Second Book of Samuel 19

¹ The king shuddered. He went up to the room over the gate and burst into tears, and weeping said, ‘My son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! Would I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!’

² Word was brought to Joab, ‘The king is now weeping and mourning for Absalom’.

³ And the day’s victory was turned to mourning for all the troops, because they learned that the king was grieving for his son.

⁴ And the troops returned stealthily that day to the town, as troops creep back ashamed when routed in battle.

⁵ The king had veiled his face and was crying aloud, ‘My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!’

⁶ Then Joab went indoors to the king. ‘Today’ he said ‘you are covering the faces of all your servants with shame when they have saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives too and your concubines,

⁷ all because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today you have made it plain that commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you, since now I see that if Absalom were alive today and we all dead, you would be pleased.

⁸ Now get up, come out and reassure your soldiers, for if you do not come I swear by Yahweh not one man will stay with you tonight; and this will be a worse misfortune for you than all that has happened you from your youth until now.’

⁹ So the king rose and took his seat at the gate. All the troops soon heard the news: ‘The king’ they say ‘has taken his seat at the gate’. And the whole army assembled in front of the king. Preparations for David’s return Israel had fled, each man to his tent.

¹⁰ Throughout the tribes of Israel all were quarrelling. ‘The king’ they said ‘delivered us from the power of our enemies, he saved us from the hands of the Philistines, and now he himself has had to flee the country to escape from Absalom;

¹¹ while Absalom, whom we had anointed to reign over us, has now died in battle. So now why not do something about bringing the king back?’

¹³ You are my brothers, you are my own flesh and blood, why should you be the last to bring the king back?”

¹⁴ Say to Amasa[*a] too, “Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God do this to me and more, if you are not my army commander from now on, in place of Joab.”‘

¹⁵ Then all the men of Judah were won over as one man, sending word to the king, ‘Come back, you and all who serve you.’ Episodes connected with David’s return: Shimei

¹⁶ So the king turned about and reached the Jordan. Judah, coming to meet the king to escort the king across the Jordan, had arrived at Gilgal.

¹⁷ Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

¹⁸ With him were a thousand men from Benjamin. Ziba, the servant of the House of Saul, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, arrived at the Jordan before the king

¹⁹ and worked manfully ferrying the king’s family across and doing whatever he wanted. While the king was crossing the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera fell at his feet

²⁰ and said to the king, ‘Let not my lord hold me guilty. Do not remember the wrong your servant did, the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Put it out of your mind.

²¹ For your servant admits that he has sinned, and here I am today, first of all the House of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.’

²² Then Abishai son of Zeruiah spoke out. ‘Does not Shimei deserve death for cursing Yahweh’s anointed?’

²³ But David said, ‘What is there between me and you, sons of Zeruiah, for you to be my enemies today? On such a day, could anyone in Israel be put to death? Today I know for sure that I am king over Israel.

²⁴ Your life is spared’ the king said. And the king gave him his oath.[*b]

²⁵ Meribbaal son of Saul had also gone down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or his hands, he had neither trimmed his moustache nor washed his clothes from the day the king left to the day he came back in peace.

²⁶ When he arrived from Jerusalem to greet the king, the king asked him, ‘Why did you not come with me, Meribbaal?’

²⁸ He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do as you think right.

²⁹ For all my father’s family earned no better than death from the hands of my lord the king, and yet you have admitted your servant among those who eat at your table. What right have I to make further appeal to the king?’

³⁰ The king said, ‘Why say any more? I rule that you and Ziba are to share the property.’

³² Barzillai the Gileadite, too, had gone down from Rogelim and had stayed with the king to escort him as far as the Jordan.

³³ Barzillai was a man of great age; he was eighty years old. He had kept the king in provisions during his stay at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.

³⁵ But Barzillai answered the king, ‘How many years have I left to live, for me to go up to Jerusalem with the king?

³⁶ I am eighty years old now; can I tell the good from the bad? Has your servant any taste for his food and drink? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? Why should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king?

³⁷ Your servant will just cross the Jordan with the king; why should the king grant me such reward?

³⁸ Allow your servant to go back to die in my own town near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham[*c]; let him go with my lord the king; treat him as you think right.’

³⁹ The king said, ‘Let Chimham go with me then; I will do things for him that will please you, and anything you request I will do for him for your sake’.

⁴⁰ All the people then crossed the Jordan and the king crossed too; he kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and the latter returned to his home. Judah and Israel dispute over the king

⁴¹ The king went on to Gilgal and Chimham stayed with him. All the people of Judah accompanied the king and half the people of Israel too.

⁴² Then all the men of Israel came to the king. ‘Why’ they asked the king ‘have our brothers, the men of Judah, carried you off and brought the king and his family across the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?’

⁴³ All the men of Judah retorted to the men of Israel, ‘Because the king is more closely related to us. Why do you take offence at this? Have we eaten at the king’s expense or levied portions for ourselves?’

⁴⁴ The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, ‘We have ten shares in the king. We are your elder too. Why have you despised us then? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back the king?’ But the language of the men of Judah was more vehement than that of the men of Israel.