2 Samuel 19
19
Joab Reprimands David
1Joab was told that King David was weeping and mourning for Absalom. 2And so the joy of victory was turned into sadness for all David's troops that day, because they heard that the king was mourning for his son. 3They went back into the city quietly, like soldiers who are ashamed because they are running away from battle. 4The king covered his face and cried loudly, “O my son! My son Absalom! Absalom, my son!”
5Joab went to the king's house and said to him, “Today you have humiliated your men — the men who saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and of your wives and concubines. 6You oppose those who love you and support those who hate you! You have made it clear that your officers and men mean nothing to you. I can see that you would be quite happy if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. 7Now go and reassure your men. I swear by the LORD's name that if you don't, not one of them will be with you by tomorrow morning. That would be the worst disaster you have suffered in all your life.” 8Then the king got up, and went and sat near the city gate. His men heard that he was there, and they all gathered round him.
David Starts Back to Jerusalem
Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their own homes. 9All over the country they started quarrelling among themselves. “King David saved us from our enemies,” they said to one another. “He rescued us from the Philistines, but now he has fled from Absalom and left the country. 10We anointed Absalom as our king, but he has been killed in battle. So why doesn't somebody try to bring King David back?”
11The news of what the Israelites were saying reached King David.#19.11 Some ancient translations The news… David; Hebrew The news… David, to his palace, and places this sentence at the end of the verse. So he sent the priests Zadok and Abiathar to ask the leaders of Judah, “Why should you be the last to help bring the king back to his palace? 12You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood; why should you be the last to bring me back?” 13David also told them to say to Amasa, “You are my relative. From now on I am putting you in charge of the army in place of Joab. May God strike me dead if I don't!” 14David's words won the complete loyalty of all the men of Judah, and they sent him word to return with all his officials.
15On his way back the king was met at the River Jordan by the men of Judah, who had come to Gilgal to escort him across the river. 16#2 Sam 16.5–13At the same time the Benjaminite Shimei son of Gera from Bahurim hurried to the Jordan to meet King David. 17He had with him a thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin. And Ziba, the servant of Saul's family, also came with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, and they arrived at the Jordan before the king. 18They crossed#19.18 Probable text They crossed; Hebrew The crossing crossed. the river to escort the royal party across and to do whatever the king wanted.
David Shows Kindness to Shimei
As the king was getting ready to cross, Shimei threw himself down in front of him 19and said, “Your Majesty, please forget the wrong I did that day you left Jerusalem. Don't hold it against me or think about it any more. 20I know, sir, that I have sinned, and this is why I am the first one from the northern tribes to come and meet Your Majesty today.”
21Abishai son of Zeruiah spoke up: “Shimei should be put to death because he cursed the one whom the LORD chose as king.”
22But David said to Abishai and his brother Joab, “Who asked your opinion? Are you going to give me trouble? I am the one who is king of Israel now, and no Israelite will be put to death today.” 23And he said to Shimei, “I give you my word that you will not be put to death.”
David Shows Kindness to Mephibosheth
24 #
2 Sam 9.1–13; 16.1–4 Then Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down to meet the king. He had not washed his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the time the king left Jerusalem until he returned victorious. 25When Mephibosheth arrived from#19.25 One ancient translation from; Hebrew at. Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Mephibosheth, you didn't go with me. Why not?”
26He answered, “As you know, Your Majesty, I am crippled. I told my servant to saddle my donkey so that I could ride along with you, but he betrayed me. 27He lied about me to Your Majesty, but you are like God's angel, so do what seems right to you. 28All my father's family deserved to be put to death by Your Majesty, but you gave me the right to eat at your table. I have no right to ask for any more favours from Your Majesty.”
29The king answered, “You don't have to say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba will share Saul's property.”
30“Let Ziba have it all,” Mephibosheth answered. “It's enough for me that Your Majesty has come home safely.”
David Shows Kindness to Barzillai
31 #
2 Sam 17.27–29
Barzillai, from Gilead, had also come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan. 32Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He was very rich and had supplied the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim. 33The king said to him, “Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you.”
34But Barzillai answered, “I haven't long to live; why should I go with Your Majesty to Jerusalem? 35I am already eighty years old, and nothing gives me pleasure any more. I can't taste what I eat and drink, and I can't hear the voices of singers. I would only be a burden to Your Majesty. 36I don't deserve such a great reward. So I will go just a little way with you beyond the Jordan. 37Then let me go back home and die near my parents' grave. Here is my son Chimham, who will serve you; take him with you, Your Majesty, and do for him as you think best.”
38The king answered, “I will take him with me and do for him whatever you want. And I will do for you anything you ask.” 39Then David and all his men crossed the Jordan. He kissed Barzillai and gave him his blessing, and Barzillai went back home.
Judah and Israel Argue over the King
40When the king had crossed, escorted by all the people of Judah and half the people of Israel, he went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. 41Then all the Israelites went to the king and said to him, “Your Majesty, why did our brothers, the men of Judah, think they had the right to take you away and escort you, your family, and your men across the Jordan?”
42The men of Judah answered, “We did it because the king is one of us. So why should this make you angry? He hasn't paid for our food nor has he given us anything.”
