2 Samuel 19

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

And it was told to Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.

2 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.”

And the victory that day was [turned] into mourning to all the people: for the people heard it said that day how the king was grieved for his son.

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

And the people withdrew by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

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

But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

5 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,

And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, who 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;

6 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.

In that thou lovest thy enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

7 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.”

Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably to thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou shalt not go forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse to thee than all the evil that hath befallen thee from thy youth until now.

8 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.

Then the king rose, and sat in the gate. And they told to all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

9 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.

And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us from the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us from the hand of the Philistines; and now he hath fled out of the land for Absalom.

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

And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?

11 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?

And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, [even] to his house.

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

Ye [are] my brethren, ye [are] my bones and my flesh: why then are ye the last to bring back the king?

13 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.'”

And say ye to Amasa, [Art] thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.

14 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.”

And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as [the heart of] one man; so that they sent [this word] to the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

15 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.

So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.

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

And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjaminite, who [was] of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.

17 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.

And [there were] a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.

18 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.

And there went over a ferry-boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he came over Jordan;

19 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.

And said to the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity to 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.

20 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.”

For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore behold, I have come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

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

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?

22 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?”

And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries to me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I [am] this day king over Israel?

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

Therefore the king said to Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king swore to him.

24 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.

And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came [again] in peace.

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

And it came to pass, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, Why didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth?

26 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.'

And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride on it, and go to the king; because thy servant [is] lame.

27 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.

And he hath slandered thy servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king [is] as an angel of God: do therefore [what is] good in thy eyes.

28 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?”

For all [of] my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that ate at thy own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more to the king?

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

And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.

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

And Mephibosheth said to the king, Yes, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king hath come again in peace to his own house.

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

And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.

32 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.

Now Barzillai was a very aged man, [even] eighty years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim: for he [was] a very great man.

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

And the king said to Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.

34 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?

And Barzillai said to the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

35 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?

I [am] this day eighty years old: [and] can I discern between good and evil? can thy 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 thy servant be yet a burden to my lord the king?

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

Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense me with such a reward?

37 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.”

Let thy servant, I pray thee, return again, that I may die in my own city, [and be buried] by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good to thee.

38 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.”

And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good to thee: and whatever thou shalt require of me, [that] will I do for thee.

39 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.

And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king had come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.

40 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.

Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.

41 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?”

And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to him, 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?

42 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?”

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king [is] near of kin to us: why then are ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all at the king's [cost]? or hath he given us any gift?

43 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.

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts 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.