Chapter 19

And it was told⁹³ Joab, Behold, the king weepeth⁶ and mourneth¹⁰¹ for Absalom.

And the victory that day was [turned] into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard¹ say² that day how the king was grieved⁸ for his son.

And the people gat² them by stealth¹⁰¹ that day into the city, as people being ashamed¹² steal away¹⁰¹ when they flee² in battle.

But the king covered¹ his face, and the king cried⁴ with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

And Joab came⁴ into the house to the king, and said,⁴ Thou hast shamed⁵² this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved¹⁸ thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

In that thou lovest² thine enemies,⁶ and hatest² thy friends.⁶ For thou hast declared⁵² this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive,¹ that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died⁵ this day, then it had pleased ⁵⁸⁶⁹ thee well.

Now therefore arise,³ go forth,³ and speak¹⁶ comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear⁸ by the LORD, if thou go not forth,⁶ there will not tarry⁴ one with thee this night: and that will be worse¹ unto thee than all the evil that befell¹ thee from thy youth until now.

Then the king arose,⁴ and sat⁴ in the gate. And they told⁵² unto all the people, saying,² Behold, the king doth sit⁶ in the gate. And all the people came⁴ before the king: for Israel had fled¹ every man to his tent.

And all the people were at strife¹² throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying,² The king saved⁵² us out of the hand of our enemies,⁶ and he delivered¹⁴ us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled¹ out of the land for Absalom.

And Absalom, whom we anointed¹ over us, is dead¹ in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word⁵⁶ of bringing the king back?⁵³

And king David sent¹ to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying,² Speak¹⁶ unto the elders of Judah, saying,² Why are ye the last to bring the king back⁵³ to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come¹ to the king, [even] to his house.

Ye [are] my brethren, ye [are] my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back⁵³ the king?

And say⁴ ye to Amasa, [Art] thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do⁴ so to me, and more⁵⁵ also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually ³¹¹⁷ in the room of Joab.

And he bowed⁵⁵ the heart of all the men of Judah, even as [the heart of] one man; so that they sent⁴ [this word] unto the king, Return³ thou, and all thy servants.

So the king returned,⁴ and came⁴ to Jordan. And Judah came¹ to Gilgal, to go² to meet² the king, to conduct the king over⁵³ Jordan.

And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which [was] of Bahurim, hasted¹⁷ and came down⁴ with the men of Judah to meet² king David.

And [there were] a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen ⁶²⁴⁰ sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over¹ Jordan before the king.

And there went over¹ a ferry boat to carry over⁵³ the king's household, and to do² what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down¹ before the king, as he was come over² Jordan;

And said⁴ unto the king, Let not my lord impute⁴ iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember⁴ that which thy servant did perversely⁵² the day that my lord the king went out¹ of Jerusalem, that the king should take² it to his heart.

For thy servant doth know¹ that I have sinned:¹ therefore, behold, I am come¹ the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down² to meet² my lord the king.

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered⁴ and said,⁴ Shall not Shimei be put to death⁹³ for this, because he cursed¹⁴ the LORD'S anointed?

And David said,⁴ 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 death⁹³ this day in Israel? for do not I know¹ that I [am] this day king over Israel?

Therefore the king said⁴ unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die.⁴ And the king sware¹¹ unto him.

And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down¹ to meet² the king, and had neither dressed¹ his feet, nor trimmed¹ his beard, nor washed¹⁴ his clothes, from the day the king departed² until the day he came¹ [again] in peace.

And it came to pass, when he was come¹ to Jerusalem to meet² the king, that the king said⁴ unto him, Wherefore wentest¹ not thou with me, Mephibosheth?

And he answered,⁴ My lord, O king, my servant deceived¹⁴ me: for thy servant said,¹ I will saddle⁴ me an ass, that I may ride⁴ thereon, and go⁴ to the king; because thy servant [is] lame.

And he hath slandered¹⁷ thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king [is] as an angel of God: do³ therefore [what is] good in thine eyes.

For all [of] my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set⁴ thy servant among them that did eat⁶ at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry² any more unto the king?

And the king said⁴ unto him, Why speakest¹⁷ thou any more of thy matters? I have said,¹ Thou and Ziba divide⁴ the land.

And Mephibosheth said⁴ unto the king, Yea, let him take⁴ all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come¹ again in peace unto his own house.

And Barzillai the Gileadite came down¹ from Rogelim, and went over⁴ Jordan with the king, to conduct¹⁵ him over Jordan.

Now Barzillai was a very aged¹ man, [even] fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance⁴³ while he lay at Mahanaim; for he [was] a very great man.

And the king said⁴ unto Barzillai, Come thou over³ with me, and I will feed⁴³ thee with me in Jerusalem.

And Barzillai said⁴ unto the king, How long have I to live, ²⁴¹⁶ that I should go up⁴ with the king unto Jerusalem?

I [am] this day fourscore years old: [and] can I discern⁴ between good and evil? can thy servant taste⁴ what I eat⁴ or what I drink?⁴ can I hear⁴ any more the voice of singing⁶ men and singing⁶ women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

Thy servant will go a little way over⁴ Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense⁴ it me with such a reward?

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again,⁴ that I may die⁴ 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 over⁴ with my lord the king; and do³ to him what shall seem good ⁵⁸⁶⁹ unto thee.

And the king answered,⁴ Chimham shall go over⁴ with me, and I will do⁴ to him that which shall seem good ⁵⁸⁶⁹ unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require⁴ of me, [that] will I do⁴ for thee.

And all the people went over⁴ Jordan. And when the king was come over,¹ the king kissed⁴ Barzillai, and blessed¹⁷ him; and he returned⁴ unto his own place.

Then the king went on⁴ to Gilgal, and Chimham went on¹ with him: and all the people of Judah conducted^{52 5674 55} the king, and also half the people of Israel.

And, behold, all the men of Israel came⁶ to the king, and said⁴ unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away,¹ and have brought⁵⁵ the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

And all the men of Judah answered⁴ the men of Israel, Because the king [is] near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry¹ for this matter? have we eaten¹ at all² of the king's [cost]? or hath he given¹⁴ us any gift?

And the men of Israel answered⁴ the men of Judah, and said,⁴ We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more [right] in David than ye: why then did ye despise⁵² us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back⁵³ our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer⁴ than the words of the men of Israel.