2 Samuel 13:24-27

13:24 Then Absalom went to the king and said, “My shearers have begun their work. ¹  Let the king and his servants go with me.”

13:25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son. We shouldn’t all go. We shouldn’t burden you in that way.” Though Absalom ²  pressed ³  him, the king ⁴  was not willing to go. Instead, David ⁵  blessed him.

13:26 Then Absalom said, “If you will not go, ⁶  then let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king replied to him, “Why should he go with you?” 13:27 But when Absalom pressed him, he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons along with him.

[13:24]  ¹ tn Heb “your servant has sheepshearers.” The phrase “your servant” also occurs at the end of the verse.

[13:25]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:25]  ³ tc Here and in v. 27 the translation follows 4QSam^a ויצפר (vayyitspar, “and he pressed”) rather than the MT וַיִּפְרָץ (vayyiprats, “and he broke through”). This emended reading seems also to underlie the translations of the LXX (καὶ ἐβιάσατο, kai ebiasato), the Syriac Peshitta (we’alseh), and Vulgate (cogeret eum).

[13:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:26]  ⁶ tn Heb “and not.”