2S 19:1And Joab was told: The king now weeps and mourns for Absalom.
2S 19:2And the victory that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day that the king was grieved concerning his son.
2S 19:3And the people stole into the city that day as shamed people steal away when they flee in battle.
2S 19:4And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!
2S 19:5Then Joab came to the king at his house and said, Today you have shamed the faces of all your servants, who saved your life today and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines,
2S 19:6In that you love those who hate you and hate those who love you; for you have made it clear today that princes and servants are nothing to you. But I realize today that if Absalom had lived and we all had died today, then it would have been fine in your sight.
2S 19:7Now therefore rise up; go forth and comfort the hearts of your servants. For I swear by Jehovah that if you do not go forth, not a man will remain with you tonight; and that will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.
2S 19:8So the king rose up and sat in the gate. And all the people were told, saying, The king is now sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled, every man to his tent.
2S 19:9And all the people quarreled 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 because of Absalom.
2S 19:10But Absalom, whom we anointed as king over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?
2S 19:11And King David sent word 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, seeing that the word of all Israel has come to the king?
2S 19:12You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring the king back?
2S 19:13And you shall say to Amasa, Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and even more, if you do not become captain of the army before me continually in the place of Joab.
2S 19:14And he turned the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they sent word to the king, saying, Return, you and all your servants.
2S 19:15So the king returned and came to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan.
2S 19:16And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite who was from Bahurim, hurried and went down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
2S 19:17And there were a thousand men with him from Benjamin; and Ziba, the attendant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him were there. And they rushed down to the Jordan before the king.
2S 19:18And the crossing was being made in order to bring the king’s household over and to do whatever was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan.
2S 19:19And he said to the king, Let not my lord consider me guilty; and do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king went forth from Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart.
2S 19:20For your servant knows that I have sinned; and now I have come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down, to meet my lord the king.
2S 19:21Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, for he has cursed Jehovah’s anointed?
2S 19:22And David said, What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? Should any man in Israel be put to death today? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?
2S 19:23And the king said to Shimei, You will not die. And the king swore so to him.
2S 19:24Then Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. Now he had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he came back in peace.
2S 19:25And when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, Why did you not come with me, Mephibosheth?
2S 19:26And he said, O my lord the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, I will saddle myself a donkey that I may ride on it and go with the king. For your servant is lame.
2S 19:27And Ziba slandered your servant before my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God; therefore do what is good in your sight.
2S 19:28For all my father’s house were but men worthy of death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right then do I have to cry out more to the king?
2S 19:29And the king said to him, Why speak any more of your affairs? I say that you and Ziba shall divide the land.
2S 19:30And Mephibosheth said to the king, Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has arrived at his house in peace.
2S 19:31Then Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and he crossed over the Jordan with the king, to escort him through the Jordan.
2S 19:32And Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age; and he had provided the king with food while he remained in Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.
2S 19:33And the king said to Barzillai, Cross over with me, and I will provide you with food in Jerusalem at my side.
2S 19:34But 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?
2S 19:35I am eighty years old today. Can I discern between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat and what I drink? Can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king?
2S 19:36Your servant would just cross a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why then should the king reward me with such a reward?
2S 19:37Let your servant return that I may die in my city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham, let him cross over with my lord the king; and do with him what is good in your sight.
2S 19:38And the king said, Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do with him what is good in your sight; and whatever you wish for me to do, I will do for you.
2S 19:39And all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king crossed over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place.
2S 19:40So the king crossed over to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed over with him. And all the people of Judah, and half the people of Israel as well, brought the king over.
2S 19:41Then 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 along with all the men of David with him?
2S 19:42And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?
2S 19:43And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, We have ten parts in the king, and in David too we have more than you. Why then have you despised us? And were we not the first to speak of bringing our king back? But the speaking of the men of Judah was more prevailing than the speaking of the men of Israel.
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