2Samuel 19
19Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom.H5046H3097H4428H1058H56H532As all the people heard of the king's deep grief for his son, the joy of that day's victory was turned into deep sadness.H8668H3117H60H5971H5971H8085H559H3117H4428H6087H11213They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle.H5971H935H1589H3117H5892H5971H3637H1589H5127H44214The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"H4428H3813H6440H4428H2199H1419H6963H1121H53H53H1121H11215Then Joab went to the king's room and said to him, "We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves.H3097H935H1004H4428H559H3001H3117H6440H5650H3117H4422H5315H5315H1121H1323H5315H802H5315H63706You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased.H157H8130H8130H157H5046H3117H8269H5650H3117H3045H3863H53H2416H4191H3117H3477H58697Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the LORD that if you don't go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before."H6965H3318H1696H3820H5650H7650H3068H3318H3885H376H3915H7489H7451H935H52718So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him. Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes.H4428H6965H3427H8179H5046H5971H559H4428H3427H8179H5971H935H6440H4428H3478H5127H376H1689And throughout all the tribes of Israel there was much discussion and argument going on. The people were saying, "The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but Absalom chased him out of the country.H5971H1777H7626H3478H559H4428H5337H3709H341H4422H3709H6430H1272H776H5310Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Why not ask David to come back and be our king again?"H53H4886H4191H4421H2790H7725H4428H772511Then King David sent Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, to say to the elders of Judah, "Why are you the last ones to welcome back the king into his palace? For I have heard that all Israel is ready.H4428H1732H7971H6659H54H3548H559H1696H2205H3063H559H314H7725H4428H7725H1004H1697H3478H935H4428H100412You are my relatives, my own tribe, my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last ones to welcome back the king?"H251H6106H1320H314H7725H442813And David told them to tell Amasa, "Since you are my own flesh and blood, like Joab, may God strike me and even kill me if I do not appoint you as commander of my army in his place."H559H6021H6106H1320H430H6213H3254H8269H6635H6440H3117H8478H309714Then Amasa convinced all the men of Judah, and they responded unanimously. They sent word to the king, "Return to us, and bring back all who are with you."H5186H3824H376H3063H259H376H7971H4428H7725H565015So the king started back to Jerusalem. And when he arrived at the Jordan River, the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the river.H4428H7725H935H3383H3063H935H1537H3212H7125H4428H5674H4428H5674H338316Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David.H8096H1121H1617H1145H980H4116H3381H376H3063H7125H4428H173217A thousand other men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the chief servant of the house of Saul, and Ziba's fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king. They crossed the shallows of the Jordan to bring the king's household across the river, helping him in every way they could.H505H376H1145H6717H5288H1004H7586H2568H6240H1121H6242H5650H6743H3383H6440H442818As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him.H5674H5679H5674H4428H1004H6213H5869H2896H8096H1121H1617H5307H6440H4428H5674H338319"My lord the king, please forgive me," he pleaded. "Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind.H559H4428H113H2803H5771H2142H5650H5753H3117H113H4428H3318H3389H4428H7760H382020I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king."H5650H3045H2398H935H7223H3117H1004H3130H3381H7125H113H442821Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shimei should die, for he cursed the LORD's anointed king!"H52H1121H6870H6030H559H8096H4191H7043H3068H489922"Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah!" David exclaimed. "Why have you become my adversary today? This is not a day for execution but for celebration! Today I am once again the king of Israel!"H1732H559H1121H6870H3117H7854H376H4191H3117H3478H3045H3117H4428H347823Then, turning to Shimei, David vowed, "Your life will be spared."H4428H559H8096H4191H4428H765024Now Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down from Jerusalem to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes since the day the king left Jerusalem.H4648H1121H7586H3381H7125H4428H3808H6213H7272H6213H8222H3526H899H3117H4428H3212H3117H935H796525"Why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?" the king asked him.H935H3389H7125H4428H4428H559H1980H464826Mephibosheth replied, "My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, 'Saddle my donkey so I can go with the king.' For as you know I am crippled.H559H113H4428H5650H7411H5650H559H2280H2543H7392H3212H4428H5650H645527Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come. But I know that my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what you think is best.H7270H5650H113H4428H113H4428H4397H430H6213H2896H586928All my relatives and I could expect only death from you, my lord, but instead you have honored me by allowing me to eat at your own table! What more can I ask?"H1H1004H3808H4194H582H113H4428H7896H5650H398H7979H6666H3426H2199H442829"You've said enough," David replied. "I've decided that you and Ziba will divide your land equally between you."H4428H559H1696H1697H559H6717H2505H770430"Give him all of it," Mephibosheth said. "I am content just to have you safely back again, my lord the king!"H4648H559H4428H3947H310H834H113H4428H935H7965H100431Barzillai of Gilead had come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan.H1271H1569H3381H7274H5674H3383H4428H7971H338332He was very old, about eighty, and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim.H1271H3966H2204H8084H8141H1121H4428H3557H7871H4266H3966H1419H37633"Come across with me and live in Jerusalem," the king said to Barzillai. "I will take care of you there."H4428H559H1271H5674H3557H338934"No," he replied, "I am far too old to go with the king to Jerusalem.H1271H559H4428H3117H8141H2416H5927H4428H338935I am eighty years old today, and I can no longer enjoy anything. Food and wine are no longer tasty, and I cannot hear the singers as they sing. I would only be a burden to my lord the king.H3117H8084H8141H1121H3045H2896H7451H5650H2938H834H398H834H8354H8085H6963H7891H7891H5650H4853H113H442836Just to go across the Jordan River with the king is all the honor I need!H5650H5674H4592H5674H3383H4428H4428H1580H157837Then let me return again to die in my own town, where my father and mother are buried. But here is your servant, my son Kimham. Let him go with my lord the king and receive whatever you want to give him."H5650H7725H4191H5892H6913H1H517H5650H3643H5674H113H4428H6213H2896H586938"Good," the king agreed. "Kimham will go with me, and I will help him in any way you would like. And I will do for you anything you want."H4428H559H3643H5674H6213H2896H5869H977H621339So all the people crossed the Jordan with the king. After David had blessed Barzillai and kissed him, Barzillai returned to his own home.H5971H5674H3383H4428H5674H4428H5401H1271H1288H7725H472540The king then crossed over to Gilgal, taking Kimham with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king on his way.H4428H5674H1537H3643H5674H5971H3063H5674H5674H4428H2677H5971H347841But all the men of Israel complained to the king, "The men of Judah stole the king and didn't give us the honor of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan."H376H3478H935H4428H559H4428H251H376H3063H1589H5674H4428H1004H1732H582H338342The men of Judah replied, "The king is one of our own kinsmen. Why should this make you angry? We haven't eaten any of the king's food or received any special favors!"H376H3063H6030H376H3478H4428H7138H2734H1697H398H398H4428H5375H537943"But there are ten tribes in Israel," the others replied. "So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren't we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?" The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel.H376H3478H6030H376H3063H559H6235H3027H4428H589H1732H7043H1697H7223H7725H4428H1697H376H3063H7185H1697H376H3478
Dublin, OH
Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom.H5046
