大衛對那使者說：“你要對約押這樣說：‘不要為這件事難過，因為刀劍有時吞滅這人，有時吞滅那人。你只要加緊攻打這城，把城毀滅。’你要這樣鼓勵他。”

王向使者说：“你告诉约押说：‘不要因这事愁闷，刀剑或吞灭这人或吞灭那人，没有一定的；你只管竭力攻城，将城倾覆。’可以用这话勉励约押。”

大卫向使者说：“你对约押这样说：‘不要为这事难过，因为刀剑可能吞灭这人或那人。你只管竭力攻城，将城倾覆。’你要勉励约押。”

大卫向使者说：“你对约押这样说：‘不要为这事难过，因为刀剑可能吞灭这人或那人。你只管竭力攻城，将城倾覆。’你要勉励约押。”

大卫便对信使说：“你去告诉约押不要为这事难过，因为刀剑无情。让他只管竭力攻陷城池。要这样勉励约押。”

大卫对那使者说：“你要对约押这样说：‘不要为这件事难过，因为刀剑有时吞灭这人，有时吞灭那人。你只要加紧攻打这城，把城毁灭。’你要这样鼓励他。”

王向使者說：「你告訴約押說：『不要因這事愁悶，刀劍或吞滅這人或吞滅那人，沒有一定的；你只管竭力攻城，將城傾覆。』可以用這話勉勵約押。」

大衛向使者說：「你對約押這樣說：『不要為這事難過，因為刀劍可能吞滅這人或那人。你只管竭力攻城，將城傾覆。』你要勉勵約押。」

大衛向使者說：「你對約押這樣說：『不要為這事難過，因為刀劍可能吞滅這人或那人。你只管竭力攻城，將城傾覆。』你要勉勵約押。」

大衛便對信使說：「你去告訴約押不要為這事難過，因為刀劍無情。讓他只管竭力攻陷城池。要這樣勉勵約押。」

王對使者說：『你告訴約押說：「你看了這事不要難受，因為刀劍吞滅這人或那人是沒有一定的；你只管加強戰力攻城，將城翻毁好啦；」你總要使約押的意志剛強。』

大衛就對使者說：「你要對約押如此說：『不要為這件事難過，因為刀劍有時吞噬這個，有時吞噬那個。你只要竭力攻擊那城，把它摧毀！』你要這樣鼓勵約押。」

大衛謂使者曰、爾其語約押曰、毋以此為憂、刃之吞人、或彼或此、當益奮厥力、攻城而毀之、以此勉勵約押、

大闢謂使者曰、汝必告約押曰、勿以此為憂、亡於刃者、或彼或此、爾當攻城、愈奮其力、期以必陷、爾以是言勵其銳志。

大衛謂使者曰、爾當告約押曰、勿以此為憂、刀劍殺人、刀劍殺人或作亡於刃者或彼或此、無所定焉、但當極力攻城而傾毀之、爾可以此言慰約押、

David told the messenger,“ Say this to Joab:‘ Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”

David told the messenger,“ Tell Joab,‘ Don’t get upset over what happened. Swords kill one person as well as another. So keep on attacking the city. Destroy it.’ Tell that to Joab. It will cheer him up.”

David said to the messenger,“ Thus shall you say to Joab,‘ Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”

“ Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said.“ The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!”

David told the messenger,“ Say this to Joab:‘ Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.”

Then David said to the messenger,“ This is what you shall say to Joab:‘ Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; fight with determination against the city and overthrow it’; and thereby encourage him.”

Then David said to the messenger,“ Thus you shall say to Joab:‘ Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ So encourage him.”

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.

David told the messenger,“ Say this to Joab:‘ Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.”

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.

David said to the messenger,“ Tell Joab,‘ Don’t let this thing upset you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. Press the battle against the city and conquer it.’ Encourage him with these words.”

Then David said to the messenger,“ Tell Joab,‘ Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.’ Encourage him.”

我留心這一切事，並加以闡明：就是義人、智慧人和他們所作的，都在神手裡。臨到他們的一切，無論是愛是恨，人都不領悟。眾人的命運都是一樣的：義人與惡人、好人與壞人、潔淨的與不潔淨的、獻祭的與不獻祭的，所遭遇的都是一樣的；好人怎樣，罪人也怎樣；起誓的怎樣，怕起誓的也怎樣。在日光之下所發生的一切事，有一件令人遺憾的，就是眾人的命運都是一樣的，並且世人的心充滿邪惡，一生心懷狂妄，後來都歸到死人那裡去。

我又看見在日光之下，跑得快的未必得獎，勇士未必戰勝，智慧的未必得糧食，精明的未必致富，博學的未必得人賞識，因為時機和際遇左右眾人。原來人並不知道自己的時機，正像魚被惡網圈住，鳥被網羅捉住，險惡的時機忽然臨到世人身上的時候，世人也照樣陷在其中。

你們要留意看，如果它是走向自己的境界，往伯．示麥去，那麼就是耶和華降這大災給我們；如果不是這樣，我們就知道，不是他的手攻擊我們，我們遭遇的不過是偶然的事。”

那時，約押正在攻打亞捫人的拉巴，攻取了王城。

主啊！以色列人既然在仇敵面前轉身逃跑，我還有甚麼可說的呢？迦南人和這地所有的居民聽見了，就必圍困我們，把我們的名字從這世上剪除，那時你為你的大名要怎樣行呢？”