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¹ And it was tolde Ioab, Behold, the King weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.² Therefore the victorie of that day was turned into mourning to all the people: for the people heard say that day, The King soroweth for his sonne.³ And the people went that day into the citie secretly, as people confounded hide them selues when they flee in battell.⁴ So the King hid his face, and the King cryed with a loude voyce, My sonne Absalom, Absalom my sonne, my sonne.⁵ Then Ioab came into the house to the King, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy seruants, which this day haue saued thy life & the liues of thy sones, & of thy daughters, and the liues of thy wiues, and the liues of thy concubines,⁶ In that thou louest thine enemies, and hatest thy friendes: for thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither thy princes nor seruants: therefore this day I perceiue, that if Absalom had liued, and we all had dyed this day, that then it would haue pleased thee well.⁷ Nowe therefore vp, come out, and speake comfortably vnto thy seruants: for I sweare by the Lorde, except thou come out, there will not tarie one man with thee this night: and that wil be worse vnto thee, then all the euill that fell on thee from thy youth hitherto.⁸ Then the King arose, and sate in the gate: and they tolde vnto all the people, saying, Beholde, the King doeth sit in the gate: and all the people came before the King: for Israel had fled euery man to his tent.

⁹ Then all the people were at strife thorowout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The King saued vs out of the hand of our enemies, and he deliuered vs out of the hande of the Philistims, & nowe he is fled out of the lande for Absalom.¹⁰ And Absalom, whome we anoynted ouer vs, is dead in battel: therefore why are ye so slow to bring the King againe?¹¹ But King Dauid sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the Priestes, saying, Speake vnto the Elders of Iudah, & say, Why are ye behind to bring the King againe to his house, (for the saying of al Israel is come vnto the king, euen to his house)¹² Ye are my brethren: my bones and my flesh are ye: wherefore then are ye the last that bring the King againe?¹³ Also say ye to Amasa, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if thou be not captaine of the hoste to me for euer in the roume of Ioab.¹⁴ So he bowed the heartes of all the men of Iudah, as of one man: therefore they sent to the King, saying, Returne thou with all thy seruants.¹⁵ So the King returned, and came to Iorden. And Iudah came to Gilgal, for to goe to meete the King, and to conduct him ouer Iorde.

¹⁶ And Shimei the sonne of Gera, ye sonne of Iemini, which was of Bahurim, hasted & came down wt the men of Iudah to meete king Dauid,¹⁷ And a thousande men of Beniamin with him, and Ziba the seruant of the house of Saul, and his fifteene sonnes and twentie seruants with him: and they went ouer Iorden before ye king.¹⁸ And there went ouer a boate to carie ouer the Kings houshold, and to do him pleasure. Then Shimei the sonne of Gera fell before the King, when he was come ouer Iorden,¹⁹ And saide vnto the King, Let not my lorde impute wickednesse vnto me, nor remember ye thing that thy seruant did wickedly when my lorde the King departed out of Ierusalem, that the King should take it to his heart.²⁰ For thy seruant doeth knowe, that I haue done amisse: therefore beholde, I am the first this day of al the house of Ioseph, that am come to goe downe to meete my lord the King.²¹ But Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah answered, and said, Shal not Shimei die for this, because he cursed the Lordes anoynted?²² And Dauid saide, What haue I to do with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah, that this day ye should be aduersaries vnto me? shall there any man die this day in Israel? for doe not I know that I am this day King ouer Israel?²³ Therefore the King saide vnto Shimei, Thou shalt not die, & the king sware vnto him.

²⁴ And Mephibosheth the sonne of Saul came downe to meete the king, and had neither washed his feete, nor dressed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the time the king departed, vntill he returned in peace.²⁵ And when he was come to Ierusalem, and met the king, the king said vnto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?²⁶ And he answered, My lorde the king, my seruant deceiued me: for thy seruant said, I would haue mine asse sadled to ride thereon, for to goe with the king, because thy seruant is lame.²⁷ And he hath accused thy seruant vnto my lorde the king: but my lorde the king is as an Angel of God: doe therefore thy pleasure.²⁸ For all my fathers house were but dead men before my lord the king, yet diddest thou set thy seruant among them that did eate at thine owne table: what right therefore haue I yet to crye any more vnto the king?²⁹ And the king said vnto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I haue said, Thou, and Ziba deuide the landes.³⁰ And Mephibosheth saide vnto the king, Yea, let him take all, seeing my lorde the king is come home in peace.

³¹ Then Barzillai the Gileadite came downe from Rogelim, & went ouer Iorden with the king, to conduct him ouer Iorden.³² Nowe Barzillai was a very aged man, euen fourescore yeere olde, and he had prouided the king of sustenance, while he lay at Mahanaim: for he was a man of very great substance.³³ And the king said vnto Barzillai, Come ouer with me, and I will feede thee with me in Ierusalem.³⁴ And Barzillai said vnto the king, Howe long haue I to liue, that I should goe vp with the king to Ierusalem?³⁵ I am this day fourescore yeere olde: and can I discerne betweene good or euill? Hath thy seruant any taste in that I eat or in that I drinke? Can I heare any more the voyce of singing men and women? wherefore then should thy seruant be anymore a burthen vnto my lord the king?³⁶ Thy seruant will goe a litle way ouer Iorden with the King, and why wil the king recompence it me with such a rewarde?³⁷ I pray thee, let thy seruant turne backe againe, that I may die in mine owne citie, and be buryed in the graue of my father and of my mother: but beholde thy seruant Chimham, let him goe with my lorde the king, and doe to him what shall please thee.³⁸ And the king answered, Chimham shal go with me, and I will do to him that thou shalt be content with: and whatsoeuer thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.³⁹ So all the people went ouer Iorden: and the King passed ouer: and the King kissed Barzillai, and blessed him, and hee returned vnto his owne place.

⁴⁰ Then the King went to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him, and all the people of Iudah conducted the King, and also halfe ye people of Israel.⁴¹ And behold, all the men of Israel came to the King, and sayd vnto the King, Why haue our brethren the men of Iudah stollen thee away, & haue brought the King and his houshold, and all Dauids men with him ouer Iorden?⁴² And all the men of Iudah answered the men of Israel, Because the King is neere of kin to vs: and wherefore now be ye angry for this matter? haue we eaten of the Kings cost, or haue wee taken any bribes?⁴³ And the men of Israel answered the men of Iudah, and saide, Wee haue ten partes in the King, and haue also more right to Dauid then ye: Why then did ye despise vs, yt our aduise should not bee first had in restoring our King? And the wordes of the men of Iudah were fiercer then the wordes of the men of Israel.