Study Desk

But Joab told him, "You are not the man to carry news [to King David] today, but you shall carry news another day. On this day you shall carry no news, because the king's son is dead."

Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." Joab said, "Why should you run, my son, seeing you will have no messenger's reward for going [because you have only bad news]?"

"But whatever happens, Let me run." So Joab said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain [of the Jordan River] and outran the Cushite.

The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great turmoil, but I do not know what it was about."

But the king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Then the king stood and sat at the gate [of Mahanaim]. And they told all the people, "The king is sitting at the gate," and all the people came before the king. But Israel [Absalom's troops] had fled, every man to his tent.

All the people were quarreling throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king rescued us from the hands of our enemies, and he saved us from the hands of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, "Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?"

Then Mephibosheth the [grand]son of Saul came down to meet the king, but he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned in peace and safety.

He said, "My lord the king, my servant [Ziba] betrayed me; for I said, 'Saddle a donkey for me so that I may ride on it and go with the king,' for your servant is lame [but he took the donkeys and left without me].

"Further, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God; so do what is good in your eyes.

"For were not all of my father's household (family) nothing but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. So what right do I still have to cry out anymore to the king [for help]?"

But Barzillai said to the king, "How much longer have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

"Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own city [and be buried] by the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham [my son]; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you."

Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, "We have ten [tribes'] shares in the king, and we have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt and ignore us [by rushing ahead]? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?" But the words of the men of Judah were harsher than those of the men of Israel.

So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah stayed faithfully with their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

Then David came to his house (palace) at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, his concubines whom he had left to take care of the house, and placed them under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were confined, and lived as widows until the day of their death.

So Amasa went to summon [the fighting men of] Judah, but he delayed longer than the time which David had set for him.

But Amasa [who had replaced Joab as David's commander] was off guard and not attentive to the sword in Joab's hand. So Joab struck Amasa in the abdomen with the sword, spilling his intestines to the ground. Without another blow Amasa died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

But Amasa was wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people who came by stopped [to look], he moved Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by Amasa stopped.