10:019:001 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth
for Absalom.
10:019:002 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the
people: for the people heard say that day how the king was
grieved for his son.
10:019:003 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as
people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
10:019:004 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud
voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
10:019:005 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast
shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which 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;
10:019:006 In that thou lovest thine 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.
10:019:007 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy
servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there
will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be
worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy
youth until now.
10:019:008 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto
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.
10:019:009 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of
Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our
enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the
Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
10:019:010 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now
therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?
10:019:011 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,
saying, Speak unto 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.
10:019:012 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore
then are ye the last to bring back the king?
10:019:013 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.
10:019:014 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the
heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king,
Return thou, and all thy servants.
10:019:015 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.
10:019:016 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim,
hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.
10:019:017 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.
10:019:018 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 was come over Jordan;
10:019:019 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto
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.
10:019:020 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore,
behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of
Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
10:019:021 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?
10:019:022 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of
Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto 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?
10:019:023 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And
the king sware unto him.
10:019:024 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.
10:019:025 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the
king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou
with me, Mephibosheth?
10:019:026 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
thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.
10:019:027 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but
my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is
good in thine eyes.
10:019:028 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 did
eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry
any more unto the king?
10:019:029 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy
matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
10:019:030 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all,
forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his
own house.
10:019:031 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went
over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
10:019:032 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old:
and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at
Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
10:019:033 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and
I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
10:019:034 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live,
that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
10:019:035 I am this day fourscore 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? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a
burden unto my lord the king?
10:019:036 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king:
and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
10:019:037 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die
in mine 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 unto
thee.
10:019:038 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I
will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and
whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.
10:019:039 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was
come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he
returned unto his own place.
10:019:040 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.
10:019:041 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said
unto the king, 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?
10:019:042 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because
the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for
this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath
he given us any gift?
10:019:043 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.