2 Samuel 18:5

New Living Translation

And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: "For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom." And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the people heard the king’s orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

Hebrew Names Version
The king commanded Yo'av and Avishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Avshalom. All the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Avshalom.

King James Version
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Lexham English Bible
The king ordered Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "With respect to the young man Absalom, deal gently for me." And all the troops heard when the king ordered all of the commanders concerning the matter of Absalom.

English Standard Version
And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

New Century Version
The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "Be gentle with young Absalom for my sake." Everyone heard the king's orders to the commanders about Absalom.

New English Translation
The king gave this order to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: "For my sake deal gently with the young man Absalom." Now the entire army was listening when the king gave all the leaders this order concerning Absalom.

Amplified Bible
The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake." And all the men heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

New American Standard Bible
But the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake." And all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders regarding Absalom.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King commanded Ioab and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Entreate the yong man Absalom gently for my sake. and all the people heard whe the King gaue al the captaines charge concerning Absalom.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders concerning Absalom.

Complete Jewish Bible
The king gave orders to Yo'av, Avishai and Ittai, "For my sake, deal gently with young Avshalom." All the people were listening when the king gave all the commanders this order concerning Avshalom.

Darby Translation
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [Deal] gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Easy-to-Read Version
The king gave a command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He said, "Do this for me: Be gentle with young Absalom!" Everyone heard the king's orders about Absalom to the captains.

George Lamsa Translation
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Capture for me the young man Absalom alive. And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all commanders concerning Absalom.

Good News Translation
He gave orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: "For my sake don't harm the young man Absalom." And all the troops heard David give this command to his officers.

Literal Translation
And the king commanded Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, For my sake deal gently with the young man, with Absalom. And all the people heard as the king commanded the commanders concerning Absalom.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye kinge comaunded Ioab and Abisai, and Ithai, and sayde: Intreate me the yonge man Absalom gently. And all the people herde it, wha the kynge comaunded all the captaynes concernynge Absalom.

American Standard Version
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Bible in Basic English
And the king gave orders to Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Because of me, be gentle to the young man Absalom. And this order about Absalom was given in the hearing of all the people.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king commaunded Ioab, and Abisai, and Ithai, saying: Intreate the young man Absalom gently for my sake. And all the people hearde that the king gaue all the captaynes charge concerning Absalom.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying: 'Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.' And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

King James Version (1611)
And the king commanded Ioab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deale gently for my sake with the yong man, euen with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gaue all the captaines charge concerning Absalom.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom. And all the people heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Abessalom.

English Revised Version
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Berean Standard Bible
Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake." And all the people heard the king's orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the king comaundide to Joab, and to Abisai, and Ethai, and seyde, Kepe ye to me the child Absolon. And al the puple herde the kyng comaundinge to alle the princes for Absolon.

Young's Literal Translation
and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, `Gently -- for me, for the youth, for Absalom;' and all the people heard in the king's charging all the heads concerning Absalom.

Update Bible Version
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [Deal] gently for my sake with the young man, [even] with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

World English Bible
The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. All the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

New King James Version
Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.

New Life Bible
The king told Joab and Abishai and Ittai, "Be gentle toward the young man Absalom because of me." And all the people heard him say this to all the leaders about Absalom.

New Revised Standard
The king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even Absolom. And, all the people, heard when the king charged all the captains, for the sake of Absolom.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king commanded Joab, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me the boy Absalom. And all the people heard the king giving charge to all the princes concerning Absalom.

Revised Standard Version
And the king ordered Jo'ab and Abi'shai and It'tai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Ab'salom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Ab'salom.

THE MESSAGE
Then the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." The whole army heard what the king commanded the three captains regarding Absalom.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.

Contextual Overview

¹ David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them. ² He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, "I am going out with you." ³ But his men objected strongly. "You must not go," they urged. "If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom's troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it." ⁴ "If you think that's the best plan, I'll do it," the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands. ⁵ And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: "For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom." And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders. ⁶ So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim, ⁷ and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David's men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. ⁸ The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deal gently: 2 Samuel 16:11, 2 Samuel 17:1-4, 2 Samuel 17:14, Deuteronomy 21:18-21, Psalms 103:13, Luke 23:34

all the people: 2 Samuel 18:12

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 26:6 - to Abishai 2 Samuel 18:14 - thrust them 2 Samuel 18:20 - because 2 Samuel 19:1 - General 1 Kings 2:5 - Joab Philemon 1:10 - my son

Cross-References

Genesis 19:8
Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection."

Genesis 33:10
But Jacob insisted, "No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!

Judges 6:18
Don't go away until I come back and bring my offering to you." He answered, "I will stay here until you return."

Judges 13:15
Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord , "Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat."

Judges 19:5
On the fourth day the man was up early, ready to leave, but the woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Have something to eat before you go."

Psalms 104:15
wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.

Isaiah 3:1
The Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water,

Matthew 6:11
Give us today the food we need,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king commanded Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai,.... His three generals, to whom he had committed his army divided into three parts:

saying, [deal] gently for my sake with the young man, [even] with Absalom; he does not call him his son, being in rebellion against him, but the young man, who was young, and rash, and foolish, and so to be pitied; his request is, that they would spare him, and not take away his life, when in their power; that they would not aim at him, and push him hard, and fall upon him with wrath and fury; but if he fell into their hands, to take him alive, and bring him away, and not put him to death. This flowed from a natural affection to him, and a concern for the welfare of his soul, that he might not die in this sin; and also from a consciousness that it was for his own sins that he was raised up to rebel against him; and he seems to speak as if he was certain that the battle would go for him, and against Absalom; and which he might conclude from the answer of prayer he had in defeating the counsel of Ahithophel:

and all the people heard when he gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom; not only the three generals, but all the captains of hundreds and thousands, and this was heard by the common soldiers as well as by the people of the city that were spectators on this occasion, see 2 Samuel 18:12.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:5. Deal gently - with the young man — David was the father of this worthless young man; and is it to be wondered at that he feels as a father? Who in his circumstances, that had such feelings as every man should have, would have felt, or acted otherwise?