2 Samuel 19

1 And it was told Joab, —Lo! the king, is weeping and mourning over Absolom.

And it is declared to Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom”;

2 So the victory, on that day, was turned into mourning, with all the people, —for the people heard, on that day, saying, The king is distressed for his son.

and the salvation on that day becomes mourning to all the people, for the people have heard on that day, saying, “The king has been grieved for his son.”

3 And the people stole away, on that day, to go into the city, —as people steal away who are put to shame, when they flee in battle.

And the people steals away, on that day, to go into the city, as the people steal away, who are ashamed, in their fleeing in battle;

4 But, the king, muffled his face, and the king made outcry, with a loud voice, —O my son Absolom, O Absolom, my son, my son!

and the king has covered his face, indeed, the king cries [with] a loud voice, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

5 Then came Joab unto the king, in the house, —and said—Thou hast, to-day, covered with shame the faces of all thy servants, who have rescued thy life to-day, and the lives of thy sons and thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

And Joab comes into the house to the king and says, “Today you have put to shame the faces of all your servants, those delivering your life today, and the life of your sons, and of your daughters, and the life of your wives, and the life of your concubines,

6 by loving them who hated thee, and hating them who loved thee, —for thou hast declared, to-day, that, nothing to thee, are princes or servants, for I perceive, to-day, that, if, Absolom, had lived, and, all we, to-day had died, that, then, it had been right in thine eyes.

to love your enemies, and to hate those loving you, for today you have declared that you have no princes and servants, for today I have known that if Absalom [were] alive, and all of us dead today, that then it were right in your eyes.

7 Now, therefore, rise—go forth, and speak unto the heart of thy servants, —for, by Yahweh, have I sworn, that, if thou do not go forth, not a man shall tarry with thee to-night, and this will be to thee, a greater misfortune, than all the misfortune that hath come upon thee from thy youth until now.

And now, rise, go out and speak to the heart of your servants, for I have sworn by YHWH, that [if] you are not going out—there does not lodge a man with you tonight; and this [is] worse for you than all the evil that has come on you from your youth until now.”

8 So the king arose, and took his seat in the gate, —and, to all the people, was it told, saying—Lo! the king, is sitting in the gate. Then came all the people before the king, but, Israel, had fled every man to his home.

And the king rises, and sits in the gate, and they have declared to all the people, saying, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate”; and all the people come in before the king, and Israel has fled, each to his tents.

9 And it came to pass that all the people were reproaching one another, throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, —the king, delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and, he, rescued us out of the hand of the Philistines, but, now, he hath fled out of the land, away from Absolom;

And it comes to pass, all the people are contending through all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, indeed, he himself delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land because of Absalom,

10 and, Absolom, whom we anointed over us, hath died in the battle. Now, therefore, why are, ye, silent as to bringing back the king?

and Absalom whom we anointed over us [is] dead in battle, and now, why are you silent—to bring back the king?”

11 And, King David, sent unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak ye unto the elders of Judah, saying, Wherefore should ye be behindhand, in bringing back the king unto his home, —seeing that, the speech of all Israel, hath come unto the king, regarding his home?

And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to [the] elderly of Judah, saying, Why are you last to bring back the king to his house, since the word of all Israel has come to the king, to his house;

12 Mine own brethren, are ye, my bone and my flesh, are ye, —wherefore then should ye be behindhand in bringing back the king?

you [are] my brothers, you [are] my bone and my flesh, and why are you last to bring back the king?

13 And, unto Amasa, shall ye say, Art not, thou, my bone and my flesh? So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if thou become not, prince of the army, before me continually, instead of Joab.

And say to Amasa, Are you not my bone and my flesh? Thus God does to me, and thus He adds, if you are not head of the host before me instead of Joab [for] all the days.”

14 Thus bowed he the heart of all the men of Judah, as one man, —and they sent unto the king, Return, thou, and all thy servants.

And he inclines the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they send to the king, “Return, you and all your servants.”

