2Samuel 19 - Prayer Tents

Joab Rebukes the King

19Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom.H5046H3097H4428H1058H56H53 2As 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.H8668H3117H60H5971H5971H8085H559H3117H4428H6087H1121 3They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle.H5971H935H1589H3117H5892H5971H3637H1589H5127H4421 4The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"H4428H3813H6440H4428H2199H1419H6963H1121H53H53H1121H1121 5Then 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.H3097H935H1004H4428H559H3001H3117H6440H5650H3117H4422H5315H5315H1121H1323H5315H802H5315H6370 6You 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.H157H8130H8130H157H5046H3117H8269H5650H3117H3045H3863H53H2416H4191H3117H3477H5869 7Now 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."H6965H3318H1696H3820H5650H7650H3068H3318H3885H376H3915H7489H7451H935H5271 8So 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.H4428H6965H3427H8179H5046H5971H559H4428H3427H8179H5971H935H6440H4428H3478H5127H376H168 9And 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.H5971H1777H7626H3478H559H4428H5337H3709H341H4422H3709H6430H1272H776H53 10Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Why not ask David to come back and be our king again?"H53H4886H4191H4421H2790H7725H4428H7725 11Then 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.H4428H1732H7971H6659H54H3548H559H1696H2205H3063H559H314H7725H4428H7725H1004H1697H3478H935H4428H1004 12You are my relatives, my own tribe, my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last ones to welcome back the king?"H251H6106H1320H314H7725H4428 13And 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."H559H6021H6106H1320H430H6213H3254H8269H6635H6440H3117H8478H3097 14Then 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."H5186H3824H376H3063H259H376H7971H4428H7725H5650

David’s Return to Jerusalem

15So 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.H4428H7725H935H3383H3063H935H1537H3212H7125H4428H5674H4428H5674H3383 16Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David.H8096H1121H1617H1145H980H4116H3381H376H3063H7125H4428H1732 17A 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.H505H376H1145H6717H5288H1004H7586H2568H6240H1121H6242H5650H6743H3383H6440H4428

David’s Mercy to Shimei

18As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him.H5674H5679H5674H4428H1004H6213H5869H2896H8096H1121H1617H5307H6440H4428H5674H3383 19"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.H559H4428H113H2803H5771H2142H5650H5753H3117H113H4428H3318H3389H4428H7760H3820 20I 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."H5650H3045H2398H935H7223H3117H1004H3130H3381H7125H113H4428 21Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shimei should die, for he cursed the LORD's anointed king!"H52H1121H6870H6030H559H8096H4191H7043H3068H4899 22"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!"H1732H559H1121H6870H3117H7854H376H4191H3117H3478H3045H3117H4428H3478 23Then, turning to Shimei, David vowed, "Your life will be spared."H4428H559H8096H4191H4428H7650

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

24Now 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.H4648H1121H7586H3381H7125H4428H3808H6213H7272H6213H8222H3526H899H3117H4428H3212H3117H935H7965 25"Why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?" the king asked him.H935H3389H7125H4428H4428H559H1980H4648 26Mephibosheth 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.H559H113H4428H5650H7411H5650H559H2280H2543H7392H3212H4428H5650H6455 27Ziba 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.H7270H5650H113H4428H113H4428H4397H430H6213H2896H5869 28All 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?"H1H1004H3808H4194H582H113H4428H7896H5650H398H7979H6666H3426H2199H4428 29"You've said enough," David replied. "I've decided that you and Ziba will divide your land equally between you."H4428H559H1696H1697H559H6717H2505H7704 30"Give him all of it," Mephibosheth said. "I am content just to have you safely back again, my lord the king!"H4648H559H4428H3947H310H834H113H4428H935H7965H1004

David’s Kindness to Barzillai

31Barzillai of Gilead had come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan.H1271H1569H3381H7274H5674H3383H4428H7971H3383 32He was very old, about eighty, and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim.H1271H3966H2204H8084H8141H1121H4428H3557H7871H4266H3966H1419H376 33"Come across with me and live in Jerusalem," the king said to Barzillai. "I will take care of you there."H4428H559H1271H5674H3557H3389 34"No," he replied, "I am far too old to go with the king to Jerusalem.H1271H559H4428H3117H8141H2416H5927H4428H3389 35I 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.H3117H8084H8141H1121H3045H2896H7451H5650H2938H834H398H834H8354H8085H6963H7891H7891H5650H4853H113H4428 36Just to go across the Jordan River with the king is all the honor I need!H5650H5674H4592H5674H3383H4428H4428H1580H1578 37Then 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."H5650H7725H4191H5892H6913H1H517H5650H3643H5674H113H4428H6213H2896H5869 38"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."H4428H559H3643H5674H6213H2896H5869H977H6213 39So all the people crossed the Jordan with the king. After David had blessed Barzillai and kissed him, Barzillai returned to his own home.H5971H5674H3383H4428H5674H4428H5401H1271H1288H7725H4725 40The 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.H4428H5674H1537H3643H5674H5971H3063H5674H5674H4428H2677H5971H3478

An Argument over the King

41But 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."H376H3478H935H4428H559H4428H251H376H3063H1589H5674H4428H1004H1732H582H3383 42The 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!"H376H3063H6030H376H3478H4428H7138H2734H1697H398H398H4428H5375H5379 43"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