2 Samuel 12:18 - Plain English Version

¹⁸ After 7 days the baby died. David’s working men were afraid to tell him the bad news. They said to each other, “While the baby was alive, we tried to talk to him, but he didn’t listen to us. We can’t tell him this bad news, or he might hurt himself.”

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

¹⁸ And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

¹⁸ And on the seventh day the child died. David's servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, While the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voices; will he then harm himself if we tell him the child is dead?

American Standard Version (1901)

¹⁸ And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead!

Common English Bible

¹⁸ On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child had died. “David wouldn’t listen to us when we talked to him while the child was still alive,” they said. “How can we tell him the child has died? He’ll do something terrible!”

Catholic Public Domain Version

¹⁸ Then, on the seventh day, it happened that the infant died. And the servants of David were afraid to report to him that the little one had died. For they said: "Behold, when the child was still alive, we were speaking to him, but he would not listen to our voice. How much more will he afflict himself, if we tell him that the boy is dead?"

2 Samuel 12:18 Cross References

2 Samuel 12:17

Some of his important working men came to see him. They tried to make him get up. They tried to make him eat some food. But nothing. He did not want to eat anything with them.

2 Samuel 12:19

But David saw that his working men talked quietly to each other like that. He worked out that the baby died. So he asked them, “Is the baby dead?” They answered, “Yes.”