21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”

22 And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; (A)for I said, ‘Who can tell whether [a]the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go (B)to him, but (C)he shall not return to me.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 12:22 Heb. mss., Syr. God

21 His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept,(A) but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”

22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows?(B) The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’(C) 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him,(D) but he will not return to me.”(E)

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