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

And the victory² that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.

And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city³, as people being ashamed steal⁴ away when they flee in battle.

But the king covered⁵ his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son⁶ Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast⁷ shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved⁸ thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

In that⁹ thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy¹⁰ servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there¹¹ will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil¹² that befell thee from thy youth until now.

Then the king arose, and sat in the gate¹³. 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 Israel¹⁴ had fled every man to his tent.

¶ And all the people were at strife¹⁵ throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king¹⁶ saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled¹⁷ out of the land for Absalom.

¶ And Absalom, whom¹⁸ we anointed over us, is dead¹⁹ in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word²⁰ of bringing the king back?

And king David sent²¹ to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak²² unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are²³ ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.

Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones²⁴ and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?

And say ye to Amasa²⁵, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God²⁶ do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab²⁷.

And he bowed²⁸ the heart of all the men of Judah, even²⁹ as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal³⁰, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.

¶ And Shimei³¹ the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted³² and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.

And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba³³ 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.

And there³⁴ went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good³⁵. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;

And said³⁶ unto the king, Let not³⁷ my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember³⁸ that which thy servant did perversely³⁹ the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it⁴⁰ to his heart.

¶ For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come⁴¹ the first this day of all the house of Joseph⁴² to go down to meet my lord the king.

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not⁴³ Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed⁴⁴ the LORD'S anointed?

And David said, What have⁴⁵ I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man⁴⁶ be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?

Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt⁴⁷ not die. And the king sware⁴⁸ unto him.

¶ And Mephibosheth⁴⁹ the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet⁵⁰, nor trimmed⁵¹ his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore⁵² wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?

And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle⁵³ me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant⁵⁴ is lame.

And he hath slandered⁵⁵ thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel⁵⁶ of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

For all of my father's house were⁵⁷ but dead men⁵⁸ before my lord the king: yet didst thou⁵⁹ set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry⁶⁰ any more unto the king?

And the king said unto him, Why speakest⁶¹ thou⁶² any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.

¶ And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea,⁶³ let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.

¶⁶⁴And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.

Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore⁶⁵ years old: and he had provided⁶⁶ the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was⁶⁷ a very great man.

And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou⁶⁸ over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.

And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live⁶⁹, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern⁷⁰ between good and evil? can thy servant taste⁷¹ what I eat or what I drink? can I hear⁷² any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden⁷³ unto my lord the king?

Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king⁷⁴: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?

Let thy⁷⁵ servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die⁷⁶ in mine own city, and be buried by the grave⁷⁷ of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham⁷⁸; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

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 require⁷⁹ of me, that will I do for thee.

And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king⁸⁰ was come over, the king kissed Barzillai⁸¹, and blessed⁸² him; and he returned⁸³ unto his own place.

¶ Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham⁸⁴ went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.

And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have⁸⁵ our brethren the men of Judah stolen⁸⁶ thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because⁸⁷ 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?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have⁸⁸ ten parts⁸⁹ in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us,⁹⁰ that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words⁹¹ of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.