2 Samuel 18:3

18:3 But the soldiers replied, ¹  “You should not do this! ²  For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be too concerned about us. ³  Even if half of us should die, they won’t be too concerned about us. But you ⁴  are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.”

2 Samuel 19:7

19:7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to ⁵  your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”

2 Samuel 24:13

24:13 Gad went to David and told him, “Shall seven ⁶  years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide ⁷  what I should tell the one who sent me.”

[18:3]  ¹ tn Heb “the people said.”

[18:3]  ² tn Heb “march out.”

[18:3]  ³ tn Heb “they will not place to us heart.”

[18:3]  ⁴ tc The translation follows the LXX (except for the Lucianic recension), Symmachus, and Vulgate in reading אָתָּה (’atta, “you”) rather than MT עָתָּה (’atta, “now”).

[19:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “and speak to the heart of.”

[24:13]  ⁹ tc The LXX has here “three” rather than “seven,” and is followed by NAB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT. See 1 Chr 21:12.

[24:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “now know and see.”