19It was told Joab, "Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom."H5046H3097H4428H1058H56H532So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, "The king is grieving for his son."H8668H3117H60H5971H5971H8085H559H3117H4428H6087H11213And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle.H5971H935H1589H3117H5892H5971H3637H1589H5127H44214The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"H4428H3813H6440H4428H2199H1419H6963H1121H53H53H1121H11215Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, "You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines,H3097H935H1004H4428H559H3001H3117H6440H5650H3117H4422H5315H5315H1121H1323H5315H802H5315H63706because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.H157H8130H8130H157H5046H3117H8269H5650H3117H3045H3863H53H2416H4191H3117H3477H58697Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now."H6965H3318H1696H3820H5650H7650H3068H3318H3885H376H3915H7489H7451H935H52718Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, "Behold, the king is sitting in the gate." And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his own home.H4428H6965H3427H8179H5046H5971H559H4428H3427H8179H5971H935H6440H4428H3478H5127H376H1689And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.H5971H1777H7626H3478H559H4428H5337H3709H341H4422H3709H6430H1272H776H5310But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?"H53H4886H4191H4421H2790H7725H4428H772511And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests: "Say to the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king?H4428H1732H7971H6659H54H3548H559H1696H2205H3063H559H314H7725H4428H7725H1004H1697H3478H935H4428H100412You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?'H251H6106H1320H314H7725H442813And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.'"H559H6021H6106H1320H430H6213H3254H8269H6635H6440H3117H8478H309714And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, "Return, both you and all your servants."H5186H3824H376H3063H259H376H7971H4428H7725H565015So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan.H4428H7725H935H3383H3063H935H1537H3212H7125H4428H5674H4428H5674H338316And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David.H8096H1121H1617H1145H980H4116H3381H376H3063H7125H4428H173217And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king,H505H376H1145H6717H5288H1004H7586H2568H6240H1121H6242H5650H6743H3383H6440H442818and they crossed the ford to bring over the king's household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan,H5674H5679H5674H4428H1004H6213H5869H2896H8096H1121H1617H5307H6440H4428H5674H338319and said to the king, "Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart.H559H4428H113H2803H5771H2142H5650H5753H3117H113H4428H3318H3389H4428H7760H382020For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king."H5650H3045H2398H935H7223H3117H1004H3130H3381H7125H113H442821Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, "Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?"H52H1121H6870H6030H559H8096H4191H7043H3068H489922But David said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?"H1732H559H1121H6870H3117H7854H376H4191H3117H3478H3045H3117H4428H347823And the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king gave him his oath.H4428H559H8096H4191H4428H765024And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety.H4648H1121H7586H3381H7125H4428H3808H6213H7272H6213H8222H3526H899H3117H4428H3212H3117H935H796525And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?"H935H3389H7125H4428H4428H559H1980H464826He answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.' For your servant is lame.H559H113H4428H5650H7411H5650H559H2280H2543H7392H3212H4428H5650H645527He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you.H7270H5650H113H4428H113H4428H4397H430H6213H2896H586928For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?"H1H1004H3808H4194H582H113H4428H7896H5650H398H7979H6666H3426H2199H442829And the king said to him, "Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land."H4428H559H1696H1697H559H6717H2505H770430And Mephibosheth said to the king, "Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home."H4648H559H4428H3947H310H834H113H4428H935H7965H100431Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan.H1271H1569H3381H7274H5674H3383H4428H7971H338332Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.H1271H3966H2204H8084H8141H1121H4428H3557H7871H4266H3966H1419H37633And the king said to Barzillai, "Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem."H4428H559H1271H5674H3557H338934But Barzillai said to the king, "How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?H1271H559H4428H3117H8141H2416H5927H4428H338935I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?H3117H8084H8141H1121H3045H2896H7451H5650H2938H834H398H834H8354H8085H6963H7891H7891H5650H4853H113H442836Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?H5650H5674H4592H5674H3383H4428H4428H1580H157837Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you."H5650H7725H4191H5892H6913H1H517H5650H3643H5674H113H4428H6213H2896H586938And the king answered, "Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you."H4428H559H3643H5674H6213H2896H5869H977H621339Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home.H5971H5674H3383H4428H5674H4428H5401H1271H1288H7725H472540The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.H4428H5674H1537H3643H5674H5971H3063H5674H5674H4428H2677H5971H347841Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?"H376H3478H935H4428H559H4428H251H376H3063H1589H5674H4428H1004H1732H582H338342All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?"H376H3063H6030H376H3478H4428H7138H2734H1697H398H398H4428H5375H537943And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, "We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?" But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.H376H3478H6030H376H3063H559H6235H3027H4428H589H1732H7043H1697H7223H7725H4428H1697H376H3063H7185H1697H376H3478