, may you be the mother of thousands and ten thousands; and may your seed overcome all those who make war against them.
Genesis 35:11
And God said to him, I am God, the Ruler of all: be fertile, and have increase; a nation, truly a group of nations, will come from you, and kings will be your offspring;
Isaiah 49:23
And kings will take care of you, and queens will give you their milk: they will go down on their faces before you, kissing the dust of your feet; and you will be certain that I am the Lord, and that those who put their hope in me will not be shamed.
Romans 9:9
For this is the word of God's undertaking, At this time will I come, and Sarah will have a son.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now therefore send quickly and tell David,.... What has been advised to on both sides:

saying, lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness; which reached to Jericho; this advice he gave, because he knew not whether his counsel would be abode by, though preferred; Absalom and the elders of Israel might change their minds, and Ahithophel might, by the strength of his oratory, prevail upon them after all to follow his advice; and therefore, to guard against the worst, he judged it most prudential in David to make all the haste he could from that place where he was, and not continue a night longer in it; for, if Ahithophel's counsel should take place, he would be in pursuit of him that very night:

but speedily pass over; the river Jordan:

lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him: be destroyed by the forces Ahithophel should bring with him, which he would not be able to withstand.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hushai, like a wise and prudent man, knowing, too, Absalom’s weak and fickle character, would not depend upon the resolution, taken at his instigation, not to pursue the king, but took instant measures to advertise David of his danger.


 
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