20. Joab answered Ahimaaz, “No, you will not carry the message today. You can do it some other time, but not today because it is the king’s son who is dead.”
21. Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Ethiopian bowed to Joab and ran to tell David.
22. But Ahimaaz son of Zadok begged Joab again, “No matter what happens, please let me also run after the Ethiopian!” Joab said, “Son, why do you want to carry the news? You will not get any reward for the news you bring.”
23. Ahimaaz answered, “No matter what happens, I will run to David.” Joab said to Ahimaaz, “All right, run to David!” Then Ahimaaz ran through Jordan Valley and passed the Ethiopian.
24. David was sitting between the two gates of the city. The watchman went up to the roof over the gate walls and saw a man running alone.
25. The watchman shouted to tell King David. King David said, “If the man is alone, he is bringing news.” The man came closer and closer to the city.
26. But then the watchman saw another man running. He called to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone.” The king said, “He is also bringing news.”
27. The watchman said, “I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said, “Ahimaaz is a good man, he must be bringing good news.”
28. Ahimaaz called to the king, “All is well!” Ahimaaz bowed with his face to the ground in front of the king and said, “Praise the Lord your God! The Lord has defeated the men who were against you, my lord and king.”
29. The king asked, “Is young Absalom all right?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent me, I saw some great excitement, but I don’t know what it was.”
30. Then the king said, “Step over here and wait.” Ahimaaz went there and stood waiting.
31. The Ethiopian arrived and said, “News for my lord and king. Today the Lord has punished all those who were against you!”
32. The king asked the Ethiopian, “Is young Absalom all right?” The Ethiopian answered, “May your enemies, or whoever tries to hurt you, suffer the same as this young man did.”