2 Samuel 19:1-22 ▼

1 AND it was told Joab, Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.

2 And there was mourning that day among all the people; for the people heard that day how the king was grieved for his son.

3 And the people concealed themselves as they entered into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee from battle.

4 But the king covered his face, and cried with a loud voice, saying, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

5 And Joab came into the king's house and said to him, You have shamed this day the faces of all your servants who this day have saved your life and the lives of all your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines,

6 Because you have loved your enemies and hated your friends. For you have declared this day that you have neither noblemen nor servants; for this day I perceive that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you better.

7 Now therefore arise, go out and speak comfortingly to your servants; for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you this night; and this will be worse for you than all the evils that have befallen you from your youth until now.

8 Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king; for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

9 And all the people were thinking in all the tribes of Israel and saying, The king delivered us from the hand of all our enemies and rescued us from the hand of the Philistines; so now let us flee from the land and from following Absalom.

10 And Absalom, whom we anointed and made king over us, is dead in battle. And they said every man to his neighbor, Why therefore hesitate to go back with the king?

11 Come, therefore, let us bring him back to his house. And the words of the Israelites came to the king.

12 And the king said to them, You are my brethren and my flesh and my bones, why then are you the last to return to the king?

13 And he said to Amasa, Behold, you are my flesh and my bone. God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of my army permanently instead of Joab.

14 And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man; so that they sent word to the king, saying, Return you and all your servants.

15 So the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and bring the king over the Jordan.

16 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, made haste and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

17 And Ziba the servant of Saul and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him crossed over and constructed a bridge over the Jordan before the king.

18 And they constructed rafts to bring over the king's household and to do whatever was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was crossing the Jordan;

19 And said to the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity to me, neither remember that which your servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem; let not my lord the king take it to his heart.

20 For your servant does know that I have sinned; therefore, behold, I have come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

21 But Abishai the son of Zoriah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?

22 And David said, What is it to me and to you, you sons of Zoriah, that you should this day be deceivers to me? Shall any man be put to death this day in Israel? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?