Some scholars follow an ancient Greek version at the beginning of this verse and say “your son is dead” (so Anchor Bible). But most follow the traditional Hebrew text here in stating that all people eventually die. The emphatic Hebrew construction is literally “to die we shall die.” Fox shows the emphasis in the Hebrew by translating “For we will die, yes, die.” When the woman of Tekoa says We must all die she is talking about human beings in general. For this reason the first person plural pronoun may be better translated more generally in some languages as “All people must die some day” or “Sooner or later everyone will have to die.” The general statement about humankind is further developed by means of a comparison with water that is spilt on the ground. What people have in common with spilled water is that they cannot be brought back again when they die.
The second half of this verse presents two serious problems to Bible scholars. (1) The words God will not take away the life are literally “and God will not lift up the life,” and the sense is not entirely clear. New International Version understands the expression “not lift up the life” to mean “God does not cause people to die.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, on the other hand, suggests that the meaning is that God does not keep anyone from dying. (2) Further, the words of him who devises means are literally “and he devises [or, plans] means.” It is not clear whether the subject of the verb “devises” is God or the king (Good News Translation). Revised Standard Version has reversed the first two letters of this Hebrew verb, thereby changing the verb into a participle meaning “the one who considers.”
On the other hand it is possible to read the text without alteration, and Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends that the Hebrew text not be changed. Following the Hebrew text as it is, the second half of this verse may mean “But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him” (New International Version). This same meaning is also found in New Revised Standard Version, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, and Contemporary English Version. Although this solution is not without its problems, it seems to be one of the better ones that have been proposed. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggests a different understanding from that found in New International Version. According to Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, the expression “will not lift up the life” means that God makes no exception, that is, everyone must die and God does not make an exception for anyone. God is also the subject of the verb devises. That is, although God does not exempt anyone from dying, God will take measures (or, plans) for the exiled person to return to the land from which he was exiled (in agreement with the law of Num 35.28). Unlike David, who is not willing to bring Absalom back home to Jerusalem, God wishes to do so.
His banished one: that is, the person who has been sent into exile and is living outside of his own land.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .