2 Samuel 18:20

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."

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.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.'

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 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 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the LORD has avenged him of his enemies." ²⁰ 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." ²¹ Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran. ²² And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." So Joab said, "Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?" ²³ "But whatever happens," he said, "let me run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite. ²⁴ Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "There is another man, running alone!" And the king said, "He also brings news." ²⁷ So the watchman said, "I think 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 comes with good news." ²⁸ So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "All is well!" Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised 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 have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.

Genesis 13:13
But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.

Genesis 19:13
For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it."

Isaiah 3:9
The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.

Isaiah 5:7
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

Jeremiah 14:7
O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, Do it for Your name's sake; For our backslidings are many, We have sinned against You.

James 5:4
Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. [fn]

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.