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¹ And it was announced to Joab, Behold, the king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.² And the deliverance on that day became mourning to all the people, for the people had heard on that day, saying, The king is grieving for his son.³ And the people stole away on that day to go into the city, as the people steal away who are ashamed as they flee in battle.⁴ And the king had covered his face. Yea, the king cried with a loud voice, My son Absalom! Absalom my son, my son!⁵ And Joab came in to the king to the house, and said, You have put to shame today the faces of all your servants, those delivering your life today, and the life of your sons, and of your daughters,and the life of your wives, and the life ofyour concubines,⁶ by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you, for you have declared today that there are no leaders nor servants to you. For I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us dead today, that it would be right inyour eyes.⁷ And now rise up; go out and speak to the heart of your servants. For I have sworn by Jehovah that if you do not go out, not a man shall remain with you tonight. And this would be worse for you than all the evil that has come onyou from your youth until now.⁸ And the king rose up and sat in the gate. And they announced it to all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came in before the king. And Israel had fled, each one to his tents.

⁹ And it happened, all the people were quarreling through all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies. Yea, he himself delivered us out of the handof the Philistines. And now he has fled outof the land because of Absalom.¹⁰ And Absalom whom we anointed over us is dead in battle. And now why are you silent as to bringing back the king?¹¹ And King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, Why are you the last to bring back the king to his house? For the word of all Israel had come to the king, to his house.¹² You are my brother; you are my bone and my flesh. And why are you the last to bring back the king?¹³ And say to Amasa, Are you not my bone and my flesh? So shall God do to me, and more so He shall do, if you are not commander of the army before me all the days, instead of Joab.¹⁴ And he inclined the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they sent to the king, Return, you and all your servants.¹⁵ And the king returned and came in to the Jordan. And Judah had come to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan.

¹⁶ And Shimei, the son of Gera, the Benjamite, from Bahurim, hastened and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.¹⁷ And a thousand men were with him from Benjamin; also Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and his thirteen sons and his twenty servants with him. And they had rushed over the Jordan before the king.¹⁸ And they had crossed over the ford to carry over the king's household, and to do the good in his eyes. And Shimei the son of Gera had fallen before the face of the king as he crossed over the Jordan.¹⁹ And he said to the king, Do not let my lord charge iniquity to me, nor shall you remember that which your servant perversely did in the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, for the king to take it to his heart.²⁰ For your servant knows that I have sinned; and behold, I come today, the first of the house of Joseph, to go down to meet my lord the king.²¹ And Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the anointed of Jehovah?²² And David said, What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you are as my foe today? Shall any man be executed today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?²³ And the king said to Shimei, You shall not die. And the king swore to him.

²⁴ And Mephibosheth the son of Saul had come down to meet the king. And he had not dressed his feet, nor had shaved his upper lip. Yea, he had not washed his garment, even from the day that he went away till the day that he came in peace.²⁵ And it happened when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?²⁶ And he said, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, I will saddle the ass for myself and ride on it and go with the king, for your servant is lame.²⁷ And he spoke slander against your servant to my lord the king. And my lord the king is as a messenger of God; yet you do that which is good in your eyes.²⁸ For all the house of my father would be nothing except men of death before my lord the king, and you have set your servant among those eating at your table. And what right is there to me any more, even to cry any more to the king?²⁹ And the king said to him, Why do you speak any more of your matters? I have said, You and Ziba share the land.³⁰ And Mephibosheth said to the king, Yes, let him take all, since my lord the king has come in peace to his house.

³¹ And Barzillai the Gileadite had gone down from Rogelim and had crossed over the Jordan with the king, to send him away over the Jordan.³² And Barzillai was very old, a son of eighty years, and he had sustained the king as he abode in Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.³³ And the king said to Barzillai, You pass over with me and I will sustain you with me in Jerusalem.³⁴ And Barzillai said to the king, How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?³⁵ I am a son of eighty years today. Can I distinguish between good and evil? Can your servant taste that which I am eating, and that which I drink? Can I any more listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? And why should your servantbe any more as a burden to my lord the king?³⁶ Just a little way your servant shall cross over the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with this reward?³⁷ Please let your servant return, and I shall die in my own city, near the burying place of my father and my mother. And, behold your servant Chimham! Let him cross over with my lord the king, and you do to him the good in your eyes.³⁸ And the king said, Chimham shall go over with me, and I shall do to him that which is good in your eyes. Yea, all that you shall choose of me I will do for you.³⁹ And all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king crossed over. And the king gave a kiss to Barzillai and blessed him. And he returned to his place.

⁴⁰ And the king crossed over to Gilgal. And Chimham crossed over with him, and all the people of Judah. And they brought the king over, and also half of the people of Israel.⁴¹ And, behold, all the men of Israel were coming to the king. And they said to the king, Why have they, our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away? For they brought the king and his household overthe Jordan, and all the men of David withhim.⁴² And, behold, all the men of Judah answered against the men of Israel, Because the king is near to us. And why is this that you are angry about this matter? Have we at all eaten from the king, or has he given a gift to us?⁴³ And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, We have ten hands in the king, and we also have more in David than you. Why then did you despise us, that our word was not first to bringback our king? And the word of the men of Judahwas more fierce than the word of the men of Israel.