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Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Bible in Basic English

2 Samuel 18:25

And the watchman gave news of it to the king. And the king said, If he is coming by himself, then he has news. And the man was travelling quickly, and came near.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahimaaz;   Cushi;   Readings, Select;   Watchman;   Thompson Chain Reference - Watchmen;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Posts;   Watchmen;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gospel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Watches;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Cushite;   David;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Ahimaaz;   David;   Gospel;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz ;   Cushi ;   Zadok ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   Ahimaaz;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ahim'a-Az;   Cu'shi;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apace;   Cushi;   Cushite;   Watchman;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ahimaaz;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He called out and told the king.
Hebrew Names Version
The watchman cried, and told the king. The king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. He came apace, and drew near.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
The sentry called and told the king, and the king said, "If he is alone, good news is in his mouth." He kept coming closer.
English Standard Version
The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he drew nearer and nearer.
New Century Version
He shouted the news to the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing good news!" The man came nearer and nearer to the city.
New English Translation
So the watchman called out and informed the king. The king said, "If he is by himself, he brings good news." The runner came ever closer.
Amplified Bible
The lookout called down and told the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he has good news to tell." And he came nearer and nearer.
New American Standard Bible
So the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the watchman cryed, & tolde ye king. And the King said, If he be alone, he bringeth tidings. And he came apace, and drew neere.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer.
Contemporary English Version
and shouted down to tell David. David answered, "If he's alone, he must have some news." The runner was getting closer,
Complete Jewish Bible
The watchman cried out and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, he has good news to tell." As he ran along and came close,
Darby Translation
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came on and drew near.
Easy-to-Read Version
The watchman shouted to tell King David. King David said, "If the man is alone, he is bringing news." The man came closer and closer to the city.
George Lamsa Translation
And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, if he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Good News Translation
He called down and told the king, and the king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing good news." The runner kept coming closer.
Literal Translation
And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, If he is by himself, tidings are in his mouth. And he came, coming on, and drawing near.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and cryed, and tolde the kinge. The kynge sayde: Yf he be alone, then is there good tydinges in his mouth. And as the same wente and came forth,
American Standard Version
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the watchman cryed, & tolde the king. And the king sayd: If he be alone, there is tydinges in his mouth. And he came a pace, and drewe neare.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
And the watchman cried, and told the King. And the king said, If he bee alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew neere.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And the man came and drew near.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
So he called out and told the king. "If he is alone," the king replied, "he bears good news." As the first runner drew near,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and the spiere criede, and schewide to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, If he is aloone, good message is in his mouth.
Young's Literal Translation
And the watchman calleth, and declareth to the king, and the king saith, `If by himself, tidings [are] in his mouth;' and he cometh, coming on and drawing near.
Update Bible Version
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the watchman called, and told the king. And the king said, If he [is] alone [there is] tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
World English Bible
The watchman cried, and told the king. The king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. He came apace, and drew near.
New King James Version
Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he came rapidly and drew near.
New Living Translation
He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, "If he is alone, he has news." As the messenger came closer,
New Life Bible
The man who kept watch called and told the king. The king said, "If he is by himself, he has good news." And he came nearer and nearer.
New Revised Standard
The sentinel shouted and told the king. The king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." He kept coming, and drew near.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So the watchman called out, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth. And he came on nearer and nearer.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And crying out he told the king: and the king said: If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And as he was coming apace, and drawing nearer,
Revised Standard Version
And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." And he came apace, and drew near.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer.

Contextual Overview

19 Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me go and give the king news of how the Lord has done right in his cause against those who took up arms against him. 20 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. 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, Go and give the king word of what you have seen. And the Cushite, making a sign of respect to Joab, went off running. 22 Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab again, Whatever may come of it, let me go after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why have you a desire to go, my son, seeing that you will get no reward for your news? 23 Whatever may come of it, he said, I will go. Then he said to him, Go. So Ahimaaz went running by the lowland road and overtook the Cushite. 24 Now David was seated between the two town doors; and the watchman went up to the roof of the doorways, on the wall, and, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running by himself. 25 And the watchman gave news of it to the king. And the king said, If he is coming by himself, then he has news. And the man was travelling quickly, and came near. 26 Then the watchman saw another man running: and crying out in the direction of the door he said, Here is another man running by himself. And the king said, He, like the other, comes with news. 27 And the watchman said, It seems to me that the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and his news will be good. 28 And Ahimaaz, crying out to the king, said, It is well. And falling down before the king, with his face to the earth, he said, May the Lord your God be praised, who has given up the men who took up arms against my lord the king!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 18:1
Now the Lord came to him by the holy tree of Mamre, when he was seated in the doorway of his tent in the middle of the day;
Genesis 18:2
And lifting up his eyes, he saw three men before him; and seeing them, he went quickly to them from the door of the tent, and went down on his face to the earth;
Genesis 18:5
And let me get a bit of bread to keep up your strength, and after that you may go on your way: for this is why you have come to your servant. And they said, Let it be so.
Genesis 18:6
Then Abraham went quickly into the tent, and said to Sarah, Get three measures of meal straight away and make cakes.
Genesis 18:7
And running to the herd, he took a young ox, soft and fat, and gave it to the servant and he quickly made it ready;
Genesis 18:10
And he said, I will certainly come back to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife will have a son. And his words came to the ears of Sarah who was at the back of the tent-door.
Genesis 18:11
Now Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was past the time for giving birth.
Genesis 18:12
And Sarah, laughing to herself, said, Now that I am used up am I still to have pleasure, my husband himself being old?
Genesis 18:13
And the Lord said, Why was Sarah laughing and saying, Is it possible for me, being old, to give birth to a child?
Genesis 18:17
And the Lord said, Am I to keep back from Abraham the knowledge of what I do;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the watchman cried and told the king,.... Called with a loud voice from the roof of the watchtower to the king, sitting between the gates, and informed him what he saw:

and the king said, if he [be] alone [there is] tidings in his mouth; for if the army was routed and fled, and were pursued, there would be more in company, or several running one after another; but being but one, it was highly improbable that he was sent express:

and he came apace, and drew near; which was another sign of his being a messenger, the haste he made towards the city.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:25. If he be alone, there is tidings — That is, good tidings. For if the battle had been lost men would have been running in different directions through the country.


 
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