2 Samuel 19

1 Someone told Joab that the king was crying and mourning because Absalom had died.

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

2 All of David’s soldiers became sad. Instead of rejoicing about defeating [the soldiers who had fought with Absalom], they were sad because they heard that the king was mourning because Absalom [was dead].

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 The soldiers returned to the city quietly, like [SIM] soldiers do when they are ashamed because they ran away from 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 The king covered his face [with his hands] and kept crying loudly, “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 entered the room where the king was, and said to the king, “Today you have caused your soldiers to be ashamed! You have humiliated the men who saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and your ordinary wives and your slave wives!

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 [It seems that] you love those who hate you and [that] you hate those who love you. You have caused it to be clear today that your commanders and your officers are not at all important to you. I think that if Absalom were still alive and we were all dead today, you would be happy.

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 So, now go and thank your soldiers [for what they did]. Because I solemnly declare that if you do not do that, none of them will still be with you by tomorrow morning and that would be worse [for you] than all the disasters/troubles that you have experienced since you were a boy.”

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 went and sat near the city gate. And all the people were told, “Hey, the king is sitting at the gate!” So they all came and gathered around him. Meanwhile, all the Israeli troops [who had been with Absalom] had returned to their homes.

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 Then all the people throughout the tribes of Israel started to quarrel among themselves. They said to each other, “King David rescued us from the people of Philistia and from our other enemies. But now he has fled from Absalom and left Israel!

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 We appointed [MTY] Absalom to be our king, but he died in the battle [against David’s soldiers]. So (why does someone not try to bring King David back?/surely someone should try to bring King David back.)” [RHQ]

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

11 King David [found out what the people were saying. So he] sent the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to say to the leaders of Judah, “The king says that he has heard that all the Israeli people [want him to be king again]. And he says, ‘(Why should you be the last ones to bring me back to my palace?/It is not right that you be the last ones to bring me back to my palace.) [RHQ]

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 relatives; we have the same ancestor [IDM]. So (why should you be the last ones to bring me back?/you should certainly not be the last ones to bring me back.) [RHQ]’”

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

13 And say to Amasa, “You are one of my relatives. I hope/desire that God strike me dead [IDM] if I do not appoint you to be, from now on, the commander of my army instead 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 [By sending that message to them, ] David convinced all the people of Judah [IDM] [that they should (be loyal to him/accept him as their king]). So they sent a message to the king, saying “We want you and all your officials to return here.”

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 [and his officials started back toward Jerusalem]. When they reached the Jordan [River], the people of Judah came there to Gilgal to meet the king, and to bring him across the river.

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 Shimei, the man from the tribe of Benjamin, also came down quickly [to the river] with the people 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 There were 1,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin who came with him. And Ziba, who had been the servant of Saul, also hurried down to the Jordan [River], bringing 20 of his servants with him. They all came to 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 then they all [prepared to] take the king and all his family across the river, at the place where they could walk across it. They wanted to do whatever the king wanted them to do. As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei came to him and prostrated himself in front of 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 He said to the king, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. Please do not keep thinking about the terrible thing that I did on the day that you left Jerusalem. Do not think about it any more.

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 Because I know that I have sinned. Look, I have come today, the first one from the northern tribes to come here to greet you today, Your Majesty.”

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, the son of Zeruiah, said, “He cursed the one that Yahweh appointed [MTY] to be the king! So (should he not be executed for doing that?/he certainly should be executed for doing that.)” [RHQ]

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

22 But David said, “You sons of Zeruiah, what am I going to do with you? (OR, you are not the ones who should decide [what to do to him]). [It is as though] you have become my enemies today. I know that I am the one who has now become the king of Israel, [so I say that] certainly no one [RHQ] in Israel should be executed today.”

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 Then the king said to Shimei, “I solemnly promise that I will not execute you.”

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

24 Then Miphibosheth, Saul’s grandson, came down [to the river] to greet the king. He had not washed his feet or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes, from the time that the king left Jerusalem until the day that he returned.

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 When he arrived from Jerusalem to greet the king, the king said to 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 He replied, “Your Majesty, [you know that] I am crippled. [When I heard that you were leaving Jerusalem, ] I said to my servant [Ziba], ‘Put a saddle on my donkey in order that I can ride on it and go with the king.’ But he deceived me [and left without 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 lied to you about me. But, Your Majesty, you are [as wise] as God’s angel. So do whatever seems right to you.

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 All of my grandfather’s family expected/deserved that we would be executed. But [you did not execute me; ] you allowed me to eat food with you at your table! So I certainly do not have [RHQ] the right to request you for anything more.”

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, “You certainly do not need to say any more. I have decided that you and Ziba will divide [equally] the land [that belonged to your grandfather Saul].”

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

30 Mephibosheth replied to the king, “Your Majesty, [I am content that] you have returned safely. So allow him to take all the land.”

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 Barzillai, the man from [the] Gilead [region], had come down to the Jordan [River] from [his town of] Rogelim, to escort the king across the river.

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 a very old man, 80 years old. He was a very wealthy man, and he had provided food for the king [and his soldiers] while they were at 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, “Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you.”

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, “I certainly do not have [RHQ] many more years to live. So (why should I go with you to Jerusalem?/there is certainly no reason for me to go with you to Jerusalem.) [RHQ]

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 80 years old. I do not [RHQ] know what is enjoyable and what is not enjoyable. I cannot [RHQ] enjoy what I eat and what I drink. I cannot [RHQ] hear the voices of men and women as they sing. So (why should I be another burden to you?/I do not want to be another burden to you.) [RHQ]

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 I will cross the Jordan [River] with you and go a little further, and that will be all the reward that I need [for helping you].

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

37 Then please allow me to return to my home, because that is where I want to die, near my parents’ grave. But here is [my son] Chimham. Your Majesty, allow him to go with you [and serve you], and do for him whatever seems good to you!”

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, “Okay, he will cross [the river] with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. And I will do for you whatever you want me to do.”

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 Then King David and all the others crossed the Jordan [River]. He kissed Barzillai and [asked God to] bless him. Then Barzillai returned to his 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 [After they crossed the river, ] Chimham went with the king, and all the army of Judah and half the army of the other Israeli tribes escorted/accompanied the king to Gilgal.

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 Then all the soldiers from the other Israeli tribes came to the king and said, “(Why is it that our relatives, the men from Judah, took you away from us and wanted to be the only ones to escort you and your family across the river, along with all your men?/It is not right that our relatives, the men from Judah, took you away from us and wanted to be the only ones to escort you and your family across the river, along with all your men.) [RHQ] [Why did you not request us to do that]?” [RHQ]

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 The soldiers from Judah replied, “We did it because the king is from Judah. So (why are you angry about that?/you should not be angry about that.) [RHQ] The king has never paid for our food, and he has never given us any gifts.”

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 The men of the other Israeli tribes replied, “[There are ten tribes in Israel, and only one in Judah. So] it is ten times more right for us to say that David [is our king] than it is for you to say that. So why are you despising us [RHQ]? We were certainly [RHQ] the first ones to talk about bringing David back [to Jerusalem to be our king again].” But the men of Judah spoke more harshly than the men from the other tribes of Israel did.

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.