2 Samuel 19
19
David’s Kingdom Restored
1It was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping. He’s mourning over Absalom.” 2That day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the troops because on that day the troops heard, “The king is grieving over his son.” 3So they returned to the city quietly that day like people come in when they are humiliated after fleeing in battle. 4But the king hid his face # 2Sm 15:30 and cried out at the top of his voice, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son! ”
5Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have shamed all your soldiers — those who rescued your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 6You love your enemies and hate those who love you! Today you have made it clear that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. In fact, today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would be fine with you! # Lit be right in your eyes
7“Now get up! Go out and encourage # Lit speak to the heart of your soldiers, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. # Pr 14:28 This will be worse for you than all the trouble that has come to you from your youth until now! ”
8So the king got up and sat in the gate, # 2Sm 18:4,24,33 and all the people were told: “Look, the king is sitting in the gate.” Then they all came into the king’s presence.
Meanwhile, each Israelite had fled to his tent. # 2Sm 18:17 9All the people among all the tribes of Israel were arguing: “The king delivered us from the grasp of our enemies, # 2Sm 8:1-14 and he rescued us from the grasp of the Philistines, # 2Sm 5:20; 8:1 but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. # 2Sm 15:14 10But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king? ”
11King David sent word to the priests, Zadok and Abiathar: # 2Sm 15:29 “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace? The talk of all Israel has reached the king at his house. 12You are my brothers, my flesh and blood. # Gn 29:14; 2Sm 5:1 So why should you be the last to restore the king? ’ 13And tell Amasa, # 2Sm 17:25 ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me and do so severely if you don’t become commander of the army from now on instead of Joab! ’ ”
14So he won over # Lit he turned the heart of all the men of Judah, and they sent word to the king: “Come back, you and all your servants.” 15Then the king returned. When he arrived at the Jordan, Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and escort him across the Jordan.
16Shimei son of Gera, # 2Sm 16:5; 1Kg 2:8 a Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17There were 1,000 men from Benjamin with him. Ziba, an attendant from the house of Saul, # 2Sm 16:1-4 with his 15 sons and 20 servants also rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king. 18They forded the Jordan to bring the king’s household across and do whatever the king desired. # Lit do what is good in his eyes
When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king 19and said to him, “My lord, don’t hold me guilty, and don’t remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. # 2Sm 16:5-13 May the king not take it to heart. 20For your servant knows that I have sinned. But look! Today I am the first one of the entire house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
21Abishai son of Zeruiah asked, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed? ” # Ex 22:28
22David answered, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything? # 2Sm 3:39; 16:10 Have you become my adversary today? Should any man be killed in Israel today? Am I not aware that today I’m king over Israel? ” 23So the king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” Then the king gave him his oath. # 1Kg 2:8-9,37,46
24Mephibosheth, # 2Sm 9:6 Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. 25When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you come with me? ”
26“My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said: ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself # LXX, Syr, Vg read said to him, ‘Saddle the donkey for me so that I may ride it and go with the king’ — for your servant is lame. # 2Sm 4:4; 9:3 27Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king. # 2Sm 16:1-4 But my lord the king is like the Angel of God, # 2Sm 14:17,20 so do whatever you think best. # Lit do what is good in your eyes 28For my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. # 2Sm 9:1-13 So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king? ”
29The king said to him, “Why keep on speaking about these matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land.” # 2Sm 9:9; 16:4
30Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has come to his palace safely, let Ziba take it all! ”
31Barzillai the Gileadite # 1Kg 2:7 had come down from Rogelim and accompanied the king to the Jordan River to see him off at the Jordan. 32Barzillai was a very old man — 80 years old — and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the needs of the king while he stayed in Mahanaim. # 2Sm 17:27-29
33The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I’ll provide for you # LXX reads for your old age ; Ru 4:15 at my side in Jerusalem.”
34Barzillai replied to the king, “How many years of my life are left that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? 35I’m now 80 years old. # Ps 90:10 Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? # 2Sm 15:33 36Since your servant is only going with the king a little way across the Jordan, why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37Please let your servant return so that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham: # 1Kg 2:7; Jr 41:17 let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him what seems good to you.” # Lit what is good in your eyes
38The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you, # Lit what is good in your eyes and whatever you desire from me I will do for you.” 39So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned to his home.
40The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. All the troops of Judah and half of Israel’s escorted the king. 41Suddenly, all the men of Israel came to the king. They asked him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and transport the king and his household across the Jordan, along with all of David’s men? ”
42All the men of Judah responded to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our relative. Why does this make you angry? Have we ever eaten anything of the king’s or been honored at all? ” # LXX reads king’s or has he given us a gift or granted us a portion
43The men of Israel answered the men of Judah: “We have 10 shares in the king, # 1Kg 11:31 so we have a greater claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Weren’t we the first to speak of restoring our king? ” # 2Sm 19:9-10 But the words of the men of Judah were harsher than those of the men of Israel.
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2 Samuel 19: HCSB
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
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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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.