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Joab Rebukes David
It was told Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”
It was told Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”
As all the people heard of the king’s deep grief for his son, the joy of that day’s victory was turned into deep sadness.
So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.”
They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle.
And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle.
The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, “We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves.
Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines,
You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased.
because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.
Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the LORD that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before.”
Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”
So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him.
Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes.
Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes.
Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” And all the people came before the king.
David Returns to Jerusalem
Now Israel had fled every man to his own home.
David Returns to Jerusalem
Now Israel had fled every man to his own home.
And throughout all the tribes of Israel there was much discussion and argument going on. The people were saying, “The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but Absalom chased him out of the country.
And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.
Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Why not ask David to come back and be our king again?”
But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
Then King David sent Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, to say to the elders of Judah, “Why are you the last ones to welcome back the king into his palace? For I have heard that all Israel is ready.
You are my relatives, my own tribe, my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last ones to welcome back the king?”
You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’
And David told them to tell Amasa, “Since you are my own flesh and blood, like Joab, may God strike me and even kill me if I do not appoint you as commander of my army in his place.”
And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’”
And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, “Return, both you and all your servants.”
David’s Return to Jerusalem
So the king started back to Jerusalem. And when he arrived at the Jordan River, the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the river.
So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan.
Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David.
David Pardons His Enemies
And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
A thousand other men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the chief servant of the house of Saul, and Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king.
And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king,
They crossed the shallows of the Jordan to bring the king’s household across the river, helping him in every way they could.
David’s Mercy to Shimei
As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him.
David’s Mercy to Shimei
As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him.
and they crossed the ford to bring over the king’s household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan,
“My lord the king, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind.
and said to the king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart.
For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shimei should die, for he cursed the LORD’s anointed king!”
Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?”
But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?”
Then, turning to Shimei, David vowed, “Your life will be spared.”
And the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath.
And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety.
“Why didn’t you come with me, Mephibosheth?” the king asked him.
And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”
Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come. But I know that my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what you think is best.
He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you.
All my relatives and I could expect only death from you, my lord, but instead you have honored me by allowing me to eat at your own table! What more can I ask?”
For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?”
“You’ve said enough,” David replied. “I’ve decided that you and Ziba will divide your land equally between you.”
And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.”
“Give him all of it,” Mephibosheth said. “I am content just to have you safely back again, my lord the king!”
And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
David’s Kindness to Barzillai
Barzillai of Gilead had come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan.
Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan.
He was very old — eighty years of age — and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim.
Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.
“Come across with me and live in Jerusalem,” the king said to Barzillai. “I will take care of you there.”
And the king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.”
“No,” he replied, “I am far too old to go with the king to Jerusalem.
But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
I am eighty years old today, and I can no longer enjoy anything. Food and wine are no longer tasty, and I cannot hear the singers as they sing. I would only be a burden to my lord the king.
I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
Just to go across the Jordan River with the king is all the honor I need!
Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?
Then let me return again to die in my own town, where my father and mother are buried. But here is your servant, my son Kimham. Let him go with my lord the king and receive whatever you want to give him.”
Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.”
“Good,” the king agreed. “Kimham will go with me, and I will help him in any way you would like. And I will do for you anything you want.”
And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.”
So all the people crossed the Jordan with the king. After David had blessed Barzillai and kissed him, Barzillai returned to his own home.
Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home.
The king then crossed over to Gilgal, taking Kimham with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king on his way.
The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.
An Argument over the King
But all the men of Israel complained to the king, “The men of Judah stole the king and didn’t give us the honor of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan.”
Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?”
The men of Judah replied, “The king is one of our own kinsmen. Why should this make you angry? We haven’t eaten any of the king’s food or received any special favors!”
All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?”
“But there are ten tribes in Israel,” the others replied. “So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?” The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel.
And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.