Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
KJV
King James Version
Then
it was reported
to
Joab, “
The king is
weeping
and mourning
over
Absalom. ”
And
it was told
Joab, Behold,
the king weepeth
and mourneth
for
Absalom.
And that
day’s
victory was turned into mourning for
all the people ,
because
on
that day they
were
told,
“
The king is
grieving
over
his son. ”
And the
victory that
day
was turned into mourning unto
all the people :
for
the
people
heard
say
that day how
the king was
grieved
for
his son.
So
they
returned
to
the city
quietly
that day, as people steal away in humiliation
after
fleeing
a
battle.
And
the people
gat
them
by
stealth
that day into
the
city
, as people being
ashamed
steal away when
they
flee
in battle.
But the king covered his face and cried
out
at
the top
of
his
voice, “
O my son Absalom !
O Absalom, my son, my son! ”
But the king covered his face ,
and the king
cried
with
a
loud
voice, O my son Absalom ,
O Absalom, my son, my son!
Then
Joab went
into the house and
said
to the king, “Today
you
have
disgraced
all your
servants who
have saved your
life and the lives of your
sons and daughters, of your
wives, and of your
concubines .
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
life ,
and the lives of thy
sons and of
thy
daughters, and
the
lives
of thy
wives, and the
lives
of thy
concubines ;
You
love
those
who
hate
you
and
hate
those
who
love
you!
For
you
have
made
it
clear
today
that the
commanders
and soldiers
mean
nothing
to
you
. I know
today
that if Absalom were
alive
and all of
us
were
dead
, it would
have
pleased you!
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.
Now therefore get
up!
Go out
and speak comfort
to
your
servants ,
for I swear by the LORD that
if you
do
not
go out,
not a
man
will remain
with you
tonight.
This will be worse for
you
than all the adversity
that has
befallen
you
from your
youth until now !”
Now therefore arise,
go forth,
and speak comfortably
unto
thy
servants :
for I swear by the LORD ,
if thou
go not forth,
there
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 .
So
the king got
up
and sat in the gate ,
and all the people were
told:
“
Behold, the king is
sitting
in the gate. ”
So
they
all came before the king .
Meanwhile,
the
Israelites
had fled ,
each
man to his home
.
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
Israel
had fled every
man to his tent
.
And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were
arguing
, “
The king rescued
us from
the hand of our enemies and delivered us from
the hand of the Philistines ,
but
now he has
fled the land because
of
Absalom.
And all the people were
at
strife
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.
But
Absalom, the
man
we anointed over us, has
died
in battle. So
why do
you
say
nothing
about
restoring
the king? ”
And
Absalom, whom
we anointed over us, is
dead
in battle. Now
therefore
why speak
ye
not
a
word
of
bringing
the king back
?
Then
King David sent this
message
to Zadok and Abiathar ,
the priests :
“Say
to
the elders of Judah, ‘
Why should
you
be
the last to restore
the king to his palace,
since
the talk
of all Israel has
reached
the king at
his quarters?
And
king David sent to Zadok and to
Abiathar the priests ,
saying,
Speak
unto
the elders of Judah, saying,
Why are
ye
the last to bring
the king back
to his house?
seeing
the speech
of all Israel is
come
to
the king ,
even
to
his house.
You
are my brothers
, my own
flesh
and blood.
So
why
should
you
be
the last to restore
the king? ’
Ye
are my brethren
, ye
are
my bones
and my
flesh:
wherefore
then
are
ye
the last to bring
back
the king?
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t
you
my flesh
and blood
? May
God punish
me, and ever
so
severely
, if from
this
time
you
are
not the
commander
of my
army
in place
of Joab !’”
And say ye
to Amasa, Art
thou
not
of
my bone,
and of
my
flesh
? God do
so
to
me, and more
also
, if thou
be
not captain
of the
host
before
me
continually
in the
room
of Joab .
So
he swayed
the hearts
of all the men of Judah as though
they
were
one man ,
and
they sent word to
the king :
“
Return, you
and all your
servants. ”
And
he bowed
the heart
of all the men of Judah ,
even
as the
heart
of
one man ;
so
that
they sent this
word unto
the king ,
Return thou
, and all thy
servants.
So the king returned, and when
he
arrived
at
the
Jordan ,
the
men
of
Judah came to Gilgal to meet him
and
escort
him
across
the Jordan.
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.
