1
And it was told[H5046]Joab[H3097], Behold, the king[H4428]weepeth[H1058] and mourneth[H56] for Absalom[H53].
2
And the victory[H8668] that day[H3117] was turned into mourning[H60] unto all the people[H5971]: for the people[H5971]heard[H8085]say[H559] that day[H3117] how the king[H4428] was grieved[H6087] for his son[H1121].
3
And the people[H5971]gat[H935] them by stealth[H1589] that day[H3117] into the city[H5892], as people[H5971] being ashamed[H3637] steal away[H1589] when they flee[H5127] in battle[H4421].
4
But the king[H4428]covered[H3813] his face[H6440], and the king[H4428]cried[H2199] with a loud[H1419]voice[H6963], O my son[H1121]Absalom[H53], O Absalom[H53], my son[H1121], my son[H1121]!
5
And Joab[H3097]came[H935] into the house[H1004] to the king[H4428], and said[H559], Thou hast shamed[H3001] this day[H3117] the faces[H6440] of all thy servants[H5650], which this day[H3117] have saved[H4422] thy life[H5315], and the lives[H5315] of thy sons[H1121] and of thy daughters[H1323], and the lives[H5315] of thy wives[H802], and the lives[H5315] of thy concubines[H6370];
6
In that thou lovest[H157] thine enemies[H8130], and hatest[H8130] thy friends[H157]. For thou hast declared[H5046] this day[H3117], that thou regardest neither princes[H8269] nor servants[H5650]: for this day[H3117] I perceive[H3045], that if[H3863]Absalom[H53] had lived[H2416], and all we had died[H4191] this day[H3117], then it had pleased thee well[H3477].
7
Now therefore arise[H6965], go forth[H3318], and speak[H1696]comfortably[H3820] unto thy servants[H5650]: for I swear[H7650] by the LORD[H3068], if thou go not forth[H3318], there will not tarry[H3885]one[H376] with thee this night[H3915]: and that will be worse[H7489] unto thee than all the evil[H7451] that befell[H935] thee from thy youth[H5271] until now.
8
Then the king[H4428]arose[H6965], and sat[H3427] in the gate[H8179]. And they told[H5046] unto all the people[H5971], saying[H559], Behold, the king[H4428] doth sit[H3427] in the gate[H8179]. And all the people[H5971]came[H935]before[H6440] the king[H4428]: for Israel[H3478] had fled[H5127] every man[H376] to his tent[H168].
9
And all the people[H5971] were at strife[H1777] throughout all the tribes[H7626] of Israel[H3478], saying[H559], The king[H4428]saved[H5337] us out of the hand[H3709] of our enemies[H341], and he delivered[H4422] us out of the hand[H3709] of the Philistines[H6430]; and now he is fled[H1272] out of the land[H776] for Absalom[H53].
10
And Absalom[H53], whom we anointed[H4886] over us, is dead[H4191] in battle[H4421]. Now therefore why speak[H2790] ye not a word of bringing[H7725] the king[H4428]back?[H7725]
11
And king[H4428]David[H1732]sent[H7971] to Zadok[H6659] and to Abiathar[H54] the priests[H3548], saying[H559], Speak[H1696] unto the elders[H2205] of Judah[H3063], saying[H559], Why are ye the last[H314] to bring[H7725] the king[H4428]back[H7725] to his house?[H1004] seeing the speech[H1697] of all Israel[H3478] is come[H935] to the king[H4428], even to his house[H1004].
12
Ye are my brethren[H251], ye are my bones[H6106] and my flesh[H1320]: wherefore then are ye the last[H314] to bring back[H7725] the king?[H4428]
13
And say[H559] ye to Amasa[H6021], Art thou not of my bone[H6106], and of my flesh?[H1320]God[H430]do[H6213] so to me, and more[H3254] also, if thou be not captain[H8269] of the host[H6635]before[H6440] me continually[H3117] in the room[H8478] of Joab[H3097].
14
And he bowed[H5186] the heart[H3824] of all the men[H376] of Judah[H3063], even as the heart[H3824] of one[H259]man[H376]; so that they sent[H7971] this word unto the king[H4428], Return[H7725] thou, and all thy servants[H5650].
