Then: what happens next is a direct result of the message David had received (verse 13). The conjunction here is therefore a logical one and may be translated “So” (as in Good News Translation), “Immediately” (Bible en français courant), or possibly “At this…” (New American Bible and Anderson). The connecting word in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh is hardly common language, but it conveys the same idea, “whereupon.”

His servants: as is often the case, the word servants is to be taken here in the sense of ministers and court officials rather than lower domestic servants. New Jerusalem Bible translates “his retinue,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “all the courtiers who were with him.” Revised English Bible has simply “those who were with him” at this point.

Arise: as noted elsewhere this verb is to be taken as an incitement to action rather than as a literal call to get up from a sitting or lying position. The most natural equivalent in some languages may be something like “Come on now!” or “Let’s go!” But in other cases it may be better left untranslated as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh.

There will be no escape for us from Absalom: a literal rendering of this expression may be difficult or misleading in many languages. The sense is simply “we will certainly be captured by Absalom” or “Absalom will surely catch us.” But in fact the text says the same thing in more than one way. For this reason the negative formulation may be retained if it is natural in the receptor language.

Go in haste: since David was clearly included among those who would flee the city, this may be better rendered in some languages as an inclusive exhortation rather than as a command to others. That is, it may be more natural to say “Let us go quickly,” “We must get away at once” (Revised English Bible), or “Let’s get out of here!” (Contemporary English Version), or simply “Hurry!” (Good News Translation).

Lest: this is better translated “if not” or “if we don’t do that” in some languages. Compare 1.20; 12.28; and 13.25.

Bring down evil upon us: the use of the pronoun us indicates that David is speaking first of himself and the officials he is addressing. The following phrase then shows a concern for the rest of the population of Jerusalem. And of course the evil that David fears will be brought on him and his men is nothing less than death itself. Some translators may find a direct statement the best rendering here; for example, “he will kill us” (Contemporary English Version). But others will find more picturesque ways of describing the same idea, saying “cause us to suffer without measure” or “bring disaster upon us” (Anderson).

Smite the city with the edge of the sword: in this expression the word city stands for the people of the city, and to strike with the edge of the sword means to kill in battle. A more common language rendering of the meaning will be required in most cases. Some possible models are “spread misfortune in the city by massacring the whole population” (Bible en français courant) or “kill the people of Jerusalem” (New Century Version).

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 .