15 Then the king returned, and came as far as the Jordan, —and, Judah, came to Gilgal, to go and meet the king, to escort the king over the Jordan.

And the king turns back, and comes to the Jordan, and Judah has come to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan,

16 Then hastened Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, —and came down, with the men of Judah, to meet King David.

and Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite, who [is] from Bahurim, hurries, and comes down with the men of Judah, to meet King David,

17 And, a thousand men, were with him, out of Benjamin, Ziba also, servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants, with him, —and they went through the Jordan, before the king.

and one thousand men [are] with him from Benjamin, and Ziba servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, and they have gone prosperously over the Jordan before the king.

18 But the ferry-boat kept crossing, to bring over the household of the king, and to do what was good in his eyes. And, Shimei, son of Gera, fell down before the king, when he had passed over the Jordan;

And the ferry-boat has passed over to carry over the household of the king, and to do that which [is] good in his eyes, and Shimei son of Gera has fallen before the king in his passing over into the Jordan,

19 and he said unto the king—Let not my lord impute to me iniquity, neither do thou remember the perverseness of thy servant, on the day that thou wentest out, my lord O king, from Jerusalem, that the king should lay it upon his heart.

and he says to the king, “Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me; neither remember that which your servant did perversely in the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem—for the king to set [it] to his heart;

20 For thy servant doth know, that, I, sinned, —lo! therefore, I have arrived to-day, as the first of all the house of Joseph, to come down to meet my lord the king.

for your servant has known that I have sinned; and behold, I have come today, first of all the house of Joseph, to go down to meet my lord the king.”

21 Then responded Abishai, son of Zeruiah, and said, For this, shall not Shimei be put to death, for that he cursed the Anointed of Yahweh?

And Abishai son of Zeruiah answers and says, “Is Shimei not put to death for this—because he reviled the anointed of YHWH?”

22 But David said, What have I in common with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, for ye would become to me, to-day, a very traitor! Shall there, to-day, be put to death a man in Israel? for do I not know, that, to-day, I, am king over Israel?

And David says, “And what do I [have to do] with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that today you are for an adversary to me? Is any man put to death in Israel today? For have I not known that today I [am] king over Israel?”

23 Then said the king unto Shimei—Thou shalt not die. And the king sware to him.

And the king says to Shimei, “You do not die”; and the king swears to him.

24 And, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, —he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.

And Mephibosheth son of Saul has come down to meet the king—and he did not prepare his feet, nor did he prepare his upper lip, indeed, he did not wash his garments, even from the day of the going away of the king, until the day that he came in peace—

25 And it came to pass, when he entered Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest thou not with me, Mephibosheth.

and it comes to pass, when he has come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king says to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”

26 And he said, My lord, O king, my servant, betrayed me, —for thy servant said—I will even saddle me mine ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king, for, lame, is thy servant.

And he says, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said, I saddle the donkey for myself, and ride on it, and go with the king, for your servant [is] lame;

27 And he hath slandered thy servant, unto my lord the king, —but, my lord the king, is as a messenger of God, do therefore what is good in thine own eyes.

and he utters slander against your servant to my lord the king, and my lord the king [is] as a messenger of God; and do that which is good in your eyes,

28 For, when all the house of my father were nothing better than dead men, unto my lord the king, then didst thou set thy servant among them that used to eat at thy table, —what then have I further, by way of right, or to cry out any further unto the king?

for all the house of my father have been nothing except men of death before my lord the king, and you set your servant among those eating at your table, and what right do I have anymore—even to cry anymore to the king?”

29 Then the king said unto him, Wherefore shouldst thou speak any further of thine affairs? I have said—Thou and Ziba, shall share the land.

And the king says to him, “Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, You and Ziba—share the field.”

30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Even the whole, let him take, —now that my lord the king hath entered, in peace, into his own house.

And Mephibosheth says to the king, “Indeed, let him take the whole, after that my lord the king has come in peace to his house.”