Then
Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite from
Bahurim, hurried
down with the men of Judah to meet King David ,
And
Shimei the
son of Gera, a Benjamite ,
which
was
of
Bahurim, hasted
and
came
down with the men of Judah to meet king David .
along
with
a thousand men of Benjamin, as
well
as
Ziba the steward
of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants .
They rushed
down
to
the
Jordan before the king
And
there
were
a thousand men of Benjamin with
him
, and
Ziba the servant
of the house of Saul ,
and his fifteen sons and his
twenty servants with
him;
and
they went
over
Jordan before the king .
and crossed
at
the
ford
to carry over the king’s
household and to do what was
good in
his
sight
. When
Shimei son of Gera crossed
the
Jordan,
he
fell down before the king
And there
went
over
a
ferry
boat
to carry over the king's
household ,
and to do what he
thought
good. And
Shimei the
son of Gera fell down before the king ,
as
he
was
come
over
Jordan;
and said, “
My lord ,
do
not
hold
me guilty
, and
do not
remember your
servant’s
wrongdoing
on
the day my lord the king left
Jerusalem .
May
the king not
take it to heart.
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 his
heart.
For your
servant knows
that I have sinned, so
here
I am today
as
the first of all the house of Joseph to come
down to meet my lord the king. ”
For thy
servant doth
know
that I have sinned :
therefore
, behold,
I am come
the first this
day
of all the house of Joseph to go
down to meet my lord the king.
But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t
Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s
anointed? ”
But Abishai the
son of Zeruiah answered
and
said, Shall
not
Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's
anointed?
And David replied,
“Sons
of
Zeruiah
, what have I to do with you, that you
should be my
adversaries today
? Should
any man be put to death in Israel today
? Am
I
not indeed
aware
that today
I am king over Israel? ”
And David said
, What have I to do with you, ye
sons
of
Zeruiah,
that ye
should this
day
be adversaries unto
me
? shall
there
any man be put to death this
day
in Israel? for
do
not I
know
that I am this
day
king over Israel?
So
the king said to
Shimei, “You
shall
not die. ”
And the king swore
an
oath
to
him.
Therefore
the king said unto
Shimei, Thou
shalt
not die. And the king sware
unto
him.
Then
Mephibosheth ,
Saul’s
grandson,
went
down to meet the king .
He
had not
cared
for
his feet or
trimmed his mustache
or
washed his clothes from the day the king had
left
until the day he returned
safely
.
And
Mephibosheth the
son
of
Saul
came
down to meet the king ,
and
had neither
dressed
his feet ,
nor
trimmed his beard,
nor
washed his clothes ,
from the day the king departed
until the day he came
again
in
peace
.
And he
came from
Jerusalem to meet the king, who
asked
him, “Mephibosheth,
why
did
you
not go
with me? ”
And it
came to
pass,
when
he
was
come
to
Jerusalem to meet the king, that
the
king
said
unto
him, Wherefore
wentest
not thou
with me ,
Mephibosheth
?
“
My lord the
king
, ”
he
replied,
“because
I
am
lame
, I
said, ‘
I will have
my
donkey
saddled
so
that I may ride on
it
and go with
the king .’
But
my
servant Ziba
deceived
me,
And
he
answered,
My lord, O
king
, my
servant
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.
and he has
slandered your
servant to
my lord the king .
Yet
my lord the king is like
the
angel of God ,
so
do what is good in your
eyes.
And he hath
slandered thy
servant unto
my lord the king ;
but
my lord the king is as
an
angel of God :
do therefore
what is good in thine
eyes.
For all the
house
of my grandfather
deserves
death
from
my lord the king ,
yet you
have
set your
servant among those
who
eat at your
table. What further
right ,
then,
do
I
have to
keep
appealing
to the king? ”
For all of my father's
house
were
but
dead
men
before
my lord the king :
yet didst
thou
set thy
servant among them
that
did
eat at thine
own
table. What right therefore
have I
yet
to cry
any
more
unto
the king?
The king replied
, “
Why say
any more? I hereby
declare
that
you
and Ziba are
to
divide the land. ”
And
the king said
unto
him
, Why speakest
thou
any more of
thy
matters
? I have
said,
Thou
and Ziba divide the land.
And Mephibosheth said to
the king, “Instead
, since
my lord the king has
safely
come to
his own house ,
let
Ziba
take
it
all!”
And Mephibosheth said unto
the king, Yea
, let
him
take
all,
forasmuch
as
my lord the king is
come again
in
peace
unto
his own house .
