2 Samuel 19:1-13 ▼

1 Someone informed Joab, |The king is weeping bitterly, mourning for Absalom.|

2 The victory had become an occasion for the army to mourn, because on that very day the troops heard the announcement, |The king is grieving for his son!|

3 So men snuck into the city that day like men do who are ashamed after they've run away from a battle.

4 Meanwhile, the king veiled his face and kept on crying loudly, |My son Absalom! Absalom my son, my son!|

5 Joab went up to the palace and rebuked the king: |Today you've humiliated your entire army who just saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and mistresses!

6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! You've made it abundantly clear today that your officers and the men under them mean nothing to you! I've learned today that you would rather have Absalom alive today and all the rest of us dead!

7 Now get up and restore the morale of your army. I swear by the LORD that if you don't get out there, you won't have a single man left in your army by nightfall! You'll be in more trouble today than all the disasters you've been through from your boyhood until now!|

8 So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the army was informed, |The king is sitting in the gateway!| they all gathered together in his presence. Meanwhile, the Israelis had run away back to their own homes.

9 Throughout the tribes of Israel, everyone was quarreling with one another: |The king delivered us from the domination of our enemies....| |He's the one who rescued us from Philistine control....| |Now he's fleeing the country because of Absalom...!|

10 |The very same Absalom we anointed to rule just died in battle...!| |Now then, why remain silent about bringing the king back...?|

11 So King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: |Ask the elders of Judah, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace, considering that what's being reported throughout all of Israel has come to the king at his palace?

12 You're my relatives! You're my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last to bring back the king?'

13 Then ask Amasa, 'Aren't you my own flesh and blood? So may God deal with me, no matter how severely, if from this day forward you don't take Joab's place as commander of my army.'