31 And, Barzillai the Gileadite, came down from Rogelim, —and passed, with the king, over the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan.

And Barzillai the Gileadite has gone down from Rogelim, and passes over the Jordan with the king, to send him away over the Jordan;

32 Now, Barzillai, was very aged, eighty years old, —and, he himself, had sustained the king, throughout his sojourn in Mahanaim, for he was, an exceeding great man.

and Barzillai [is] very aged, a son of eighty years, and he has sustained the king in his abiding in Mahanaim, for he [is] a very great man;

33 So then the king said unto Barzillai, —Thou, come over with me, and I will sustain thee with me, in Jerusalem.

and the king says to Barzillai, “Pass over with me, and I have sustained you in Jerusalem with me.”

34 But Barzillai said unto the king, —Like unto what, are the days of the years of my life, that I should come up with the king, to Jerusalem.

And Barzillai says to the king, “How many [are] the days of the years of my life, that I go up with the king to Jerusalem?

35 Eighty years old, am I to-day—could I discern between good and bad? or could thy servant taste what I might eat, and what I might drink? or could I hearken any more to the voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore, then, should thy servant yet be a burden unto my lord the king?

I [am] a son of eighty years today; do I know between good and evil? Does your servant taste that which I am eating, and that which I drink? Do I listen anymore to the voice of male and female singers? And why is your servant for a burden to my lord the king anymore?

36 Just a little way, will thy servant pass over the Jordan with the king, —but wherefore should the king recompense me with this reward?

As a little thing, your servant passes over the Jordan with the king, and why does the king repay me this repayment?

37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father, and my mother. But here is thy servant Chimham—let him pass over with my lord the king, and do unto him that which may be good in thine eyes.

Please let your servant turn back again, and I die in my own city, near the burying-place of my father and of my mother—and behold, your servant Chimham, let him pass over with my lord the king, and do to him that which [is] good in your eyes.”

38 Then said the king, With me, shall Chimham pass over, and, I, will do unto him that which shall be good in thine eyes, —and, whatsoever thou shalt choose to lay upon me, I will do for thee.

And the king says, “Chimham goes over with me, and I do to him that which [is] good in your eyes, indeed, all that you fix on me I do to you.”

39 And, when all the people had passed over the Jordan, then, the king, passed over, —and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him, and he returned unto his own place.

And all the people pass over the Jordan, and the king has passed over, and the king gives a kiss to Barzillai, and blesses him, and he turns back to his place.

40 And the king passed over to Gilgal, and, Chimham, passed over with him, —and, all the people of Judah, escorted the king, yea moreover, half the people of Israel.

And the king passes over to Gilgal, and Chimham has passed over with him, and all the people of Judah, and they bring over the king, and also the half of the people of Israel.

41 Then lo! all the men of Israel, were coming unto the king, —and they said unto the king—Why did our brethren the men of Judah steal thee away, and escort the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?

And behold, all the men of Israel are coming to the king, and they say to the king, “Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you—and they bring the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?”

42 And all the men of Judah made answer unto the men of Israel—Because the king is, near of kin, unto us, wherefore, then, is it, that ye are angry over this matter? Have we, eaten, at the king’s cost? or hath he, bestowed any gifts, on us?

And all the men of Judah answer against the men of Israel, “Because the king [is] near to us, and why [is] this [that] you are displeased about this matter? Have we eaten of the king’s [substance] at all? Has he lifted up a gift to us?”

43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said—Ten parts, have we in the king, therefore, even in David, have we more right than ye. Why, then, made ye light of us, so that our word was not heard first as to bringing back our king? And, the words of the men of Judah, were fiercer than, the words of the men of Israel.

And the men of Israel answer the men of Judah, and say, “We have ten parts in the king, and also more than you in David; and why have you lightly esteemed us, that our word has not been first to bring back our king?” And the word of the men of Judah is sharper than the word of the men of Israel.