2 Samuel 19
1 Then it was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.”
It was told Joab, "Look, the king weeps and mourns 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.”
The victory that day was turned into mourning to all the people; for the people heard it said that day, "The king grieves for his son."
3 So they returned to the city quietly that day, as people steal away in humiliation after fleeing a battle.
So the people went quietly into the city that day, the way that people who are humiliated creep away when fleeing in 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 he cried with 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.
Joab came into the house to the king, and said, "You have shamed this day the faces of all your servants, who this day have saved your life, and the lives of your sons and of your daughters, and the lives of your wives, and the lives of your secondary 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!
in that you love those who hate you, and hate those who love you. For you have declared this day, that leaders and servants are nothing to you. For today I perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all of us had died, then you would be pleased.
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 arise, go out, and speak to comfort your servants; for I swear by YHWH, if you do not go out, not a man will stay with you this night. That would be worse to you than all the evil that has 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.
Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. They told to all the people, saying, "Look, the king is sitting in the gate." All the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.
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 at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land and from being over his kingdom.
10 But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”
And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you not speak a word of bringing the king back?" And the talk of all Israel came to the king.
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?
So 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 house?
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, you are my bone and my flesh. 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!’”
And say to Amasa, 'Aren't you my bone and my flesh? Now then, God do so to me, and more also, if you aren't commander of the army before me continually in 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.”
Thus he won over the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man, so that they sent to the king, saying, "Return, you and all your servants."
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. And Judah came to Gilgal, having come down to meet the king, 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,
And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came 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
And there were a thousand men from Benjamin with him. But Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, waded through the Jordan ahead 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
and they crossed the ford to bring over the king's household, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, when he had crossed over 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.
He said to the king, "Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, nor remember that which your 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 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. Therefore look, I have come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord 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 the son of Zeruiah answered, "Shall Shimei not be put to death for this, because he cursed YHWH'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?”
David said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be adversaries to me? Shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? For do you not realize that I am this day king over Israel?"
23 So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore an oath to him.
The king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." The king swore to him.
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.
Now Mippibaal son of Jonathan son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither cared for his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home safely.
25 And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?”
It happened, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mippibaal?"
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 lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said to him, 'Saddle a donkey for me so that I may ride on it and go with the king,' for 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.
He has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God. Do therefore 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 but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should 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.”
The king said to him, "Why do you speak any more of your matters? I say, you and Ziba divide the land."
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!”
Mippibaal said to the king, "Yes, let him take all, because my lord the king has come in peace to his own house."
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.
Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went over the Jordan with the king, to conduct him from 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; and he had provided for the king while he was staying at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich 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 sustain you 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 said to the king, "How many are the days of 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 this day eighty years old. Can I discern 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 yet a burden to my lord 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 but 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 turn back again, that I may die in my own city, by the grave of my father and my mother. But look, your servant Kimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem 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 shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good to you. Whatever you require of me, that I will do 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.
All the people crossed over the Jordan, but the king remained. Then the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.
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 went over to Gilgal, and Kimham went over with him. All the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half the people 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?”
Look, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king, and his household, 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?”
All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's cost? Or 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, and said, "We have ten parts in the king, and we are the firstborn rather than you. Why then did you despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king?" The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
