Joab Reproves David

1And it is declared to Joab, ‘Lo, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom;’ 2and the salvation on that day becometh mourning to all the people, for the people hath heard on that day, saying, ‘The king hath been grieved for his son.’ 3And the people stealeth away, on that day, to go in to the city, as the people steal away, who are ashamed, in their fleeing in battle; 4and the king hath covered his face, yea, the king crieth — a loud voice — ‘My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son.’ 5And Joab cometh in unto the king to the house, and saith, ‘Thou hast put to shame to-day the faces of all thy servants, those delivering thy life to-day, and the life of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the life of thy wives, and the life of thy concubines, 6to love thine enemies, and to hate those loving thee, for thou hast declared to-day that thou hast no princes and servants, for I have known to-day that if Absalom [were] alive, and all of us to-day dead, that then it were right in thine eyes. 7‘And now, rise, go out and speak unto the heart of thy servants, for by Jehovah I have sworn, that — thou art not going out — there doth not lodge a man with thee to-night; and this [is] worse for thee than all the evil that hath come upon thee from thy youth till now.’

David Restored as King

8And the king riseth, and sitteth in the gate, and to all the people they have declared, saying, ‘Lo, the king is sitting in the gate;’ and all the people come in before the king, and Israel hath fled, each to his tents. 9And it cometh to pass, all the people are contending 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 hand of the Philistines, and now he hath fled out of the land because of Absalom, 10and Absalom whom we anointed over us [is] dead in battle, and now, why are ye silent — to bring back the king?’

11And king David sent unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, saying, ‘Speak ye unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye last to bring back the king unto his house? (and the word of all Israel hath come unto the king, unto his house;) 12my brethren ye [are], my bone and my flesh ye [are], and why are ye last to bring back the king? 13And to Amasa say ye, Art not thou my bone and my flesh? Thus doth God do to me, and thus He doth add, if thou art not head of the host before me all the days instead of Joab.’ 14And he inclineth the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they send unto the king, ‘Turn back, thou, and all thy servants.’

David Returns to Jerusalem

15And the king turneth back, and cometh in unto the Jordan, and Judah hath come to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan,

16and Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite, who [is] from Bahurim, hasteth, and cometh down with the men of Judah, to meet king David, 17and a thousand men [are] with him from Benjamin, and Ziba servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, and they have gone prosperously over the Jordan before the king.

Shimei Pardoned

18And passed over hath the ferry-boat to carry over the household of the king, and to do that which [is] good in his eyes, and Shimei son of Gera hath fallen before the king in his passing over into Jordan, 19and saith unto the king, ‘Let not my lord impute to me iniquity; neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely in the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, — for the king to set [it] unto his heart; 20for thy servant hath known that I have sinned; and lo, I have come to-day, first of all the house of Joseph, to go down to meet my lord the king.’ 21And Abishai son of Zeruiah answereth and saith, ‘For this is not Shimei put to death — because he reviled the anointed of Jehovah?’ 22And David saith, ‘What — to me and to you, O sons of Zeruiah, that ye are to me to-day for an adversary? to-day is any man put to death in Israel? for have I not known that to-day I [am] king over Israel?’ 23And the king saith unto Shimei, ‘Thou dost not die;’ and the king sweareth to him.

Mephibosheth Excused

24And Mephibosheth son of Saul hath come down to meet the king — and he prepared not his feet, nor did he prepare his upper lip, yea, his garments he washed not, even from the day of the going away of the king, till the day that he came in peace — 25and it cometh to pass, when he hath come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king saith to him, ‘Why didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth?’ 26And he saith, ‘My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for thy servant said, I saddle for me the ass, and ride on it, and go with the king, for thy servant [is] lame; 27and he uttereth slander against thy servant unto my lord the king, and my lord the king [is] as a messenger of God; and do thou that which is good in thine eyes, 28for all the house of my father have been nothing except men of death before my lord the king, and thou dost set thy servant among those eating at thy table, and what right have I any more — even to cry any more unto the king?’ 29And the king saith to him, ‘Why dost thou speak any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba — share ye the field.’ 30And Mephibosheth saith unto the king, ‘Yea, the whole let him take, after that my lord the king hath come in peace unto his house.’

David's Kindness to Barzillai

31And Barzillai the Gileadite hath gone down from Rogelim, and passeth over the Jordan with the king, to send him away over the Jordan; 32and Barzillai [is] very aged, a son of eighty years, and he hath sustained the king in his abiding in Mahanaim, for he [is] a very great man; 33and the king saith unto Barzillai, ‘Pass thou over with me, and I have sustained thee with me in Jerusalem.’ 34And Barzillai saith unto the king, ‘How many [are] the days of the years of my life, that I go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35A son of eighty years I [am] to-day; do I know between good and evil? doth thy servant taste that which I am eating, and that which I drink? do I hearken any more to the voice of singers and songstresses? and why is thy servant any more for a burden unto my lord the king? 36As a little thing, thy servant doth pass over the Jordan with the king, and why doth the king recompense me this recompense? 37Let, I pray thee, thy servant turn back again, and I die in mine own city, near the burying-place of my father and of my mother, — and lo, thy servant Chimham, let him pass over with my lord the king, and do thou to him that which [is] good in thine eyes.’ 38And the king saith, ‘With me doth Chimham go over, and I do to him that which [is] good in thine eyes, yea, all that thou dost fix on me I do to thee.’ 39And all the people pass over the Jordan, and the king hath passed over, and the king giveth a kiss to Barzillai, and blesseth him, and he turneth back to his place.

40And the king passeth over to Gilgal, and Chimham hath passed over with him, and all the people of Judah, and they bring over the king, and also the half of the people of Israel.

Contention over the King

41And, lo, all the men of Israel are coming unto the king, and they say unto the king, ‘Wherefore have they stolen thee — our brethren, the men of Judah?’ (and they bring the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him). 42And all the men of Judah answer against the men of Israel, ‘Because the king [is] near unto us, and why [is] this — ye are displeased about this matter? have we at all eaten of the king’s [substance?] a gift hath he lifted up to us?’ 43And the men of Israel answer the men of Judah, and say, ‘Ten parts we have in the king, and also in David more than you; and wherefore have ye lightly esteemed us, that our word hath not been first to bring back our king?’ And the word of the men of Judah is sharper than the word of the men of Israel.