15
So the king[H4428]returned[H7725], and came[H935] to Jordan[H3383]. And Judah[H3063]came[H935] to Gilgal[H1537], to go[H3212] to meet[H7125] the king[H4428], to conduct[H5674] the king[H4428]over[H5674]Jordan[H3383].
16
And Shimei[H8096] the son[H1121] of Gera[H1617], a Benjamite[H1145], which was of Bahurim[H980], hasted[H4116] and came down[H3381] with the men[H376] of Judah[H3063] to meet[H7125]king[H4428]David[H1732].
17
And there were a thousand[H505]men[H376] of Benjamin[H1145] with him, and Ziba[H6717] the servant[H5288] of the house[H1004] of Saul[H7586], and his fifteen[H2568]sons[H1121] and his twenty[H6242]servants[H5650] with him; and they went over[H6743]Jordan[H3383]before[H6440] the king[H4428].
18
And there went over[H5674] a ferry boat[H5679] to carry over[H5674] the king[H4428]'s household[H1004], and to do[H6213] what he thought[H5869]good[H2896]. And Shimei[H8096] the son[H1121] of Gera[H1617] fell down[H5307]before[H6440] the king[H4428], as he was come over[H5674]Jordan[H3383];
19
And said[H559] unto the king[H4428], Let not my lord[H113]impute[H2803]iniquity[H5771] unto me, neither do thou remember[H2142] that which thy servant[H5650] did perversely[H5753] the day[H3117] that my lord[H113] the king[H4428] went out[H3318] of Jerusalem[H3389], that the king[H4428] should take[H7760] it to his heart[H3820].
20
For thy servant[H5650] doth know[H3045] that I have sinned[H2398]: therefore, behold, I am come[H935] the first[H7223] this day[H3117] of all the house[H1004] of Joseph[H3130] to go down[H3381] to meet[H7125] my lord[H113] the king[H4428].
21
But Abishai[H52] the son[H1121] of Zeruiah[H6870]answered[H6030] and said[H559], Shall not Shimei[H8096] be put to death[H4191] for this, because he cursed[H7043] the LORD'S anointed?[H4899]
22
And David[H1732]said[H559], What have I to do with you, ye sons[H1121] of Zeruiah[H6870], that ye should this day[H3117] be adversaries[H7854] unto me? shall there any man[H376] be put to death[H4191] this day[H3117] in Israel?[H3478] for do not I know[H3045] that I am this day[H3117]king[H4428] over Israel?[H3478]
23
Therefore the king[H4428]said[H559] unto Shimei[H8096], Thou shalt not die[H4191]. And the king[H4428]sware[H7650] unto him.
24
And Mephibosheth[H4648] the son[H1121] of Saul[H7586]came[H935]down[H3381] to meet[H7125] the king[H4428], and had neither[H3808]dressed[H6213] his feet[H7272], nor trimmed[H6213] his beard[H8222], nor washed[H3526] his clothes[H899], from the day[H3117] the king[H4428]departed[H3212] until the day[H3117] he came[H935] again in peace[H7965].
25
And it came to pass, when he was come[H935] to Jerusalem[H3389] to meet[H7125] the king[H4428], that the king[H4428]said[H559] unto him, Wherefore wentest[H1980] not thou with me, Mephibosheth?[H4648]
26
And he answered[H559], My lord[H113], O king[H4428], my servant[H5650]deceived[H7411] me: for thy servant[H5650]said[H559], I will saddle[H2280] me an ass[H2543], that I may ride[H7392] thereon, and go[H3212] to the king[H4428]; because thy servant[H5650] is lame[H6455].
27
And he hath slandered[H7270] thy servant[H5650] unto my lord[H113] the king[H4428]; but my lord[H113] the king[H4428] is as an angel[H4397] of God[H430]: do[H6213] therefore what is good[H2896] in thine eyes[H5869].
28
For all of my father's house[H1004] were but[H3808]dead[H4194]men[H582] before my lord[H113] the king[H4428]: yet didst thou set[H7896] thy servant[H5650] among them that did eat[H398] at thine own table[H7979]. What right[H6666] therefore have[H3426] I yet to cry[H2199] any more unto the king?[H4428]
29
And the king[H4428]said[H559] unto him, Why speakest[H1696] thou any more of thy matters?[H1697] I have said[H559], Thou and Ziba[H6717]divide[H2505] the land[H7704].
