2 Samuel 19
1. And it was told * Joab, Behold, the king weepeth * and mourneth * for Absalom.
2. 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.
3. And the people gat * them by stealth * that day into the city, as people being ashamed * steal away * when they flee * in battle.
4. But the king covered * his face,and the king cried * with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom,my son, my son !
5. 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;
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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?
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.
