The Second Book of Samuel

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 19 -

And it was tolde Ioab, Behold, the King weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.

Therefore the victorie of that day was turned into mourning to all the people: for the people heard say that day, The King soroweth for his sonne.

And the people went that day into the citie secretly, as people confounded hide them selues when they flee in battell.

So the King hid his face, and the King cryed with a loude voyce, My sonne Absalom, Absalom my sonne, my sonne.

Then Ioab came into the house to the King, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy seruants, which this day haue saued thy life and the liues of thy sones, and of thy daughters, and the liues of thy wiues, and the liues of thy concubines,

In that thou louest thine enemies, and hatest thy friendes: for thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither thy princes nor seruants: therefore this day I perceiue, that if Absalom had liued, and we all had dyed this day, that then it would haue pleased thee well.

Nowe therefore vp, come out, and speake comfortably vnto thy seruants: for I sweare by the Lord, except thou come out, there will not tarie one man with thee this night: and that wil be worse vnto thee, then all the euill that fell on thee from thy youth hitherto.

David Restored as King

Then the King arose, and sate in the gate: and they tolde vnto all the people, saying, Beholde, the King doeth sit in the gate: and all the people came before the King: for Israel had fled euery man to his tent.

Then all the people were at strife thorowout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The King saued vs out of the hand of our enemies, and he deliuered vs out of the hande of the Philistims, and nowe he is fled out of the lande for Absalom.

And Absalom, whome we anoynted ouer vs, is dead in battel: therefore why are ye so slow to bring the King againe?

But King Dauid sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the Priestes, saying, Speake vnto the Elders of Iudah, and say, Why are ye behind to bring the King againe to his house, (for the saying of al Israel is come vnto the king, euen to his house)

Ye are my brethren: my bones and my flesh are ye: wherefore then are ye the last that bring the King againe?

Also say ye to Amasa, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if thou be not captaine of the hoste to me for euer in the roume of Ioab.

So he bowed the heartes of all the men of Iudah, as of one man: therefore they sent to the King, saying, Returne thou with all thy seruants.

So the King returned, and came to Iorden. And Iudah came to Gilgal, for to goe to meete the King, and to conduct him ouer Iorde.

Shimei Pardoned

And Shimei the sonne of Gera, ye sonne of Iemini, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Iudah to meete king Dauid,

And a thousande men of Beniamin with him, and Ziba the seruant of the house of Saul, and his fifteene sonnes and twentie seruants with him: and they went ouer Iorden before ye king.

And there went ouer a boate to carie ouer the Kings houshold, and to do him pleasure. Then Shimei the sonne of Gera fell before the King, when he was come ouer Iorden,

And saide vnto the King, Let not my lorde impute wickednesse vnto me, nor remember ye thing that thy seruant did wickedly when my lorde the King departed out of Ierusalem, that the King should take it to his heart.

For thy seruant doeth knowe, that I haue done amisse: therefore beholde, I am the first this day of al the house of Ioseph, that am come to goe downe to meete my lord the King.

But Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah answered, and said, Shal not Shimei die for this, because he cursed the Lordes anoynted?

And Dauid saide, What haue I to do with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah, that this day ye should be aduersaries vnto me? shall there any man die this day in Israel? for doe not I know that I am this day King ouer Israel?

Therefore the King saide vnto Shimei, Thou shalt not die, and the king sware vnto him.

Mephibosheth Excused

And Mephibosheth the sonne of Saul came downe to meete the king, and had neither washed his feete, nor dressed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the time the king departed, vntill he returned in peace.

And when he was come to Ierusalem, and met the king, the king said vnto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?

And he answered, My lorde the king, my seruant deceiued me: for thy seruant said, I would haue mine asse sadled to ride thereon, for to goe with the king, because thy seruant is lame.

And he hath accused thy seruant vnto my lorde the king: but my lorde the king is as an Angel of God: doe therefore thy pleasure.

For all my fathers house were but dead men before my lord the king, yet diddest thou set thy seruant among them that did eate at thine owne table: what right therefore haue I yet to crye any more vnto the king?

And the king said vnto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I haue said, Thou, and Ziba deuide the landes.

And Mephibosheth saide vnto the king, Yea, let him take all, seeing my lorde the king is come home in peace.

David’s Kindness to Barzillai

Then Barzillai the Gileadite came downe from Rogelim, and went ouer Iorden with the king, to conduct him ouer Iorden.

