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And it was toldJoab, Behold, the kingweepeth and mourneth for Absalom.
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And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the peopleheardsay that day how the king was grieved for his son.
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And the peoplegat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
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But the kingcovered his face, and the kingcried with a loudvoice, O my sonAbsalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
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And Joabcame 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;
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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 ifAbsalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.
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Now therefore arise, go forth, and speakcomfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarryone with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.
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Then the kingarose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the peoplecamebefore the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
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And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The kingsaved 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.
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And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the kingback?
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And kingDavidsent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the kingback to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.
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Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?
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And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh?Goddo so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the hostbefore me continually in the room of Joab.
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And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of oneman; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.
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So the kingreturned, and came to Jordan. And Judahcame to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the kingoverJordan.
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And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meetkingDavid.
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And there were a thousandmen of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteensons and his twentyservants with him; and they went overJordanbefore the king.
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And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thoughtgood. And Shimei the son of Gera fell downbefore the king, as he was come overJordan;
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And said unto the king, Let not my lordimputeiniquity 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.
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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.
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But Abishai the son of Zeruiahanswered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?
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And Davidsaid, 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 dayking over Israel?
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Therefore the kingsaid unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the kingsware unto him.
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And Mephibosheth the son of Saulcamedown to meet the king, and had neitherdressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the kingdeparted until the day he came again in peace.
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And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the kingsaid unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?
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And he answered, My lord, O king, my servantdeceived me: for thy servantsaid, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.
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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.
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For all of my father's house were butdeadmen 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?
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And the kingsaid unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Zibadivide the land.
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And Mephiboshethsaid unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuchas my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.
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And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went overJordan with the king, to conduct him overJordan.
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Now Barzillai was a veryagedman, even fourscoreyearsold: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a verygreatman.
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And the kingsaid unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
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And Barzillaisaid unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
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I am this dayfourscoreyearsold: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servanttastewhat 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?
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Thy servant will go a little wayoverJordan with the king: and why should the kingrecompense it me with such a reward?
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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 servantChimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.
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And the kinganswered, 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.
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And all the people went overJordan. And when the king was come over, the kingkissedBarzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
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Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judahconducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
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And, behold, all the men of Israelcame 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?
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And all the men of Judahanswered 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?
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And the men of Israelanswered the men of Judah, and said, We have tenparts 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.