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And it was
told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth
for Absalom.
02 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.
03 And the people gat them by stealth that day
into the city, as people being ashamed steal away
when they flee in battle.
04 But the king covered his face, and the king
cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O
Absalom, my son, my son!
05 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;
06 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.
07 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.
08 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.
09 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.
10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead
in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word
of bringing the king back?
11 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.
12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my
flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring
back the king?
13 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.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
18 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;
19 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.
20 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.
21 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?
22 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?
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23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou
shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.
24 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.
25 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?
26 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.
27 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.
28 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?
29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou
any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and
Ziba divide the land.
30 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.
31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from
Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to
conduct him over Jordan.
32 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.
33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou
over with me, and I will feed thee with me in
Jerusalem.
34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long
have I to live, that I should go up with the king
unto Jerusalem?
35 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?
36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan
with the king: and why should the king recompense
it me with such a reward?
37 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.
38 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.
39 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.
40 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.
41 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?
42 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?
43 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.
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