19:1 Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”
19:2 And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, “The king is grieving for his son.”
19:3 The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle.
19:4 The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
19:5 Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines.
19:6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.
19:7 Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now.”
19:8 So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the men were told, “The king is sitting in the gateway,” they all came before him. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes.
19:9 Throughout the tribes of Israel, the people were all arguing with each other, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies; he is the one who rescued us from the hand of the Philistines. But now he has fled the country because of Absalom;
19:10 and Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
19:11 King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Ask the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace, since what is being said throughout Israel has reached the king at his quarters?
19:12 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring back the king?’
19:13 And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab.’”
19:14 He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. They sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your men.”
19:15 Then the king returned and went as far as the Jordan. Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal to go out and meet the king and bring him across the Jordan.
19:16 Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
19:17 With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul’s household, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan, where the king was.
19:18 They crossed at the ford to take the king’s household over and to do whatever he wished. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king
19:19 and said to him, “May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind.
19:20 For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first of the whole house of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.”
19:21 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the LORD’S anointed.”
19:22 David replied, “What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? This day you have become my adversaries! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?”
19:23 So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king promised him on oath.
19:24 Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely.
19:25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”
19:26 He said, “My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba my servant betrayed me.
19:27 And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever pleases you.
19:28 All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who sat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?”
19:29 The king said to him, “Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the fields.”
19:30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has arrived home safely.”
19:31 Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there.
19:32 Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.
19:33 The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.”
19:34 But Barzillai answered the king, “How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?
19:35 I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
19:36 Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way?
19:37 Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever pleases you.”
19:38 The king said, “Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever pleases you. And anything you desire from me I will do for you.”
19:39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and gave him his blessing, and Barzillai returned to his home.
19:40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham crossed with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel had taken the king over.
19:41 Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king and saying to him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king away and bring him and his household across the Jordan, together with all his men?”
19:42 All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king’s provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?”
19:43 Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king; and besides, we have a greater claim on David than you have. So why do you treat us with contempt? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the men of Judah responded even more harshly than the men of Israel.
19:1 And Joab was told: The king now weeps and mourns for Absalom.
19:2 And 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.
19:3 And the people stole into the city that day as shamed people steal away when they flee in battle.
19:4 And the king covered his face and cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!
19:5 Then 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,
19:6 In 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.
19:7 Now 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.
19:8 So 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.
19:9 And 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.
19:10 But Absalom, whom we anointed as king over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?
19:11 And 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?
19:12 You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring the king back?
19:13 And 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.
19:14 And 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.
19:15 So 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.
19:16 And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite who was from Bahurim, hurried and went down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
19:17 And 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.
19:18 And 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.
19:19 And 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.
19:20 For 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.
19:21 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, for he has cursed Jehovah’s anointed?
19:22 And 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?
19:23 And the king said to Shimei, You will not die. And the king swore so to him.
19:24 Then 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.
19:25 And when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, Why did you not come with me, Mephibosheth?
19:26 And 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.
19:27 And 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.
19:28 For 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?
19:29 And the king said to him, Why speak any more of your affairs? I say that you and Ziba shall divide the land.
19:30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has arrived at his house in peace.
19:31 Then Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and he crossed over the Jordan with the king, to escort him through the Jordan.
19:32 And 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.
19:33 And the king said to Barzillai, Cross over with me, and I will provide you with food in Jerusalem at my side.
19:34 But 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?
19:35 I 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?
19:36 Your servant would just cross a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why then should the king reward me with such a reward?
19:37 Let 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.
19:38 And 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.
19:39 And 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.
19:40 So 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.
19:41 Then 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 the men of David with him?
19:42 And 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?
19:43 And 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.