Self-interpreting Bible

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2 Samuel 19

1Joab by threats forceth David to cease mourning. 9The Israelites are earnest to bring the king back. 11David sendeth to the priests to incite the men of Judah. 16Shimei making submission is pardoned. 24Mephibosheth cometh to meet David, and complaineth of his servant's treachery; half his land is restored to him. 31Barzillai attendeth the king over Jordan, and is gratefully dismissed; Chimham is received into the king's family. 41The men of Israel expostulate with the men of Judah for not calling them to take part in bringing back the king.


1 AND it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.

    2 And the 1victory that day was aturned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.

    3 And the people *gat them by stealth that day binto the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

    4 But the king ccovered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

    5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast dshamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

    6 2In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, 3that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, ethen it had pleased thee well.

    7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak 4comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there fwill not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

    8 Then the king arose, and gsat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for hIsrael had fled every man to his tent.

    9 ¶And all the people were at istrife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king jsaved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

    10 And Absalom, whom we kanointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why 5speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?

    11 ¶And king David sent to lZadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the mlast to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.

    12 Ye are nmy brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?

    13 And say ye oto Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? pGod do so to me, and more also, if thou be not qcaptain of the host before me continually rin the *room of Joab.

    14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even sas the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

    15 So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to tGilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.

    16 ¶And uShimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of vBahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.

    17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and wZiba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.

    18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do 6what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;

    • 6: Heb. the good in his eyes.

    19 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember xthat which thy servant ydid perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should ztake it to his heart.

    20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come athe first this day of all bthe house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

    21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, cShall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?

    22 And David said, dWhat have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? eshall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?

    23 Therefore fthe king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king gsware unto him.

    24 ¶And hMephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither idressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

    25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, jWherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?

    26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.

      27 And khe hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an langel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

      28 For mall of my father's house were but 7dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?

      29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, nThou and Ziba divide the land.

      30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, oYea, let him take all, *forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.

      31 ¶And pBarzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.

      32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and qhe had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

      33 And the king said unto Barzillai, rCome thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.

      34 And Barzillai said unto the king, 8How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

      35 I am this day sfourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? tcan thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

      36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?

        37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant uChimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

        38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt 9require of me, that will I do for thee.

        • 9: Heb. choose.

        39 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king vkissed Barzillai, wand blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.

        40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and 10Chimham went on with him: and xall the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.

        41 ¶And, behold, yall the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and zhave brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

        42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, aBecause the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift?

        43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, bWe have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye 11despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? cAnd the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.