THE SECOND BOOK OF
SAMUEL,

2 Samuel 19 ©

Joab moves David by hard threats to give up the mourning for Absalom, and to show himself to the people, v. 1, etc. David is restored unto his kingdom, and makes Amasa commander in chief in Joab’s place, 13. Shimei entreats David for mercy, and obtains it, 16. David restores to Mephibosheth, upon proof of his innocency, the half of his estate, 24. Is desirous to have good old Barzillai with him at court, but since he desires to be excused, he takes his son Chimham in his stead, 31. The other tribes contend with those of Judah for their hastiness in bringing back and conducting the king, 41.

1

AND it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.

2

And the 1victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day 2how the king was grieved for his son.

3

And the people gat them 3by stealth that day into the 4city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

4

But the king 5covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, 6O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

5

And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy 7life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

6

In that 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.

7

Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak 8comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, 9there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

8

Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. 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 10Israel had fled every man to his 11tent.

9

¶And all the people were at 12strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

10

And Absalom, whom we 13anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why 14speak ye not a word of bringing the 15king back?

11

¶And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, 16saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his 17house? seeing the 18speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his 19house.

12

Ye are my brethren, ye are 20my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?

13

And say 21ye to Amasa,aArt thou not of my 22bone, and of my flesh? God 23do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of 24Joab.

14

And 25he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even 26as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

15

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

16

¶And Shimeib the son of Gera, a 27Benjamite, which was of 28Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.

17

And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba 29the servant of the house of Saul, and his 30fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they 31went over Jordan 32before the king.

18

And there went over a 33ferry boat to carry over 34the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, 35as he was come over Jordan;

19

And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to 36his heart.

20

For 37thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of 38Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

21

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death 39for this, because he cursed the LORD’S 40anointed?

22

And David said, 41What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be 42adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put 43to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am 44this day king over Israel?

23

Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt 45not die. And the king sware unto him.

24

¶And Mephibosheth the 46son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his 47feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king 48departed until the day he came again in peace.

25

And it came to pass, when he was come to 49Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?

26

And he answered, My lord, O king, my 50servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.

27

Andc he hath 51slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an 52angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

28

For all of my 53father’s house were 54but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own 55table. What right therefore have I yet to 56cry any more unto the king?

29

And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I 57have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.

30

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, 58forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.

31

¶And 59Barzillai the Gileadite 60came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.

32

Now Barzillai was a very aged 61man, even fourscore years old: andd he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very 62great man.

33

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

34

And Barzillai said unto the king, 63How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

35

I am this day 64fourscore years old: and 65can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

36

Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with 66such a reward?

37

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant 67Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

38

And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem 68good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt 69require of me, that will I do for thee.

39

And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was 70come over, the king 71kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and 72he returned unto his own place.

40

Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah 73conducted the king, and also 74half the people of 75Israel.

41

¶And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah 76stolen thee away, and have 77brought the king, and his household, and all David’s men 78with him, over Jordan?

42

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to 79us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? 80have we eaten 81at all of the 82king’s cost? or hath he given us any gift?

43

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, 83We have 84ten parts in the 85king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that 86our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were 87fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.