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2 Samuel 19

Joab Reproves David's Lament

1

Then it was told Joab, "Behold,  athe king is weeping and mourns for Absalom."

2

The  1victory that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day, "The king is grieved for his son."

3

So the people went by stealth into the city that day, as people who are humiliated steal away when they flee in battle.

4

The king  acovered his face and  1cried out with a loud voice, " bO my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

5

Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, "Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines,

6

by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have shown today that  1princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then  2you would be pleased.

7

"Now therefore arise, go out and speak  1kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, surely  anot a man will pass the night with you, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now."

David Restored as King

8

So the king arose and sat in the gate. When they told all the people, saying, "Behold, the king is  asitting in the gate," then all the people came before the king.

Now  bIsrael had fled, each to his tent.

9

All the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, " aThe king delivered us from the  1hand of our enemies and  bsaved us from the  1hand of the Philistines, but now  che has fled out of the land from Absalom.

10

"However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now then, why are you silent about bringing the king back?"

11

Then King David sent to  aZadok and 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 word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house?

12

`You are my brothers;  ayou are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?'

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"Say to  aAmasa, `Are you not my bone and my flesh?  bMay God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be  ccommander of the army before me continually  din place of Joab.' "

14

Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah  aas one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, "Return, you and all your servants."

15

The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to  aGilgal in order to go to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.

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Then  aShimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

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There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, with  aZiba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king.

18

Then they kept crossing the ford to bring over the king's household, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan.

19

So he said to the king, " aLet not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king came out from Jerusalem, so that the king would  1take it to heart.

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"For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore behold, I have come today,  athe first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king."

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But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, " aShould not Shimei be put to death for this,  bbecause he cursed the LORD'S anointed?"

22

David then said, " aWhat have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be an adversary to me?  bShould any man be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?"

23

The king said to Shimei, " aYou shall not die." Thus the king swore to him.

24

Then  aMephibosheth the  1son of Saul came down to meet the king; and  bhe had neither  2cared for his feet, nor  2trimmed his mustache, nor  cwashed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace.

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It was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, " aWhy did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?"

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So he answered, "O my lord, the 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,'  abecause your servant is lame.

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"Moreover,  ahe has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is  blike the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight.

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"For  aall my father's household was nothing but dead men before my lord the king;  byet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should  1complain anymore to the king?"

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So the king said to him, "Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have  1decided, `You and Ziba shall divide the land.' "

30

Mephibosheth said to the king, "Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house."

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Now  aBarzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; and he went on to the Jordan with the king to  1escort him over the Jordan.

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Now Barzillai was very old, being eighty years old; and he had  1 asustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

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The king said to Barzillai, "You cross over with me and I will  1sustain you in Jerusalem with me."

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But Barzillai said to the king, " aHow long  1have I yet to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

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"I am  1now  aeighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I hear anymore  bthe voice of singing men and women?  cWhy then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?

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"Your servant would merely cross over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king compensate me with this reward?

37

"Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. However, here is your servant  aChimham, let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight."

38

The king answered, "Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight; and whatever you  1require of me, I will do for you."

39

All the people crossed over the Jordan and the king crossed too. The king then  akissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place.

40

Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also  ahalf the people of Israel  1accompanied the king.

41

And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, " aWhy had our brothers  bthe men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king and his household and all David's men with him over the Jordan?"

42

Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because  athe king is a close relative to  1us. Why then  2are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense, or has  3anything been taken for us?"

43

But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, " 1 aWe have ten parts in the king, therefore  1we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not  1our advice first to bring back  1our king?" Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.



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(Produced: Sat Dec 22 11:23:10 2007)

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