2 Samuel 19

₁Someone told Joab that the king was crying and mourning for Absalom. ₂The men had won the war, but on that day they had to cry and mourn because they told them that the king was sad about his son. ₃On that day the men who had won came back into the city like men who had lost and who had run away from the war. ₄The king put a cloth over his head and he kept shouting_loudly: ‘My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son.’

₅Joab went to the king in his house and he said to him: ‘Your men have saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and your daughters, your wives and your concubines, but you have humiliated them. ₆You love your enemies and you hate your friends because you show that you think your officers and men are not important to you. I know you would have been happy if Absalom was still_alive and all of us were dead. ₇You must go now and talk to your men and encourage them. I promise you, and God is my Witness: If you don't come and speak to them, not one of them will stay here tonight. And then you will have more trouble than you ever had in the past from the time you were young until now.’

₈Then the king got up and went to the town gate and he sat there. When they told the men that David was sitting at the gate, they all came to see him. But the men of Israel who were with Absalom had fled. Everyone had gone to his home. ₉The people of all the tribes_of_Israel started to talk to each other and they said: ‘The king has saved us from our enemies, he has freed us from the Philistines and now he has fled out of the land because of Absalom. ₁₀We anointed Absalom to rule over us, but Absalom has died in the war. Let us ask David to be our king again.’

₁₁Then King David sent a message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. He said to them: ‘You must talk to the leaders of the Judah tribe and tell them: “The king and his family have heard what the people of Israel have said. You are the last people who want the king to come back to his home. Why? ₁₂You are my family, so why are you the last people who want the king to come back?”

₁₃And say to Amasa: “You and I are family. I pray that God will help me to make you the chief of the army in the place of Joab who was the chief.” ’ ₁₄When David said this, all the men of Judah decided that he must be their king again. And they sent him this message and said: ‘You must come back, you and your men.’

₁₅The king went back and when he came to the Jordan River, the people of Judah came to the town of Gilgal to meet the king and to help him over the river.

₁₆Shimei, son of Gera, the man from the town of Bahurim in the land of Benjamin, ran to go with the men of Judah who went to meet King David. ₁₇There were 1 000 men from the Benjamin tribe with him. Ziba, who had worked for the family of Saul, and his 15 sons and 20 servants were also with him. They came to the Jordan River where the king was. ₁₈They went through the river to bring the family of the king through the river and to do what he wanted. When the king went through the Jordan River, Shimei, son of Gera, came and lay on the ground in front of the king. ₁₉He said to the king: ‘Your_Majesty, please do not punish me for the wrong things I did when Your_Majesty went out of Jerusalem. Your_Majesty, please do not remember it and don't stay angry with me. ₂₀I know I have sinned and so today I have come here first out of all people of the Joseph tribe to come and meet Your_Majesty.’

₂₁Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said: ‘Shimei must die because he has cursed the anointed one of God.’ ₂₂But David said: ‘Sons of Zeruiah, why do you say that? You are wrong and I will not do anything wrong today. We will not kill anyone in the land_of_Israel today because I know that I am king_of_Israel.’

₂₃The king said to Shimei: ‘You will not die,’ and the king promised it and said the Lord was his Witness.

₂₄Mephibosheth, grandson of Saul, also came to meet David. From the time that the king went out of the land until he came back safely, Mephibosheth had not washed his feet or shaved his beard or washed his clothes. ₂₅When he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him: ‘Mephibosheth, why didn't you come with me?’ ₂₆Mephibosheth said: ‘Your_Majesty, the man who had to help me left me alone. You know I can not walk, because my legs are crippled, and I asked him to put a saddle on my donkey so I could ride with the king, but he betrayed me. ₂₇And he told Your_Majesty bad stories about me, but Your_Majesty, you are like an angel of God. You must do what you think is right. ₂₈You could have killed me and my family, but you let me eat at your table. I can not ask for more. I can only ask the king to help me.’ ₂₉Then the king said to Mephibosheth: ‘Do not say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba must divide the fields of Saul.’ ₃₀Mephibosheth said to the king: ‘Your_Majesty, Ziba can take everything because you have come home safely.’

₃₁Barzillai of Gilead came from the town of Rogelim to go over the Jordan River with the king and to say goodbye to him. ₃₂Barzillai was very old. He was 80 years old. It was he who looked after the king when he was in Mahanaim because he was very rich. ₃₃The king said to Barzillai: ‘You must come with me. I will look after you in Jerusalem.’

₃₄But Barzillai said to the king: ‘No, I will not live for much longer. Why would I go with the king? ₃₅I am 80 years old. I do not know what is good for me and what is not good, I can not taste what I eat or drink, and I do not hear when people sing. I would only be a problem for the king. ₃₆I will go with the king when you go over the Jordan River and I will go only a short way with you. Why are you so good to me? ₃₇Please let me go back. I want to die in my town near the grave of my parents. But here is my son Kimham, your servant. He can go with the king and you can do to him what you want to do.’ ₃₈Then the king said: ‘If Kimham comes with me, I will be good to him and do what you want and what he asks.’

₃₉All the people went through the Jordan River. The king kissed Barzillai and said goodbye to him and Barzillai went back home.

₄₀The king went to the town of Gilgal and Kimham went with him. All the people of Judah were there. They walked with the king and half of the soldiers of Israel also went with him. ₄₁Then all the Israelite men came to the king and they asked him: ‘Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king? Why did they go with the king and his family and the men of David through the Jordan River?’

₄₂But the men of Judah said to the men of Israel: ‘The king is one of our family. Why are you angry with us? The king did not give us food or gifts.’ ₄₃The Israelites said to the people of Judah: ‘We have 10 tribes. King David is our king more than he is your king. Why do you humiliate us? We were first to ask the king to come back.’ But the people of Judah answered them with stronger words.