2 Samuel 14:14
New International Version
Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.

New Living Translation
All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

English Standard Version
We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.

Berean Standard Bible
For we will surely die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life, but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.

King James Bible
For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

New King James Version
For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.

New American Standard Bible
For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. Yet God does not take away life, but makes plans so that the banished one will not be cast out from Him.

NASB 1995
“For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him.

NASB 1977
“For we shall surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one may not be cast out from him.

Legacy Standard Bible
For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but thinks up ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him.

Amplified Bible
For we will certainly die and are like water that is spilled on the ground and cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not [simply] take away life, but devises plans so that the one who is banished is not driven away from Him.

Christian Standard Bible
We will certainly die and be like water poured out on the ground, which can’t be recovered. But God would not take away a life; he would devise plans so that the one banished from him does not remain banished.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
We will certainly die and be like water poured out on the ground, which can’t be recovered. But God would not take away a life; He would devise plans so that the one banished from Him does not remain banished.”

American Standard Version
For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.

Contemporary English Version
We each must die and disappear like water poured out on the ground. But God doesn't take our lives. Instead, he figures out ways of bringing us back when we run away.

English Revised Version
For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We are all going to die; we are all like water that is poured on the ground and can't be gathered up. But doesn't God forgive a person? He never plans to keep a banished person in exile.

Good News Translation
We will all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which can't be gathered again. Even God does not bring the dead back to life, but the king can at least find a way to bring a man back from exile.

International Standard Version
After all, even though we all die, and we're all like water being spilled on the ground that cannot be recovered, nevertheless God doesn't take away life, but carries out his plans so as not to cast away permanently from him those who are presently estranged.

Majority Standard Bible
For we will surely die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life, but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.

NET Bible
Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored.

New Heart English Bible
Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son." He said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

Webster's Bible Translation
For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

World English Bible
For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for we surely die, and [are] as water which is running down to the earth, which is not gathered, and God does not accept a person, and has devised plans in that the outcast is not outcast by Him.

Young's Literal Translation
for we do surely die, and are as water which is running down to the earth, which is not gathered, and God doth not accept a person, and hath devised devices in that the outcast is not outcast by Him.

Smith's Literal Translation
For dying, we shall die, and as waters poured out on the earth, which will not be gathered; and God will not lift up the soul: and reckoning, he reckons that the fugitive shall not be driven out from him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
We all die, and like waters that return no more, we fall down into the earth: neither will God have a soul to perish, but recalleth, meaning that he that is cast off should not altogether perish.

Catholic Public Domain Version
We are all dying, and we are all like waters that flow into the ground and do not return. God does not will to lose a soul. Instead, he renews his efforts, thinking that what has been rejected might not perish altogether.

New American Bible
We must indeed die; we are then like water that is poured out on the ground and cannot be gathered up. Yet, though God does not bring back to life, he does devise means so as not to banish anyone from him.

New Revised Standard Version
We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. But God will not take away a life; he will devise plans so as not to keep an outcast banished forever from his presence.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For we will all surely die, and we are as water that is poured upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God destroy a soul, but devises means that no man should go astray from him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because we are surely dying, and like water we are poured out on the ground, and it is not gathered, and God does not take away the soul, and he devises a plan lest a person would be lost from him
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person; but let him devise means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For we shall surely die, and be as water poured upon the earth, which shall not be gathered up, and God shall take the life, even as he devises to thrust forth from him his outcast.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Absalom's Return to Jerusalem
13The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son? 14For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him. 15Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 18:32
For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live!

Ezekiel 33:11
Say to them: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Psalm 103:8-14
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. / He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever. / He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities. ...

Lamentations 3:32-33
Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion. / For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.

Job 14:7-10
For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail. / If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil, / at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling. ...

Hosea 6:1-2
Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds. / After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.

Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? / He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

Jeremiah 31:20
Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the LORD.

Matthew 18:14
In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Luke 15:20-24
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. / The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ / But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ...

John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. / For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Romans 5:8-10
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. / Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him! / For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.


Treasury of Scripture

For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God respect any person: yet does he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

we must

2 Samuel 11:25
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

Job 30:23
For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

Job 34:15
All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

as water

Job 14:7-12,14
For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease…

Psalm 22:14
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

Psalm 79:3
Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

neither, etc.

God

Deuteronomy 10:17
For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:

Job 34:19
How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

Matthew 22:16
And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

he devise

Exodus 21:13
And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

Leviticus 26:40
If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;

Numbers 35:15,25,28
These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither…

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Banished Devise Devises Die Expelled Gathered Ground Life Means Needs Outcast Respect Spilled Spilt Split Surely Water
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Banished Devise Devises Die Expelled Gathered Ground Life Means Needs Outcast Respect Spilled Spilt Split Surely Water
2 Samuel 14
1. Joab, suborning a widow of Tekoah to incline the king's heart to fetch Absalom,
21. brings him home to Jerusalem
25. Absalom's beauty, hair, and children
28. After two years, Absalom is brought into the king's presence by Joab














For surely we will die
This phrase acknowledges the inevitability of death, a universal truth that transcends time and culture. The Hebrew word for "die" here is "muwth," which signifies the cessation of life. In the biblical context, death is often seen as a consequence of sin (Genesis 2:17, Romans 6:23). This phrase serves as a reminder of human mortality and the need for divine intervention in the face of sin and death.

and be like water poured out on the ground
The imagery of water poured out on the ground conveys the idea of irretrievability and finality. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, water was a precious resource, and once spilled, it could not be gathered again. This metaphor emphasizes the irreversible nature of death and the futility of human efforts to reclaim what is lost. It underscores the need for God's grace and redemption.

which cannot be recovered
This phrase reinforces the concept of irreversibility. The Hebrew root "shuwb" means to return or restore, highlighting the impossibility of reversing death by human means. It points to the limitations of human power and the necessity of divine intervention for restoration and hope beyond the grave.