43The Israelites replied, “We have ten times as many claims on King David as you have, even if he is one of you. Why do you look down on us? Don't forget that we were the first to talk about bringing the king back!”
But the men of Judah were more violent in making their claims than the men of Israel.
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2 Samuel 19: GNBUK
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
2 Samuel 19
19
King David Weeps for Absalom
1And it was told to Joab that the king was weeping and he mourned over Absalom, 2so the victory turned to mourning on that day for all the army, because they had heard that day, “The king is grieving over his son.” 3The army came secretly#Literally “stole secretly to come” into the city on that day because the army was disgraced when they fled in the battle, 4and because the king had covered his face and cried with a loud voice, “My son, Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son.”
5Then Joab came to the king’s house and said, “Today you have humiliated the faces of all of your servants who have saved your life this day, and the life of your sons and your daughters, the life of your wives, and the life of your concubines, 6by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you. Indeed, you have made clear this day that you have no regard for your commanders or officers, for I have realized today that were Absalom alive, and all of us were dead, then that would have been right in your eyes! 7So then, get up and go out and speak kindly to your servants,#Literally “speak to the heart of your servants” for I swear by Yahweh, if you do not go out, no man will lodge this night with you, and this disaster will be greater for you than any disaster that has come upon you from your childhood until now!” 8So the king got up and he sat in the gate, and they told all the army, “Look, the king is sitting in the gate.” Then all the army came before the king; whereas all of Israel had fled, each to his tent.
David Returns from Exile
9Then it happened that all the people were disputing among all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies, and he saved us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. 10Now Absalom whom we anointed as king over us has died in the battle; so then, why are you taking no action to restore the king?” 11Then King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah: ‘Why are you last to bring back the king to his house? The talk of all Israel has come to the king in his house. 12My brothers, you are my bones and you are my flesh. Why should you be the last to bring back the king?’ 13To Amasa you shall say: ‘Are you not my bones and my flesh? May God punish me#Literally “Thus may God do to me and thus may he add” if you are not the commander of my army before me forever, in place of Joab.’ ” 14So he turned the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your servants.”
15Then the king returned and he came to the Jordan; Judah had come to Gilgal to come to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan. 16Then Shimei the son of Gera, the son of the Benjaminite, who was from Bahurim quickly came down with the men of Judah to meet King David, 17and a thousand men were with him from Benjamin. Too, Ziba the servant of the household of Saul and fifteen of his sons and twenty of his servants were with him, and they rushed to the Jordan before the king. 18The crossing took place#Literally “And the ford crossed” to bring the household of the king over and to do good in his eyes. Then Shimei the son of Gera fell before the king when he crossed over the Jordan, 19and he said to the king, “May not my lord hold me guilty, and may you not remember how your servant did wrong on the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, by taking it to heart! 20For your servant knows that I have sinned; look, I have come this day as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” 21Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah responded and said, “Because of this, should not Shimei be put to death, for he cursed the anointed one of Yahweh?” 22Then David said, “What is it to me or to you, sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary today? Should anyone be put to death in Israel? Do I not know today that I am king over Israel?” 23Then the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die,” and so the king swore to him.
24Now, Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; he had not taken care of his feet nor trimmed his moustache nor washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he came back in peace. 25It happened that when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not come with me, Mephibosheth?” 26Then he said, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me, for your servant had said, ‘Let me saddle the donkey that I may ride on her and go with the king,’ for your servant is lame. 27But he slandered against your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like the angel of God; do as you see fit..”#Literally “do the good in your eyes” 28For there was no one in all the house of my father who were not doomed to death#Literally “except men of death” before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. Do I have any righteousness any longer except to cry out to the king?” 29Then the king said to him, “Why should you speak any more about the matter? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” 30Then Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take the whole thing, since my lord the king has come safely#Literally “in peace” to his house.”
31Then Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and crossed with the king over the Jordan to escort him through the Jordan. 32Now Barzillai was very old, eighty years old.#Literally “a son of eighty years” Now he had provided the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 33The king said to Barzillai, “You cross over with me, and I will provide for you to dwell with me in Jerusalem.” 34Then Barzillai said to the king, “What are the days of the years of my life, that I should go with the king to Jerusalem? 35I am eighty years old today. Can I discern between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be a burden any longer to my lord the king? 36Your servant shall go over the Jordan with the king a little way, but why should the king recompense me with this reward? 37Please let your servant return, and let me die in my city in the tomb of my father and my mother. Here is your servant Kimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him that which is good in your eyes.” 38The king said, “Let Kimham go over with me, and I will do for him the good in your eyes, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.”
39Then all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king crossed and kissed Barzillai and blessed him; then he returned to his place. 40The king went over to Gilgal, and Kimham went over with him. All the people of Judah went over with the king, and half of the people of Israel too. 41Suddenly, all the men of Israel were coming to the king. They said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, with all the men of David?” 42Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is my close relative! Why are you this angry over this matter? Have we by any means eaten anything from the king? Did we take by any means anything that was not ours?”#Literally “By any means did we eat from the king or by any means was it dragged away for us?” 43Then the people of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, “I have ten times as much#Literally “ten hands” in the king, moreover in David I have more than you. Why did you treat me with contempt by not giving me first chance#Literally “and my word was not the first” to bring back my king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the word of the men of Israel.
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