Now
Barzillai the Gileadite had
come
down from Rogelim to
cross
the
Jordan with the king and
send
him on
his
way
from
there
.
And
Barzillai the Gileadite came
down from Rogelim ,
and
went
over
Jordan with the king ,
to
conduct
him over
Jordan
.
Barzillai was quite
old,
eighty
years
of
age,
and
since
he
was
a very wealthy
man, he had provided for
the king while he stayed
in
Mahanaim.
Now
Barzillai was a very aged
man, even
fourscore
years
old:
and
he had provided the king of
sustenance
while he lay
at
Mahanaim ;
for
he
was
a
very
great
man
.
The king said to
Barzillai, “Cross
over with me, and I will provide
for
you
at
my
side
in Jerusalem. ”
And
the king said unto
Barzillai, Come
thou
over with me, and I will feed
thee
with
me
in Jerusalem.
But
Barzillai replied
, “
How many
years
of
my
life
remain
, that I should go up to
Jerusalem
with the king?
And
Barzillai said
unto
the
king
, How long
have
I
to
live
, that I should go up with the king unto
Jerusalem
?
I am now
eighty
years old .
Can I discern what
is
good and what
is
not
? Can your
servant taste what he
eats
or drinks
? Can I still
hear the voice of singing men and women? Why
should your
servant be an
added
burden to
my lord the king?
I am this
day
fourscore
years old :
and
can 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?
Your
servant could
go with the king only
a
short
distance
past
the
Jordan;
why should the king repay
me with such a reward?
Thy
servant will
go a
little
way
over
Jordan
with the king :
and
why should the king recompense
it
me with such a reward?
Please
let your
servant return
, that I may die in my
own city near
the tomb
of my father and mother. But here
is
your
servant Chimham .
Let him cross
over with my lord the king ,
and do for
him what is
good in
your
sight
. ”
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 Chimham ;
let him go
over with my lord the king ;
and do to
him what shall
seem
good unto
thee
.
The king replied
, “
Chimham will
cross
over with me, and I will do for
him what
seems
good in
your
sight,
and I
will do for you
whatever
you
desire
of
me
. ”
And
the king answered
, Chimham shall
go
over with me, and I will do to
him that
which
shall
seem
good unto
thee:
and whatsoever
thou
shalt
require
of
me,
that
will I
do for thee
.
So
all the people crossed
the
Jordan ,
and then
the king crossed
over .
The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him ,
and Barzillai
returned home
.
And
all the people went
over
Jordan .
And when
the king was
come
over ,
the king kissed Barzillai ,
and blessed him ;
and he
returned unto
his
own
place
.
Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed
over
with him .
All the troops
of Judah and half the troops
of Israel escorted
the
king
.
Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went
on
with him :
and
all the people
of Judah conducted
the
king,
and also
half the people
of Israel.
Soon
all the men of Israel came to the king and asked
, “
Why did
our brothers,
the men of Judah ,
take
you
away secretly
and bring
the king and his household across
the
Jordan
, together
with
all of
David’s
men? ”
And,
behold,
all the men of Israel came to the king ,
and said
unto
the
king
, Why have
our brethren
the men of Judah stolen
thee
away ,
and have
brought
the king ,
and his household, and
all David's
men with
him,
over
Jordan
?
And all the men of Judah replied
to
the men of Israel, “We
did
this
because the king is our
relative.
Why
does
this anger
you
? Have we ever
eaten at the king’s
expense
or received
anything
for
ourselves
? ”
And all the men of Judah answered
the men of Israel, Because the king is near
of
kin
to
us:
wherefore
then
be
ye
angry
for
this matter
? have we eaten at all
of
the king's
cost?
or hath
he
given
us
any
gift
?
“
We have ten shares
in the king, ”
answered
the
men
of
Israel,
“so
we have more claim
to
David than you.
Why then do
you
despise us ?
Were
we
not the
first to
speak
of
restoring
our king? ”
But
the men of Judah pressed
even
harder
than the men of Israel.
And
the
men
of
Israel
answered
the
men
of
Judah,
and
said,
We have ten parts
in the king, and
we have also
more right
in
David than ye:
why then did
ye
despise us ,
that
our
advice
should
not be
first had
in
bringing
back
our king? And
the words
of
the
men of Judah were
fiercer
than the words
of
the
men of Israel.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and King James Version. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; UK publication rights are administered by the Crown's patentee; public domain in most other jurisdictions..