1 Joab was told, “Behold, the king weeps
and mourns for Absalom.”
2 The victory that day was turned into
mourning amongst 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 amongst 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.
