And it was told Joab
, Behold, the king
weepeth
and mourneth
for Absalom
.
And the victory that day
was turned into mourning
unto all the people
: for the people
heard
say
that day
how the king
was grieved
for his son
.
And the people gat
them by stealth
that day
into the city
, as people
being ashamed
steal away
when they flee
in battle
.
But the king covered
his face
, and the king
cried
with a loud
voice
, O my son
Absalom
, O Absalom
, my son
, my son
!
And Joab came
into the house
to the king
, and said
, Thou hast shamed
this day
the faces
of all thy servants
, which this day
have saved
thy life
, and the lives
of thy sons
and of thy daughters
, and the lives
of thy wives
, and the lives
of thy concubines
;
In that thou lovest thine enemies
, and hatest
thy friends
. For thou hast declared
this day
, that thou regardest neither princes
nor servants
: for this day
I perceive
, that if
Absalom
had lived
, and all we had died
this day
, then it had pleased thee well
.
Now therefore arise, go forth
, and speak
comfortably
unto thy servants
: for I swear
by the LORD
, if thou go not forth
, there will not tarry
one
with thee this night
: and that will be worse
unto thee than all the evil
that befell
thee from thy youth
until now.
Then the king arose
, and sat
in the gate
. And they told
unto all the people
, saying
, Behold, the king
doth sit
in the gate
. And all the people
came
before
the king
: for Israel
had fled
every man
to his tent
.
And all the people were at strife
throughout all the tribes
of Israel
, saying
, The king
saved
us out of the hand
of our enemies
, and he delivered
us out of the hand
of the Philistines
; and now he is fled
out of the land
for Absalom
.
And Absalom, whom we anointed
over us, is dead
in battle
. Now therefore why speak
ye not a word of bringing
the king
back
?
And king David
sent
to Zadok
and to Abiathar
the priests
, saying
, Speak
unto the elders
of Judah
, saying
, Why are ye the last
to bring
the king
back
to his house
? seeing the speech
of all Israel
is come
to the king
, even to his house
.
Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones
and my flesh
: wherefore then are ye the last
to bring back
the king
?
And say ye to Amasa
, Art thou not of my bone
, and of my flesh
? God
do
so to me, and more
also, if thou be not captain
of the host
before
me continually
in the room
of Joab
.
And he bowed the heart
of all the men
of Judah
, even as the heart of one
man
; so that they sent
this word unto the king
, Return
thou, and all thy servants
.
So the king returned
, and came
to Jordan
. And Judah
came
to Gilgal
, to go
to meet
the king
, to conduct
the king
over
Jordan
.
And Shimei the son
of Gera
, a Benjamite
, which was of Bahurim
, hasted
and came down
with the men
of Judah
to meet
king
David
.
And there were a thousand men
of Benjamin
with him, and Ziba
the servant
of the house
of Saul
, and his fifteen
sons
and his twenty
servants
with him; and they went over
Jordan
before
the king
.
And there went over a ferry boat
to carry over
the king's
household
, and to do
what he thought
good
. And Shimei
the son
of Gera
fell down
before
the king
, as he was come over
Jordan
;
And said unto the king
, Let not my lord
impute
iniquity
unto me, neither do thou remember
that which thy servant
did perversely
the day
that my lord
the king
went out
of Jerusalem
, that the king
should take
it to his heart
.
For thy servant doth know
that I have sinned
: therefore, behold, I am come
the first
this day
of all the house
of Joseph
to go down
to meet
my lord
the king
.
But Abishai the son
of Zeruiah
answered
and said
, Shall not Shimei
be put to death
for this, because he cursed
the LORD'S
anointed
?
And David said
, What have I to do with you, ye sons
of Zeruiah
, that ye should this day
be adversaries
unto me? shall there any man
be put to death
this day
in Israel
? for do not I know
that I am this day
king
over Israel
?
Therefore the king said
unto Shimei
, Thou shalt not die
. And the king
sware
unto him.
And Mephibosheth the son
of Saul
came down
to meet
the king
, and had neither
dressed
his feet
, nor trimmed
his beard
, nor washed
his clothes
, from the day
the king
departed
until the day
he came
again in peace
.
And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem
to meet
the king
, that the king
said
unto him, Wherefore wentest
not thou with me, Mephibosheth
?
And he answered, My lord
, O king
, my servant
deceived
me: for thy servant
said
, I will saddle
me an ass
, that I may ride
thereon, and go
to the king
; because thy servant
is lame
.
And he hath slandered thy servant
unto my lord
the king
; but my lord
the king
is as an angel
of God
: do
therefore what is good
in thine eyes
.
For all of my father's house
were but
dead
men
before my lord
the king
: yet didst thou set
thy servant
among them that did eat
at thine own table
. What right
therefore have
I yet to cry
any more unto the king
?
And the king said
unto him, Why speakest
thou any more of thy matters
? I have said
, Thou and Ziba
divide
the land
.
And Mephibosheth said
unto the king
, Yea, let him take
all, forasmuch
as
my lord
the king
is come again
in peace
unto his own house
.
And Barzillai the Gileadite
came down
from Rogelim
, and went over
Jordan
with the king
, to conduct
him over Jordan
.
Now Barzillai was a very
aged
man, even fourscore
years
old
: and he had provided the king
of sustenance
while he lay
at Mahanaim
; for he was a very
great
man
.
And the king said
unto Barzillai
, Come thou over
with me, and I will feed
thee with me in Jerusalem
.
And Barzillai said
unto the king
, How long
have I to live
, that I should go up
with the king
unto Jerusalem
?
I am this day fourscore
years
old
: and can I discern
between good
and evil
? can thy servant
taste
what
I eat
or what
I drink
? can I hear
any more the voice
of singing men
and singing women
? wherefore then should thy servant
be yet a burden
unto my lord
the king
?
Thy servant will go
a little way
over
Jordan
with the king
: and why should the king
recompense
it me with such a reward
?
Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again
, that I may die
in mine own city
, and be buried by the grave
of my father
and of my mother
. But behold thy servant
Chimham
; let him go over
with my lord
the king
; and do
to him what shall seem good
unto thee.
And the king answered
, Chimham
shall go
over with me, and I will do
to him that which shall seem good
unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require
of me, that will I do
for thee.
And all the people went over
Jordan
. And when the king
was come over
, the king
kissed
Barzillai
, and blessed
him; and he returned
unto his own place
.
Then the king went on
to Gilgal
, and Chimham
went on
with him: and all the people
of Judah
conducted
the king
, and also half
the people
of Israel
.
And, behold, all the men of Israel
came
to the king
, and said
unto the king
, Why have our brethren
the men
of Judah
stolen thee away
, and have brought
the king
, and his household
, and all David's
men
with him, over Jordan
?
And all the men of Judah
answered
the men
of Israel
, Because the king
is near of kin
to us: wherefore then be ye angry
for this matter
? have we eaten
at all
of the king's
cost ? or hath he given
us any gift
?
And the men of Israel
answered
the men
of Judah
, and said
, We have ten
parts
in the king
, and we
have also more right in David
than ye: why then did ye despise
us, that our advice
should not be first
had in bringing back
our king
? And the words
of the men
of Judah
were fiercer
than the words
of the men
of Israel
.