And Joabcameinto the house to the king, and said, Thouhastshamedthis day the faces of all thy servants, whichthis day havesaved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;
In thatthoulovestthineenemies, and hatest thy friends. For thouhastdeclaredthis day, thatthouregardestneitherprinces nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had diedthis day, then it had pleasedtheewell.
Now thereforearise, go forth, and speakcomfortablyunto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, therewill not tarry one withtheethisnight: and thatwill be worseuntotheethan all the evilthatbefelltheefrom thy youthuntil now.
Then the kingarose, and sat in the gate. And theytoldunto all the people, saying, Behold, the kingdoth sit in the gate. And all the peoplecamebefore the king: for Israel had fledevery man to his tent.
And all the peoplewere at strifethroughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The kingsaved 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.
And kingDavidsent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speakunto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the kingback to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and morealso, if thou be not captain of the hostbefore me continually in the room of Joab.
And therewere a thousand men of Benjaminwith him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteensons and his twentyservantswith him; and theywentoverJordanbefore the king.
And therewentover a ferryboat to carryover the king’shousehold, and to do what he thoughtgood. And Shimei the son of Gerafelldownbefore the king, as he was comeoverJordan;
And saidunto the king, Let not my lordimputeiniquityunto me, neither do thourememberthatwhich thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the kingwent out of Jerusalem, that the kingshouldtake it to his heart.
For thy servantdothknowthat I havesinned: therefore, behold, I am come the firstthis day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
And Davidsaid, Whathave I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye shouldthis day be adversariesunto me? shallthere any man be put to deaththis day in Israel? for do not I knowthat I am this day kingoverIsrael?
And Mephibosheth the son of Saulcamedown to meet the king, and had neitherdressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the kingdeparteduntil the day he cameagain in peace.
And he answered, My lord, O king, my servantdeceived me: for thy servantsaid, I willsaddle me an ass, that I may ridethereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.
For all of my father’shousewere but dead men before my lord the king: yet didstthou set thy servantamongthemthat did eat at thine own table. Whatrightthereforehave I yet to cry any moreunto the king?
Now Barzillai was a veryaged man, evenfourscoreyears old: and he had provided the king of sustenancewhile he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a verygreat man.
I am this day fourscoreyears old: and can I discernbetweengood and evil? can thy servanttastewhat I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singingwomen? whereforethenshould thy servant be yet a burdenunto my lord the king?
Let thy servant, I praythee, turnbackagain, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servantChimham; let him go overwith my lord the king; and do to him whatshallseemgooduntothee.
And the kinganswered, Chimhamshall go overwith me, and I will do to him thatwhichshallseemgooduntothee: and whatsoeverthoushaltrequire of me, thatwill I do for thee.
And, behold, all the men of Israelcame to the king, and saidunto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judahstolentheeaway, and havebrought the king, and his household, and all David’s men with him, overJordan?
And all the men of Judahanswered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: whereforethen be ye angry for thismatter? have we eaten at all of the king’scost? or hath he given us any gift?
And the men of Israelanswered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we havealsomoreright in Davidthan ye: why then did ye despise us, that our adviceshould not be first had in bringingback our king? And the words of the men of Judahwerefiercerthan the words of the men of Israel.