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11 Joab said to him, “You saw him? Why didn’t you ·kill him and let him fall to [L strike him to] the ground? I would have given you a belt and ·four ounces [L ten pieces] of silver!”

12 The man answered, “I wouldn’t ·touch [L raise my hand against] the king’s son even if ·you gave me [L I felt in my hand the weight of] ·twenty-five pounds [L a thousand pieces] of silver. We heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘·Be careful not to hurt [For my sake protect/spare] young Absalom.’ 13 If I had ·killed him [betrayed the king by killing his son], ·the king would have found out [and there is nothing hidden from the king], and you would ·not have protected [have kept your distance/aloof from] me!”

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11 Joab said to the man who had told him this, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike(A) him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels[a] of silver and a warrior’s belt.(B)

12 But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels[b] were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.[c] 13 And if I had put my life in jeopardy[d]—and nothing is hidden from the king(C)—you would have kept your distance from me.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 18:11 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
  2. 2 Samuel 18:12 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms
  3. 2 Samuel 18:12 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts may be translated Absalom, whoever you may be.
  4. 2 Samuel 18:13 Or Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously toward him