2 Samuel 18:19–31

¹⁹Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the good news to the king that Yahweh has vindicated him from the hand of his enemies.” ²⁰Joab said to him, “You will not be a man bringing^l good news this day! You may bring good news on another day, but today you will not be bringing good news because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen”; then the Cushite bowed down to Joab and ran off. ²²Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may,^m please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab asked, “Why are you wanting to run, my son, when for you there is no messenger’s reward?”^{n 23}“Come what may,^o I want to run.” He said to him, “Run,” so Ahimaaz ran on the road on the plain, and he passed the Cushite.

²⁴Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the sentinel went up to the roof of the gate by the wall and he lifted up his eyes and watched, and look, a man was running by himself. ²⁵The sentry called and told the king, and the king said, “If he is alone, good news is in his mouth.” He kept coming closer.^{p 26}Then the sentinel saw another man running, so the sentinel called to the gatekeeper and said, “Look, a man running alone.” The king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” ²⁷The sentinel said, “I am seeing that the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man; he will come, for good news.” ²⁸Then Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “Peace.” He bowed down to the king with his face to the ground, and he said, “May Yahweh your God be blessed, who has delivered the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.” ²⁹The king said, “Is it peace for the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz said, “I saw the great commotion when Joab the servant of the king sent your servant, but I do not know what it was all about.” ³⁰Then the king said, “Turn aside, take your place here,” so he turned aside and waited. ³¹Suddenly the Cushite arrived and said, “May my lord the king receive the good news, for Yahweh has vindicated you today from the power of all who stood up against you.”