Then it was told Joab
, "Behold
, athe king
is weeping
and mourns
for Absalom
."
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
."
So the people went
by stealth
into the city
that day
, as people
who are humiliated
steal
away
when they flee
in battle
.
The king acovered
his face
and 1cried
out with a loud
voice
, " bO my son
Absalom
, O Absalom
, my son
, my son
!"
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
,
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
.
"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
."
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
.
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
.
"However, Absalom, whom
we anointed
over
us, has died
in battle
. Now
then, why
are you silent
about bringing
the king
back
?"
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
?
`You are my brothers; ayou are my bone
and my flesh
. Why
then should you be the last
to bring
back
the king
?'
"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
.' "
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
."
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
"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
."
But Abishai the son
of Zeruiah
said
, " aShould not Shimei
be put
to death
for this
, bbecause
he cursed
the LORD'S
anointed
?"
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
?"
The king said
to Shimei
, " aYou shall not die
." Thus the king
swore
to him.
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
.
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
?"
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
.
"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
.
"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
?"
So the king said
to him, "Why
do you still
speak
of your affairs
? I have 1decided
, `You and Ziba
shall divide
the land
.' "
Mephibosheth said
to the king
, "Let him even
take
it all
, since
my lord
the king
has come
safely
to his own house
."
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
.
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
.
The king said
to Barzillai
, "You cross
over
with me and I will 1sustain
you in Jerusalem
with me."
But Barzillai said
to the king
, " aHow
long
1have I yet to live
, that I should go
up with the king
to Jerusalem
?
"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
?
"Your servant would merely
cross
over
the Jordan
with the king
. Why
should the king
compensate
me with this
reward
?
"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
."
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."
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
.
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
.
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
?"
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?"
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
.