|
Chapter 19 |
| 1 | And it was
told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. |
| 2 | 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. |
| 3 | And
the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed
steal away when they flee in battle. |
| 4 | 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 |
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; |
|
6 | 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. |
| 7 |
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. |
|
8 | 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. |
|
9 | 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 | 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 | 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. |
| 12 | Ye are my brethren, ye are my
bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the
king? |
| 13 |
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 | 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. |
| 15 | 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 | 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. |
|
17 | 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 | 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; |
| 19 | 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. |
|
20 | 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. |
|
21 | 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 | 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? |
| 23 | Therefore the king said unto
Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him. |
| 24 | 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 | 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? |
| 26 | 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. |
|
27 | 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. |
|
28 | 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? |
| 29 |
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy
matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. |
| 30 | 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. |
| 31 | 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 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. |
| 33 | And the king
said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in
Jerusalem. |
| 34
| And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to
live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? |
| 35 | 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? |
|
36 | Thy servant will go a little way over
Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a
reward? |
| 37
| 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. |
| 38 | 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. |
| 39 |
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. |
| 40
| 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
| 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? |
|
42 | 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? |
| 43 |
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. |
