¹And it was reported to Joab as follows: “Look, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” ²So the victory on that day became mourning to all the people, for the people heard what was said on that day: “The king is grieved about his son.” ³And on that day the people were stealthy in coming to the city, as a people who are put to shame are stealthy when they flee in battle. ⁴And the king covered his face, and the king would cry out in a loud voice, “My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!” ⁵Then Joab came to the king at home and said, “You have put shame on the faces of all your servants today, who saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and your daughters, and the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, ⁶through love for those who hate you, and by hating those who love you, for you declared today that your commanders and servants mean nothing to you. For I learnt today that if Absalom had lived, and we had all died today, then that would have been all right in your sight. ⁷So now, arise and go out, and speak encouragingly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord that if you do not go out, not a single man will pass the night in association with you tonight. And that would be worse for you than all the evil which has come on you from your youth up to now.” ⁸So the king arose and sat at the gate, and they reported it to all the people and said, “Look, the king is sitting at the gate.” And all the people came before the king, but Israel had fled – each man to his tent. ⁹And all the people were at strife among all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us from the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land away from Absalom. ¹⁰But Absalom whom we anointed over us has died in battle, so now, why are you silent about bringing the king back?” ¹¹Then King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar the priests as follows: “Ask the elders of Judah this, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, whereas the talk of all Israel has come to the king – to his house? ¹²You are my brothers – you are my bone and my flesh, so why are you the last to bring the king back?’ ¹³And to Amasa you will say, ‘Aren't you my bone and my flesh? May God do this to me and add more if you are not the commander of the army before me all the time instead of Joab.’ ” ¹⁴And he turned the heart of every man of Judah unanimously, and they sent word to the king, “Come back, you and all your servants.” ¹⁵So the king came back, and when he had come as far as the Jordan, Judah went to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan. ¹⁶And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjaminite, who was from Bahurim, quickly went down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷And a thousand Benjaminite men were with him, as was Ziba, the servant-lad of Saul's household, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, and they proceeded across the Jordan before the king. ¹⁸And a ferry crossed over to take the king's household across, and to do what was right in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he crossed the Jordan. ¹⁹And he said to the king, “My lord, do not impute iniquity to me, and do not recollect how your servant acted iniquitously on the day when my lord the king departed from Jerusalem, with the king taking it to heart. ²⁰For your servant knows that I have sinned, but look, I have been the first to come of the whole house of Joseph, in coming down to meet my lord the king.” ²¹But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Will Shimei not be put to death for this, for he cursed the Lord's anointed?” ²²However, David said, “What concern is it to me or to you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary of mine today? Will any man in Israel be put to death today? For am I not aware that today I am king over Israel?” ²³Then the king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” And the king swore it to him. ²⁴Then Mephibosheth, Saul's son, went down to meet the king, not having attended to his feet, and not having attended to his beard, and not having washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day when he came back in peace. ²⁵And it came to pass, when he went to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” ²⁶And he answered, “My lord the king, my servant dealt treacherously with me. So your servant said, ‘I will saddle the donkey for myself, and I will ride on it, and I will go with the king’, for your servant is lame. ²⁷And he went around slandering your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what is right in your sight. ²⁸For all my father's household was nothing but men deserving death before my lord the king, but you placed your servant among the diners at your table, so what more do I have by way of justification or in crying out any more to the king?” ²⁹Then the king said to him, “Why are you still talking about your affairs? I have said, ‘You and Ziba share the estate.’ ” ³⁰Then Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, now that my lord the king has come to his house in peace.” ³¹Now Barzillai the Gileadite was one who had gone down from Rogelim and crossed the Jordan with the king, so as to escort him across the Jordan. ³²And Barzillai was very old – eighty years old – and he had sustained the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. ³³And the king had said to Barzillai, “You cross over with me, and I will sustain you with me in Jerusalem.” ³⁴But Barzillai said to the king, “How many are the days of the years of my life? For am I to go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵I am eighty years old today. Can I distinguish between what is good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat and what I drink? Or can I still hear the sound of men singing and women singing? So why should your servant be any further burden to my lord the king? ³⁶Let your servant cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king recompense me with this recompense? ³⁷Do let your servant return so that I die in my city with the grave of my father and my mother. And look, here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is right in your sight.” ³⁸Then the king said, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do what is right in your sight for him, and I will do for you whatever you request of me.” ³⁹So all the people crossed the Jordan, and the king crossed over, and the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Then Barzillai returned to his place. ⁴⁰And the king crossed over to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed over with him, and all the people of Judah conducted the king across, as did half the people of Israel also. ⁴¹And it so happened that all the men of Israel came to the king, and they said to the king, “Why have our brothers – the men of Judah – stolen you and conducted the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?” ⁴²And every man of Judah would answer the Israelite and say, “The king is closely related to me, so why should this matter anger you? Have we in any way eaten at the king's expense, or has he favoured us in any way?” ⁴³And the Israelite would answer the man of Judah and say, “I constitute ten of the king's limbs, and so I am more associated with David than you are, so why did you despise me? And wasn't it my first concern to bring my king back?” So the words of the man of Judah were harder than the words of the Israelite.