2 Samuel 19

1 Then it was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.”

Joab was told, “Look, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”

2 And that day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the people, because on that day they were told, “The king is grieving over his son.”

So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the army, for the army heard it said that day, “The king is mourning for his son.”

3 So they returned to the city quietly that day, as people steal away in humiliation after fleeing a battle.

The soldiers had to sneak quietly into the city that day, like people who are ashamed sneak away when they run from battle.

4 But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

The king covered his face and cried in a loud voice, “My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!”

5 Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines.

Then Joab entered into the house to the king and said to him, “You have shamed the faces of all your soldiers today, who have saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and of your daughters, and the lives of your wives, and the lives of your slave wives,

6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you!

because you love those who hate you, and you hate those who love you. For today you have shown that commanders and soldiers are nothing to you. Today I believe that if Absalom had lived, and we all had died, then that would have pleased you.

7 Now therefore get up! Go out and speak comfort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!”

Now therefore get up and go out and speak kindly to your soldiers, for I swear by Yahweh, if you do not go, not one man will remain with you tonight. That would be worse for you than all the disasters that have ever happened to you from your youth until now.”

8 So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” So they all came before the king. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled, each man to his home.

So the king got up and sat in the city gate, and all the people were told, “Look, the king is sitting in the gate,” and all the people came before the king. So Israel fled, every man to his home.

9 And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled the land because of Absalom.

All the people were arguing with each other throughout all the tribes of Israel saying, “The king rescued us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines, but now he has run out of the land because of Absalom.

10 But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”

Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”

11 Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters?

King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah saying, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace, since the talk of all Israel favors the king, to bring him back to his palace?

12 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’

You are my brothers, my flesh and bone. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?'

13 And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

Then say to Amasa, 'Are you not my flesh and my bone? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not captain of my army from now on in the place of Joab.'”

14 So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man, and they sent word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants.”

So he won the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man. They sent to the king saying, “Return, you and all your men.”

15 So the king returned, and when he arrived at the Jordan, the men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the Jordan.

So the king returned and came to the Jordan. Now the men of Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king and then to bring the king across the Jordan.

16 Then Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David,

Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

17 along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king

There were one thousand men from Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him. They crossed through the Jordan in the presence of the king.

18 and crossed at the ford to carry over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king

They crossed to bring over the king's family and to do whatever he thought good. Shimei son of Gera bowed down before the king just before he began to cross the Jordan.

19 and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart.

Shimei said to the king, “Do not, my master, find me guilty or call to mind the wrong your servant did the day my master the king left Jerusalem. Please, may the king not take it to heart.

20 For your servant knows that I have sinned, so here I am today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

For your servant knows that I have sinned. See, that is why I have come today as the first from all the family of Joseph to come down to meet my master the king.”

21 But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?”

But Abishai son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Yahweh's anointed?”

22 And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed aware that today I am king over Israel?”

Then David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should today be adversaries to me? Will any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?”

23 So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore an oath to him.

So the king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” So the king promised him with an oath.

24 Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely.

Then Mephibosheth son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had not dressed his feet, or trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he came home in peace.

25 And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?”

So when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”

26 “My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me,

He answered, “My master the king, my servant deceived me, for I said, 'I will saddle a donkey so I may ride on it and go with the king, because your servant is lame.'

27 and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes.

My servant Ziba has slandered me, your servant, to my master the king. But my master the king is like an angel of God. Therefore, do what is good in your eyes.

28 For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?”

For all my father's house were dead men before my master the king, but you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I that I should still cry any more to the king?”

29 The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”

Then the king said to him, “Why explain anything further? I have decided that you and Ziba will divide the fields.”

30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!”

So Mephibosheth replied to the king, “Yes, let him take it all, since my master the king has come safely to his own home.”

31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there.

Then Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim to cross over the Jordan with the king, and he accompanied the king over the Jordan.

32 Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He had furnished the king with provisions while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.

33 The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.”

The king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you to stay with me in Jerusalem.”

34 But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days are left in the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

35 I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?

I am eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a burden to my master the king?

36 Your servant could go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward?

Your servant would like to just go over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?

37 Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.”

Please let your servant return back home, so I may die in my own city by the grave of my father and my mother. But see, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my master the king, and do for him what seems good to you.”

38 The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good in your sight, and I will do for you whatever you desire of me.”

The king answered, “Kimham will go over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you, and whatever you desire from me, I do that for you.”

39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned home.

Then all the people crossed the Jordan, and the king crossed over, and the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Then Barzillai returned to his own home.

40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed over with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king.

So the king crossed over to Gilgal, and Kimham crossed over with him. All the army of Judah brought the king over, and also half the army of Israel.

41 Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, together with all of David’s men?”

Soon all the men of Israel began to come to the king and say to the king, “Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his family over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?”

42 And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?”

So the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “It is because the king is more closely related to us. Why then are you angry about this? Have we eaten anything that the king had to pay for? Has he given us any gifts?”

43 “We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel.

The men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten tribes related to the king, so we have even more right to David than you. Why then did you despise us? Was not our proposal to bring back our king the first to be heard?” But the words of the men of Judah were even more harsh than the words of the men of Israel.