Joab Reproves David 1 ULT And it was declared to Joab,“Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” BSB BSB: Then it was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.”
2 ULT And the victory on that day became mourning for all of the people, for the people heard on that day, saying,“The king is grieved because of his son.” BSB BSB: 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.”
3 ULT And the people stole away on that day to enter the city, as ashamed people steal away when they flee in battle. BSB BSB: So they returned to the city quietly that day, as people steal away in humiliation after fleeing a battle.
4 ULT And the king covered his face, and the king cried out{ with} a loud voice,“My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!” BSB BSB: 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!”
5 ULT And Joab came to the king,{ to} the house, and he said,“Today you have shamed the faces of all of your servants, the ones having rescued your life today and the life of your sons and your daughters and the life of your wives and the life of your concubines, BSB BSB: 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.
6 ULT by loving the ones hating you and by hating the ones loving you. For you have declared today that the commanders and servants{ are} nothing to you. For I know today that if Absalom{ were} alive and all of us were dead today, that then{ it would be} right in your eyes. BSB BSB: 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!
7 ULT But now, arise, go out and speak to the heart of your servants, for I swear by Yahweh, if you are not going out, if a man will lodge with you tonight, and this{ will be} more trouble for you than all of the trouble that has come on you from your youth until now.” BSB BSB: 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!”
David Restored as King 8 ULT So the king arose and sat in the gate. And they declared to all of the people, saying,“Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” And all of the people came to the face of the king. But Israel had fled, a man to his tent. BSB BSB: 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.
9 ULT And it happened, all of the people were contending in all of the tribes of Israel, saying,“The king delivered us from the palm of our enemies, and he, he rescued us from the palm of the Philistines. But now he has fled from the land, away from Absalom. BSB BSB: 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.
10 ULT But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in the battle. And now, why are you being silent about bringing back the king?” BSB BSB: But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”
11 ULT And 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 back the king to his house? For the word of all of Israel has come to the king, to his house. BSB BSB: 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?
12 ULT You{ are} my brothers. You{ are} my bone and my flesh. So why are you last to bring back the king?’ BSB BSB: You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’
13 ULT And to Amasa you shall say,‘{ Are} you not my bone and my flesh? Thus may God do to me, and thus may he add, if you are not the commander of the army to my face all of the years in place of Joab.’” BSB BSB: And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
14 ULT And he inclined the heart of every man of Judah as one man. And they sent to the king,“Return, you and all of your servants.” BSB BSB: 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.”
15 ULT And the king returned, and he came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king to bring the king across the Jordan. BSB BSB: 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.
Shimei Pardoned 16 ULT And Shimei, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, who{ was} from Bahurim, hurried and came down with a man of Judah to meet King David, BSB BSB: Then Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David,
17 ULT and 1, 000 men{ were} with him from Benjamin. And Ziba, the young man of the house of Saul, and his 15 sons and his 20 servants{ were} with him. And they rushed{ into} the Jordan to the face of the king. BSB BSB: 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
18 ULT And they crossed the ford to bring over the house of the king and to do the good in his eyes. And Shimei, the son of Gera, fell to the face of the king when he crossed in the Jordan. BSB BSB: 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
19 ULT And he said to the king,“May my lord not reckon iniquity to me, and may you not remember that your servant committed iniquity on the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, for the king to set{ it} to his heart. BSB BSB: 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.
20 ULT For your servant knows that I, I have sinned, and behold, I have come today, the first of all of the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” BSB BSB: 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.”
21 ULT And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, answered and said,“In place of this, shall not Shimei be killed? For he cursed the anointed of Yahweh.” BSB BSB: But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?”
22 ULT And David said,“What to me and to you, sons of Zeruiah, that you have become an adversary to me today? Shall a man be killed in Israel today? For do I not know that I{ am} king over Israel today?” BSB BSB: 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?”
23 ULT And the king said to Shimei,“You shall not die.” And the king swore to him. BSB BSB: So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore an oath to him.
Mephibosheth Excused 24 ULT And Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down to meet the king. And he had not done his feet, and he had not done his mustache, and he had not washed his clothes from the day the king went up to the day that he came in peace. BSB BSB: 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.
25 ULT And it happened that he came{ from} Jerusalem to meet the king. And the king said to him,“Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” BSB BSB: And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?”
26 ULT And he said,“My lord the king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said,‘Let me saddle a donkey for myself, and let me ride on it, and let me go with the king.’ For your servant{ is} lame. BSB BSB: “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,
27 ULT And he slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king{ is} like an angel of God, so do the good in your eyes. BSB BSB: 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.
28 ULT For all of the house of my father was nothing except men of death to my lord the king, but you set your servant among the eaters at your table. So what right is there still for me to cry out more to the king?” BSB BSB: 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?”
29 ULT And the king said to him,“Why do you still speak your words? I have said,‘You and Ziba shall divide the field.’” BSB BSB: The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”
30 ULT And Mephibosheth said to the king,“Let him even take the whole, after that my lord the king has come in peace to his house.” BSB BSB: And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!”
David’s Kindness to Barzillai 31 ULT And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim. And he crossed the Jordan with the king to send him{ across} the Jordan. BSB BSB: Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there.
32 ULT Now Barzillai had aged greatly, a son of 80 years. And he, he had sustained the king in his stay in Mahanaim, for he{ was} a very great man. BSB BSB: 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.
33 ULT And the king said to Barzillai,“You, cross over with me, and I will sustain you with me in Jerusalem.” BSB BSB: The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.”
34 ULT But Barzillai said to the king,“How many{ will be} the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king{ to} Jerusalem? BSB BSB: But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?
35 ULT I{ am} a son of 80 years today. Do I know between good to bad? Or does your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or do I still hear the voice of the{ male} singers or the{ female} singers? So why should your servant become a further burden to my lord the king? BSB BSB: 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?
36 ULT According to a little your servant will go across the Jordan with the king. But why will the king reward me this reward? BSB BSB: Your servant will go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward?
37 ULT Please let your servant return, and let me die in my city by the grave of my father and my mother. But behold your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what{ is} good in your eyes.” BSB BSB: 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.”
38 ULT And the king said,“Chimham shall cross over with me, and I, I shall do for him the good in your eyes. And all that you choose upon me, I shall do for you.” BSB BSB: The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight, and I will do for you whatever you desire of me.”
39 ULT And all of the people crossed the Jordan, and the king crossed. And the king kissed Barzillai, and he blessed him, and he returned to his place. BSB BSB: So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned home.
40 ULT And the king passed on to Gilgal, and Chimham passed on with him. And all of the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half of the people of Israel. BSB BSB: Then the king crossed over to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed over with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king.
Contention over the King 41 ULT And behold, all of the men of Israel were coming to the king, and they said to the king,“Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal you away and bring the king and his house across the Jordan and all of the men of David with him?” BSB BSB: 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?”
42 ULT And each man of Judah answered to a man of Israel,“Because the king{ is} near to me. And why this, it burns to you about this matter? Eating, have we eaten from the king? Or being taken, has it been taken for us?” BSB BSB: 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?”
43 ULT And a man of Israel answered a man of Judah, and he said,“Ten hands{ are} to me in the king, and also in David, I more than you. So why have you despised me? Was not my word first, to bring back my king to me?” But the word of a man of Judah was harsher than the word of a man of Israel. BSB BSB: “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 spoke more fiercely than the men of Israel.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.