Nowe Barzillai was a very aged man, euen fourescore yeere olde, and he had prouided the king of sustenance, while he lay at Mahanaim: for he was a man of very great substance.

And the king said vnto Barzillai, Come ouer with me, and I will feede thee with me in Ierusalem.

And Barzillai said vnto the king, Howe long haue I to liue, that I should goe vp with the king to Ierusalem?

I am this day fourescore yeere olde: and can I discerne betweene good or euill? Hath thy seruant any taste in that I eat or in that I drinke? Can I heare any more the voyce of singing men and women? wherefore then should thy seruant be anymore a burthen vnto my lord the king?

Thy seruant will goe a litle way ouer Iorden with the King, and why wil the king recompence it me with such a rewarde?

I pray thee, let thy seruant turne backe againe, that I may die in mine owne citie, and be buryed in the graue of my father and of my mother: but beholde thy seruant Chimham, let him goe with my lorde the king, and doe to him what shall please thee.

And the king answered, Chimham shall go with me, and I will do to him that thou shalt be content with: and whatsoeuer thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.

So all the people went ouer Iorden: and the King passed ouer: and the King kissed Barzillai, and blessed him, and hee returned vnto his owne place.

Then the King went to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him, and all the people of Iudah conducted the King, and also halfe ye people of Israel.

Contention over the King

And behold, all the men of Israel came to the King, and sayd vnto the King, Why haue our brethren the men of Iudah stollen thee away, and haue brought the King and his houshold, and all Dauids men with him ouer Iorden?

And all the men of Iudah answered the men of Israel, Because the King is neere of kin to vs: and wherefore now be ye angry for this matter? haue we eaten of the Kings cost, or haue wee taken any bribes?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Iudah, and saide, Wee haue ten partes in the King, and haue also more right to Dauid then ye: Why then did ye despise vs, that our aduise should not bee first had in restoring our King? And the wordes of the men of Iudah were fiercer then the wordes of the men of Israel.

Joab was told, “Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Absalom.”

The victory that day was turned into mourning among all the people, for the people heard it said that day, “The king grieves for his son.”

The people sneaked into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!”

Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “Today you have shamed the faces of all your servants who today have saved your life, and the lives of your sons and of your daughters, and the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines;

in that you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have declared today that princes and servants are nothing to you. For today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and we had all died today, then it would have pleased you well.

Now therefore arise, go out and speak to comfort your servants; for I swear by the LORD, if you don’t go out, not a man will stay with you this night. That would be worse to you than all the evil that has happened to you from your youth until now.”

David Restored as King

Then the king arose and sat in the gate. The people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” All the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.

All the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.

Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why don’t you speak a word of bringing the king back?”

King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the speech of all Israel has come to the king, to return him to his house?

You are my brothers. You are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’

Say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you aren’t captain of the army before me continually instead of Joab.’”

He bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man, so that they sent to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”

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

Shimei Pardoned

Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of Saul’s house, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went through the Jordan in the presence of the king.

A ferry boat went to bring over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had come over the Jordan.

He said to the king, “Don’t let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember that which your servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.

For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore behold, I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?”

David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For don’t I know that I am king over Israel today?”

The king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” The king swore to him.

Mephibosheth Excused

Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither groomed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace.

When he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”

He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ because your servant is lame.

He has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is as an angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes.

For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should appeal any more to the king?”

The king said to him, “Why do you speak any more of your matters? I say, you and Ziba divide the land.”

Mephibosheth said to the king, “Yes, let him take all, because my lord the king has come in peace to his own house.”

David’s Kindness to Barzillai

Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went over the Jordan with the king to conduct him over the Jordan.

Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old. He had provided the king with sustenance while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

The king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will sustain you with me in Jerusalem.”

Barzillai said to the king, “How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

I am eighty years old, today. Can I discern between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear the voice of singing men and singing women any more? Why then should your servant be a burden to my lord the king?

Your servant will just go over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?

Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, by the grave of my father and my mother. But behold, your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good to you.”

The king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good to you. Whatever you request of me, that I will do for you.”

All the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. Then the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.

So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went over with him. All the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half the people of Israel.

Contention over the King

Behold, 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?”

All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s cost? Or has he given us any gift?”

The men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, “We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more claim to David than you. Why then did you despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king?” The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.