Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 17:9:

• Kupsabiny: “He has today hidden himself in a cave or some place. So, if they attack us by surprise and kill some of us, the people who will hear that will say that, ‘David has destroyed the people of Absalom.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
• Newari: “By this time he may have hidden in a cave or in some other place. Even if David makes his first attack on your soldiers, those who hear of it will speak like this, ‘All Absalom’s soldiers have been destroyed.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
• Hiligaynon: “Maybe at this time he is-hiding in a cave or in other places. If in your (plur.) first fight some of your soldiers will-die, those who-can-hear this will-say that your soldiers were- already -defeated.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
• English: “Right now he is probably already hiding in one of the pits, or in some other place. If his soldiers start to attack your soldiers, and if they kill some of them, whoever hears about that will say ‘Many of the soldiers with Absalom have been killed!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)