2 Samuel 12:23

Contemporary English Version

But now that he's dead, why should I go without eating? I can't bring him back! Someday I will join him in death, but he can't return to me.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I’ll go to him, but he will never return to me.”

Hebrew Names Version
But now he is dead, why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

King James Version
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

Lexham English Bible
But now he is dead. Why should I be fasting? Am I able to return him again? I am going to him, but he cannot return to me."

English Standard Version
But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."

New Century Version
But now that the baby is dead, why should I fast? I can't bring him back to life. Someday I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me."

New English Translation
But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!'"

Amplified Bible
"But now he is dead; why should I [continue to] fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him [when I die], but he will not return to me."

New American Standard Bible
"But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me."

Geneva Bible (1587)
But now being dead, wherefore shoulde I now fast? Can I bring him againe any more? I shall goe to him, but he shall not returne to me.

Legacy Standard Bible
But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

Complete Jewish Bible
But now that he's dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

Darby Translation
But now he is dead, why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

Easy-to-Read Version
But now the baby is dead, so why should I refuse to eat? Can I bring the baby back to life? No. Some day I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me."

George Lamsa Translation
But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he cannot return to me.

Good News Translation
But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Could I bring the child back to life? I will some day go to where he is, but he can never come back to me."

Literal Translation
And now he has died. Why this, that I should fast? Am I able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But now that it is deed, wherfore shulde I fast? Can I fetch it agayne. I shal go vnto it, but it shall not come agayne vnto me.

American Standard Version
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

Bible in Basic English
But now that the child is dead there is no reason for me to go without food; am I able to make him come back to life? I will go to him, but he will never come back to me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But now seeing it is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him againe any more? I shall go to him, rather then he shall come againe to me.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.'

King James Version (1611)
But now hee is dead, Wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him backe againe? I shall goe to him, but he shall not returne to me.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But now it is dead, why should I fast thus? shall I be able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

English Revised Version
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

Berean Standard Bible
But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`Now forsothe for he is deed, whi `fast Y? whether Y schal mow ayen clepe hym more? Y schal `go more to hym, but he schal not turne ayen to me.

Young's Literal Translation
and now, he hath died, why [is] this -- I fast? am I able to bring him back again? I am going unto him, and he doth not turn back unto me.'

Update Bible Version
But now he is dead, why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

Webster's Bible Translation
But now he is dead, Why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

World English Bible
But now he is dead, why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

New King James Version
But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

New Living Translation
But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me."

New Life Bible
But now he has died. Why should I go without food? Can I bring him to life again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

New Revised Standard
But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, now, that he is dead, wherefore should I go on fasting? can I bring him back again? I am going unto him, but, he, will not come back unto me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Shall I be able to bring him back any more? I shall go to him rather: but he shall not return to me.

Revised Standard Version
But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ Then Nathan went back home. The Lord made David's young son very sick. ¹⁶ So David went without eating to show his sorrow, and he begged God to make the boy well. David would not sleep on his bed, but spent each night lying on the floor. ¹⁷ His officials stood beside him and tried to talk him into getting up. But he would not get up or eat with them. ¹⁸ After the child had been sick for seven days, he died, but the officials were afraid to tell David. They said to each other, "Even when the boy was alive, David wouldn't listen to us. How can we tell him his son is dead? He might do something terrible!" ¹⁹ David noticed his servants whispering, and he knew the boy was dead. "Did my son die?" he asked his servants. "Yes, he did," they answered. ²⁰ David got up off the floor; he took a bath, combed his hair, and dressed. He went into the Lord 's tent and worshiped, then he went back home. David asked for something to eat, and when his servants brought him some food, he ate it. ²¹ His officials said, "What are you doing? You went without eating and cried for your son while he was alive! But now that he's dead, you're up and eating." ²² David answered: While he was still alive, I went without food and cried because there was still hope. I said to myself, "Who knows? Maybe the Lord will have pity on me and let the child live." ²³ But now that he's dead, why should I go without eating? I can't bring him back! Someday I will join him in death, but he can't return to me. ²⁴ David comforted his wife Bathsheba and slept with her. Later on, she gave birth to another son and named him Solomon. The Lord loved Solomon

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I shall go: Genesis 37:35, Job 30:23, Luke 23:43

he shall not: Job 7:8-10

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 13:39 - comforted Job 7:9 - he Job 10:21 - I go whence

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast?.... And pray; it is to no purpose, no end can be thought to be answered by it:

can I bring him back again? from the state of the dead, bring him to life by fasting, and praying, and weeping; that is not to e expected:

I shall go to him; to the state of the dead, to the grave, where his body was, or would be; to heaven and eternal happiness, where his soul was, as he comfortably hoped and believed: from whence it appears, that the Old Testament saints did not suppose an annihilation at death; but believed the immortality of the soul, a future state after death of eternal life and bliss:

but he shall not return to me; in the present mortal state, though at the resurrection they should meet again.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 12:23. I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. — It is not clear whether David by this expressed his faith in the immortality of the soul; going to him may only mean, I also shall die, and be gathered to my fathers, as he is. But whether David expressed this or not, we know that the thing is true; and it is one of the most solid grounds of consolation to surviving friends that they shall by and by be joined to them in a state of conscious existence. This doctrine has a very powerful tendency to alleviate the miseries of human life and reconcile us to the death of most beloved friends. And were we to admit the contrary, grief, in many cases, would wear out its subject before it wore out itself. Even the heathens derived consolation from the reflection that they should meet their friends in a state of conscious existence. And a saying in Cicero De Senectute, which he puts in the mouth of Cato of Utica, has been often quoted, and is universally admired: -

O praelarum diem, cum ad illud divinum animorum concilium coetumque proficiscar, cumque ex hac turba et colluvione discedam! Proficiscar enim non ad eos solum viros de quibus ante dixi; sed etiam ad Catonem meum quo nemo vir melior natus est, nemo pietate praestantior: cujus a me corpus crematum est; quod contra decuit ab illo meum. Animus vero non me deserens, sed respectans, in ea profecto loca discessit, quo mihi ipsi cernebat esse veniendum: quem ego meum catum fortiter ferre visus sum: non quod aequo animo ferrem: sed me ipse consolabar, existimans, non longinquum inter nos digressum et discessum fore.

CATO MAJOR, De Senectute, in fin.

"O happy day, (says he,) when I shall quit this impure and corrupt multitude, and join myself to that divine company and council of souls who have quitted the earth before me! There I shall find, not only those illustrious personages to whom I have spoken, but also my Cato, who I can say was one of the best men ever born, and whom none ever excelled in virtue and piety. I have placed his body on that funeral pyre whereon he ought to have laid mine. But his soul has not left me; and, without losing sight of me, he has only gone before into a country where he saw I should soon rejoin him. This my lot I seem to bear courageously; not indeed that I do bear it with resignation, but I shall comfort myself with the persuasion that the interval between his departure and mine will not be long."

And we well know who has taught us not to sorrow as those without hope for departed friends.