2 Samuel 19

¹ Joab was told, "The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom."

² The victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops, because the troops heard that day, "The king is grieving over his son."

³ The troops stole into the city that day the way troops steal in who are ashamed when they flee from 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 humiliated all your servants who saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and concubines,

⁶ "by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you. For today you have made it clear that commanders and servants mean nothing to you. For today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, that would be right in your eyes."

⁷ "Now get up, go out, and speak to the heart of your servants. For I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, 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."

⁸ So the king got up and sat in the gate. When all the troops were told, "Look, the king is sitting in the gate," all the troops came before the king. Meanwhile, Israel had fled, each man to his tent.

⁹ All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled the land because of Absalom.

¹⁰ "And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So now why are you silent about bringing the king back?"

¹¹ King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, "Say to the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace? The talk of all Israel has come to the king at his quarters."

¹² "'You are my brothers. You are my bone and my flesh. Why should you be the last to bring back the king?'"

¹³ "And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me and more if you do not become commander of the army before me permanently in place of Joab.'"

¹⁴ He swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they sent word to the king: "Return, you and all your servants."

¹⁵ So the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to go and meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.

¹⁶ Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

¹⁷ A thousand men from Benjamin were with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul with his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan ahead of the king.

¹⁸ They crossed at the ford to bring over the king's household and to do whatever he thought good. Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan.

¹⁹ He said to the king, "Let not my lord hold me guilty, and do not remember what your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Let not the king take it to heart.

²⁰ "For your servant knows that I have sinned. And look—I have come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king."

²¹ Abishai son of Zeruiah answered, "Should not Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the LORD's anointed!"

²² But David said, "What do I have to do with you, sons of Zeruiah, that you should become my adversary today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?"

²³ Then the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king swore to him.

²⁴ Mephibosheth son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned in peace.

²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?"

²⁶ He answered, "My lord the king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself and ride on it and go with the king'—for your servant is lame.

²⁷ "He slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God. Do what is good in your eyes.

²⁸ "For all of my father's house were nothing but dead men before my lord the king, yet you set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I have to cry out again to the king?"

²⁹ The king said to him, "Why do you speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: 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 home in peace."

³¹ Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and crossed the Jordan with the king to send him off at the Jordan.

³² Now Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.

³³ The king said to Barzillai, "Cross over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem."

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?

³⁵ "I am now eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or drink? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and singing women? Why should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king?

³⁶ "Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king just a short way. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?

³⁷ "Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you."

³⁸ The king said, "Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Whatever you ask of me, I will do for you."

³⁹ Then all the people crossed the Jordan, and the king crossed. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his home.

⁴⁰ The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. All the people of Judah brought the king across, and also half the people of Israel.

⁴¹ Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household across the Jordan, and all David's men with him?"

⁴² All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry about this? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Has he given us any gift?"

⁴³ The men of Israel answered the men of Judah, "We have ten shares in the king, and we have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?" But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.