30
And Mephibosheth[H4648]said[H559] unto the king[H4428], Yea, let him take[H3947] all, forasmuch[H310]as[H834] my lord[H113] the king[H4428] is come again[H935] in peace[H7965] unto his own house[H1004].
31
And Barzillai[H1271] the Gileadite[H1569] came down[H3381] from Rogelim[H7274], and went over[H5674]Jordan[H3383] with the king[H4428], to conduct[H7971] him over[H5674]Jordan[H3383].
32
Now Barzillai[H1271] was a very[H3966]aged[H2204]man[H376], even fourscore[H8084]years[H8141]old[H1121]: and he had provided the king[H4428] of sustenance[H3557] while he lay[H7871] at Mahanaim[H4266]; for he was a very[H3966]great[H1419]man[H376].
33
And the king[H4428]said[H559] unto Barzillai[H1271], Come thou over[H5674] with me, and I will feed[H3557] thee with me in Jerusalem[H3389].
34
And Barzillai[H1271]said[H559] unto the king[H4428], How long[H3117] have I to live[H8141], that I should go up[H5927] with the king[H4428] unto Jerusalem?[H3389]
35
I am this day[H3117]fourscore[H8084]years[H8141]old[H1121]: and can I discern[H3045] between good[H2896] and evil?[H7451] can thy servant[H5650]taste[H2938]what[H834] I eat[H398] or what[H834] I drink?[H8354] can I hear[H8085] any more the voice[H6963] of singing men[H7891] and singing women?[H7891] wherefore then should thy servant[H5650] be yet a burden[H4853] unto my lord[H113] the king?[H4428]
36
Thy servant[H5650] will go[H5674] a little way[H4592]over[H5674]Jordan[H3383] with the king[H4428]: and why should the king[H4428]recompense[H1580] it me with such a reward?[H1578]
37
Let thy servant[H5650], I pray thee, turn back again[H7725], that I may die[H4191] in mine own city[H5892], and be buried by the grave[H6913] of my father[H1] and of my mother[H517]. But behold thy servant[H5650]Chimham[H3643]; let him go over[H5674] with my lord[H113] the king[H4428]; and do[H6213] to him what shall seem good[H2896] unto thee.
38
And the king[H4428]answered[H559], Chimham[H3643] shall go[H5674] over with me, and I will do[H6213] to him that which shall seem good[H2896] unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require[H977] of me, that will I do[H6213] for thee.
39
And all the people[H5971] went over[H5674]Jordan[H3383]. And when the king[H4428] was come over[H5674], the king[H4428]kissed[H5401]Barzillai[H1271], and blessed[H1288] him; and he returned[H7725] unto his own place[H4725].
40
Then the king[H4428] went on[H5674] to Gilgal[H1537], and Chimham[H3643] went on[H5674] with him: and all the people[H5971] of Judah[H3063]conducted[H5674] the king[H4428], and also half[H2677] the people[H5971] of Israel[H3478].
41
And, behold, all the men[H376] of Israel[H3478]came[H935] to the king[H4428], and said[H559] unto the king[H4428], Why have our brethren[H251] the men[H582] of Judah[H3063] stolen thee away[H1589], and have brought[H5674] the king[H4428], and his household[H1004], and all David's men[H582] with him, over Jordan?[H3383]
42
And all[H398] the men[H376] of Judah[H3063]answered[H6030] the men[H376] of Israel[H3478], Because the king[H4428] is near of kin[H7138] to us: wherefore then be ye angry[H2734] for this matter?[H1697] have we eaten[H398] at all[H398] of the king[H4428]'s cost? or hath he given[H5375] us any gift?[H5379]
43
And the men[H376] of Israel[H3478]answered[H6030] the men[H376] of Judah[H3063], and said[H559], We[H589] have ten[H6235]parts[H3027] in the king[H4428], and we[H589] have also more right in David[H1732] than ye: why then did ye despise[H7043] us, that our advice[H1697] should not be first[H7223] had in bringing back[H7725] our king?[H4428] And the words[H1697] of the men[H376] of Judah[H3063] were fiercer[H7185] than the words[H1697] of the men[H376] of Israel[H3478].