Yet God does not take away life
Here, the text shifts to a message of hope and divine mercy. The Hebrew word "nasa" means to lift, carry, or take away. This phrase suggests that God, in His mercy, does not desire the destruction of life. Instead, He is portrayed as a God of compassion who values life and seeks to preserve it. This aligns with the broader biblical narrative of God's desire for repentance and salvation rather than judgment (Ezekiel 18:32).

but He devises means
The word "devises" comes from the Hebrew "chashab," meaning to think, plan, or calculate. This indicates God's intentional and thoughtful approach to providing a way for reconciliation. It reflects His wisdom and sovereignty in orchestrating circumstances for the redemption of His people. This phrase assures believers of God's active role in seeking and saving the lost.

so that the banished one may not be cast out from Him
The term "banished" refers to those who are separated or exiled, often due to sin or disobedience. The Hebrew word "nadach" means to drive away or scatter. This phrase highlights God's redemptive purpose: to restore those who are estranged from Him. It echoes the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), where the father's heart longs for the return of his lost child. God's ultimate desire is reconciliation and restoration, ensuring that no one remains permanently separated from His presence.

(14) We must needs die.--The woman now goes on to a further argument from the uncertainty of life. Whether she would suggest the possibility of Absalom's dying in banishment (as some think), or of David's death before he has been reconciled to his son (as others hold) does not matter. She craftily withdraws attention from the real point--the question of right and justice--and, assuming that the thing ought to be done, suggests that delay is unsafe since life is uncertain. Still another explanation of her argument may be given: "Amnon is dead, and it is useless to grieve longer for him; God does not respect persons, Absalom too must die, and you yourself must die; improve the time and the blessings yet left while there is opportunity."

Neither doth God respect any person.--The Hebrew is difficult, but the English is certainly wrong. The literal translation is "And God doth not take away the soul, but thinketh thoughts that He may not banish the banished one;" and the meaning is that God in wrath remembers mercy, and does not press punishment to extremes.

Verse 14. - Neither doth God, etc. This translation is altogether wrong. What the woman says is, "God taketh not life [Hebrew, 'a soul'] away, but thinketh thoughts not to banish from him his banished one." Her argument is that death is the common lot, and that there is no way of bringing back the dead to life. But though death is thus a universal law, yet God does not kill. Death is not a penalty exacted as a punishment, but, on the contrary, he is merciful, and when a man has sinned, instead of putting him to death, he is ready to forgive and welcome back one rejected because of his wickedness. The application is plain. The king cannot restore Amnon to life, and neither must he kill the guilty Absalom, but must recall his banished son. The argument is full of poetry, and touching to the feelings, but is not very sound. For God requires repentance and change of heart; and there was no sign of contrition on Absalom's part. The power of the woman's appeal lay in what she says of God's nature. He is not intent on punishing, nor bent on carrying out the sentences of the Law in their stern literalness; but he is ready to forgive, and "deviseth devices" to bring home those now separate from him. There is also much that is worth pondering over in the distinction between death as a law of nature, and death as a penalty. The one is necessary, and often gentle and beneficial; but death as a penalty is stern and terrible.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

surely
מ֣וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

we will die
נָמ֔וּת (nā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

and be like water
וְכַמַּ֙יִם֙ (wə·ḵam·ma·yim)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

poured out
הַנִּגָּרִ֣ים (han·nig·gā·rîm)
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5064: To flow, to stretch out, to pour out, down, to deliver over

on the ground,
אַ֔רְצָה (’ar·ṣāh)
Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

which
אֲשֶׁ֖ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

cannot
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be recovered.
יֵאָסֵ֑פוּ (yê·’ā·sê·p̄ū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 622: To gather for, any purpose, to receive, take away, remove

Yet God
אֱלֹהִים֙ (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

does not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

take away
יִשָּׂ֤א (yiś·śā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

a life;
נֶ֔פֶשׁ (ne·p̄eš)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

but He devises
וְחָשַׁב֙ (wə·ḥā·šaḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2803: To think, account

ways
מַֽחֲשָׁב֔וֹת (ma·ḥă·šā·ḇō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4284: A contrivance, a texture, machine, intention, plan

so that the banished one
יִדַּ֥ח (yid·daḥ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5080: To impel, thrust, banish

may not
לְבִלְתִּ֛י (lə·ḇil·tî)
Preposition-l
Strong's 1115: A failure of, not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until

remain estranged
נִדָּֽח׃ (nid·dāḥ)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5080: To impel, thrust, banish

from Him.
מִמֶּ֖נּוּ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of


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OT History: 2 Samuel 14:14 For we must needs die and (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 14:13
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