19
1 Joab
was told, “Behold, the
king weeps
and mourns for Absalom.”
2 The victory
that day was turned
into mourning among
all the people,
for the people
heard it said
that day, “The
king grieves for
his son.”
3 The
people sneaked into
the city that
day, as people
who are ashamed steal
away when they flee
in battle.
4 The king
covered his face, and
the king cried
with a loud voice, “My
son Absalom, Absalom, my son,
my son!”
5 Joab came into
the house to the
king, and said, “Today
you have shamed
the faces of
all your servants
who today have saved
your life, and
the lives of your
sons and of
your daughters,
and the lives of
your wives, and
the lives of
your concubines;
6 in
that you love
those who hate you
and hate those
who love you. For
you have declared
today that princes
and servants are
nothing to you.
For today
I perceive that
if Absalom had
lived and we
had all died today,
then it would
have pleased you well.
7 Now
therefore arise, go out
and speak to comfort
your servants; for
I swear by
the LORD, if
you don’t go out,
not a man
will stay with you
this night. That
would be worse to
you than all
the evil that
has happened to
you from your youth
until now.”
8 Then
the king arose
and sat in
the gate. The
people were all
told, “Behold, the
king is sitting in
the gate.” All the
people came before
the king.
Now Israel had fled
every man to
his tent.
9 All
the people were
at strife throughout
all the tribes of
Israel, saying, “The
king delivered us
out of the hand
of our enemies,
and he saved us
out of the hand
of the Philistines;
and now he
has fled out
of the land
from Absalom.
10 Absalom,
whom we anointed
over us, is dead
in battle. Now
therefore why don’t
you speak a word
of bringing the
king back?”
11 King David
sent to Zadok and
to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak
to the elders
of Judah, saying, ‘Why
are you the last
to bring the
king back to
his house, since
the speech of all
Israel has come
to the king,
to return him
to his house?
12 You
are my brothers.
You are my bone
and my flesh. Why
then are you
the last to bring
back the king?’
13 Say
to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you
my bone and
my flesh? God do
so to me,
and more also,
if you aren’t captain
of the army before
me continually instead of Joab.’ ”
14 He bowed
the heart of all
the men of Judah,
even as one
man, so that
they sent to the
king, saying, “Return,
you and all
your servants.”
15 So
the king returned,
and came to
the Jordan. Judah
came to Gilgal, to
go to meet the
king, to bring
the king over
the Jordan.
16 Shimei
the son of Gera,
the Benjamite, who
was of Bahurim, hurried
and came down
with the men of
Judah to meet
King David.
17 There were
a thousand men of
Benjamin with him,
and Ziba the servant
of Saul’s house, and
his fifteen sons
and his twenty servants
with him; and
they went through
the Jordan in the
presence of the
king.
18 A ferry boat
went to bring over
the king’s
household, and
to do what he thought
good.
Shimei the son
of Gera fell down
before the king
when he had
come over the
Jordan.
19 He said
to the king, “Don’t
let my lord impute iniquity to
me, or remember
that which
your servant did perversely
the day that
my lord the king
went out
of Jerusalem, that
the king should
take it to
his heart.
20 For
your servant knows
that I have sinned.
Therefore behold, I
have come today
as the first
of all the house
of Joseph to go
down to meet
my lord the king.”
21 But Abishai
the son of Zeruiah answered,
“Shouldn’t Shimei be put
to death for this,
because he cursed
the LORD’s anointed?”
22 David said,
“What have I
to do with
you, you sons
of Zeruiah, that
you should
be adversaries to
me today? Shall
any man be
put to death today
in Israel? For don’t
I know that I
am king over Israel today?”
23 The
king said to Shimei, “You
will not die.”
The king swore to
him.
24 Mephibosheth the son
of Saul came down
to meet the king;
and he had
neither groomed his feet,
nor trimmed his beard,
nor washed his clothes,
from the day the
king departed until the day
he came home
in peace.
25 When
he had come
to Jerusalem to
meet the king,
the king said to
him, “Why didn’t
you go with
me, Mephibosheth?”
26 He answered,
“My lord, O king,
my servant deceived me.
For your servant said, ‘I
will saddle a donkey
for myself, that
I may ride on
it and go
with the king,’
because your servant
is lame.
27 He
has slandered your
servant to my lord
the king, but
my lord the king
is as an angel
of God. Therefore do
what is good in
your eyes.
28 For
all my father’s house
were but dead men
before my lord the
king; yet you set
your servant among
those who ate at
your own table.
What right
therefore have
I yet that I
should appeal any
more to the
king?”
29 The
king said to him,
“Why do you speak
any more of
your matters? I say,
you and Ziba divide
the land.”
30 Mephibosheth
said to the
king, “Yes, let him
take all, because
my lord the king
has come in peace
to his own house.”
31 Barzillai
the Gileadite came down
from Rogelim; and
he went over
the Jordan with
the king to conduct
him over
the Jordan.
32 Now
Barzillai was
a very aged man, even eighty years
old. He had provided
the king
with sustenance while
he stayed at Mahanaim,
for he was
a very great man.
33 The
king said to
Barzillai, “Come over
with me, and
I will sustain
you with me
in Jerusalem.”
34 Barzillai said to
the king, “How many
are the days of
the years of
my life, that I
should go up
with the king
to Jerusalem?
35 I am eighty
years old, today.
Can I discern between
good and bad? Can
your servant taste what
I eat or what
I drink? Can I hear
the voice of singing
men and singing women
any more? Why
then should
your servant be
a burden to my lord
the king?
36 Your
servant will just
go over the Jordan
with the king.
Why should the
king repay me with
such a reward?
37 Please let
your servant
turn back again,
that I may die
in my own city, by
the grave of
my father and
my mother. But behold,
your servant Chimham; let
him go over
with my lord the
king; and do
to him what
shall seem good to
you.”
38 The
king answered, “Chimham
shall go over
with me, and
I will do
to him that
which shall seem
good to you.
Whatever you request
of me, that
I will do
for you.”
39 All
the people went
over the Jordan,
and the king
went over. Then
the king kissed Barzillai
and blessed him;
and he returned to
his own place.
40 So
the king went
over to Gilgal,
and Chimham went
over with him.
All the people
of Judah brought
the king over,
and also half the
people of Israel.
41 Behold, all
the men of
Israel came to
the king, and said
to the king, “Why
have our brothers
the men of
Judah stolen you
away, and brought
the king and
his household, over
the Jordan, and
all David’s men
with him?”
42 All
the men of
Judah answered the
men of Israel, “Because
the king is
a close relative
to us. Why
then are you
angry about
this matter? Have
we eaten at all
at the king’s cost?
Or has he given
us any gift?”
43 The
men of Israel
answered the men
of Judah, and
said, “We have ten
parts in the
king, and we
have also
more claim to David
than you. Why
then did
you despise us,
that our advice
should not be
first had in
bringing back our
king?” The words
of the men
of Judah
were fiercer than
the words of
the men of
Israel.