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2 Samuel 19:9-43
New American Standard Bible

9 And all the people were quarreling throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, “(A)The king rescued us from the [a]hands of our enemies and (B)saved us from the [b]hands of the Philistines, but now (C)he has fled out of the land from Absalom. 10 However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now then, why are you silent about bringing the king back?”

11 Then King David sent word to (D)Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house? 12 You are my brothers; (E)you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’ 13 And say to (F)Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? (G)May God do so to me, and more so, if you will not be (H)commander of the army [c]for me continually, (I)in place of Joab.’” 14 So he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah (J)as one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.” 15 The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And the men of Judah came to (K)Gilgal in order to go to meet the king, to escort the king across the Jordan.

16 Then (L)Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and (M)Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king. 18 Then they crossed the shallow places repeatedly to bring over the king’s household, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan. 19 And he said to the king, “(N)May my lord not consider me guilty, nor call to mind what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, so that the king would [d]take it to heart. 20 For your servant knows that I have sinned; so behold, I have come today, (O)the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah responded, “(P)Should Shimei not be put to death for this, (Q)the fact that he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” 22 David then said, “(R)What [e]is there between you and me, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? (S)Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?” 23 So the king said to Shimei, “(T)You shall not die.” The king also swore to him.

24 Then (U)Mephibosheth the [f]grandson of Saul came down to meet the king; but (V)he had neither [g]tended to his feet, nor [h]trimmed his mustache, nor (W)washed his clothes since the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. 25 And it was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “(X)Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 So he said, “My lord the king, my servant betrayed me; for your servant said, ‘I will [i]saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ (Y)since your servant cannot walk. 27 Furthermore, (Z)he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is (AA)like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight. 28 For (AB)all my father’s household was only people worthy of death to my lord the king; (AC)yet you placed your servant among those who ate at your own table. So what right do I still have, that I should [j]complain anymore to the king?” 29 So the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have [k]decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’” 30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.”

31 Now (AD)Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; and he went on to the Jordan with the king to [l]escort him over the Jordan. 32 Barzillai was very old: eighty years old; and he had (AE)provided the king food while he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. 33 So the king said to Barzillai, “You cross over with me, and I will provide you food in Jerusalem with me.” 34 But Barzillai said to the king, “(AF)How long [m]do I still have to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am [n]now (AG)eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I still hear (AH)the voice of men and women singing? (AI)Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant would merely cross over the Jordan with the king. So why should the king compensate me with this reward? 37 Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. However, here is your servant (AJ)Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.” 38 And the king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight; and whatever you [o]require of me, I will do for you.” 39 All the people crossed over the Jordan and the king crossed too. The king then (AK)kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place.

40 Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also (AL)half the people of Israel [p]accompanied the king. 41 And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “(AM)Why have our brothers, (AN)the men of Judah, abducted you and brought the king and his household and all David’s men with him, over the Jordan?” 42 Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because (AO)the king is a close relative to [q]us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all [r]at the king’s expense, or has anything been taken for us?” 43 But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, “[s](AP)We have ten parts in the king, therefore [t]we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat [u]us with contempt? Was it not [v]our [w]advice first to bring back [x]our king?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 19:9 Lit palm
  2. 2 Samuel 19:9 Lit palm
  3. 2 Samuel 19:13 Lit before me
  4. 2 Samuel 19:19 Lit set
  5. 2 Samuel 19:22 Lit to me and to you; an ancient idiom
  6. 2 Samuel 19:24 Lit son
  7. 2 Samuel 19:24 Lit done
  8. 2 Samuel 19:24 Lit done
  9. 2 Samuel 19:26 I.e., have the donkey saddled
  10. 2 Samuel 19:28 Lit cry out
  11. 2 Samuel 19:29 Lit said
  12. 2 Samuel 19:31 Lit send
  13. 2 Samuel 19:34 Lit are the days of the years of my life
  14. 2 Samuel 19:35 Lit today
  15. 2 Samuel 19:38 Lit choose
  16. 2 Samuel 19:40 Lit crossed over with
  17. 2 Samuel 19:42 Lit me
  18. 2 Samuel 19:42 Lit from the king
  19. 2 Samuel 19:43 Singular in Heb
  20. 2 Samuel 19:43 Singular in Heb
  21. 2 Samuel 19:43 Singular in Heb
  22. 2 Samuel 19:43 Singular in Heb
  23. 2 Samuel 19:43 Lit word
  24. 2 Samuel 19:43 Singular in Heb
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2 Samuel 19:9-43
Living Bible

8-10 So the king went out and sat at the city gates, and as the news spread throughout the city that he was there, everyone went to him.

Meanwhile, there was much discussion and argument going on all across the nation: “Why aren’t we talking about bringing the king back?” was the great topic everywhere. “For he saved us from our enemies, the Philistines; and Absalom, whom we made our king instead, chased him out of the country, but now Absalom is dead. Let’s ask David to return and be our king again.”

11-12 Then David sent Zadok and Abiathar the priests to say to the elders of Judah, “Why are you the last ones to reinstate the king? For all Israel is ready, and only you are holding out. Yet you are my own brothers, my own tribe, my own flesh and blood!”

13 And he told them to tell Amasa, “Since you are my nephew, may God strike me dead if I do not appoint you as commander-in-chief of my army in place of Joab.” 14 Then Amasa convinced all the leaders of Judah, and they responded as one man. They sent word to the king, “Return to us and bring back all those who are with you.”

15 So the king started back to Jerusalem. And when he arrived at the Jordan River, it seemed as if everyone in Judah had come to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the river! 16 Then Shimei (the son of Gera the Benjaminite), the man from Bahurim, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David. 17 A thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the servant of Saul, and Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants; they rushed down to the Jordan to arrive ahead of the king. 18 They all worked hard ferrying the king’s household and troops across, and helped them in every way they could.

As the king was crossing, Shimei fell down before him, 19 and pleaded, “My lord the king, please forgive me and forget the terrible thing I did when you left Jerusalem; 20 for I know very well how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all the tribe of Joseph to greet you.”

21 Abishai asked, “Shall not Shimei die, for he cursed the Lord’s chosen king!”

22 “Don’t talk to me like that!” David exclaimed. “This is not a day for execution but for celebration! I am once more king of Israel!”

23 Then, turning to Shimei, he vowed, “Your life is spared.”

24-25 Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, arrived from Jerusalem to meet the king. He had not washed his feet or clothes nor trimmed his beard since the day the king left Jerusalem.

“Why didn’t you come with me, Mephibosheth?” the king asked him.

26 And he replied, “My lord, O king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, ‘Saddle my donkey so that I can go with the king.’ For as you know I am lame. 27 But Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come.[a] But I know that you are as an angel of God, so do what you think best. 28 I and all my relatives could expect only death from you, but instead you have honored me among all those who eat at your own table! So how can I complain?”

29 “All right,” David replied. “My decision is that you and Ziba will divide the land equally between you.”

30 “Give him all of it,” Mephibosheth said. “I am content just to have you back again!”

31-32 Barzillai, who had fed the king and his army during their exile in Mahanaim, arrived from Rogelim to conduct the king across the river. He was very old now, about eighty, and very wealthy.

33 “Come across with me and live in Jerusalem,” the king said to Barzillai. “I will take care of you there.”

34 “No,” he replied, “I am far too old for that. 35 I am eighty years old today, and life has lost its excitement.[b] Food and wine are no longer tasty, and entertainment is not much fun; I would only be a burden to my lord the king. 36 Just to go across the river with you is all the honor I need! 37 Then let me return again to die in my own city, where my father and mother are buried. But here is Chimham.[c] Let him go with you and receive whatever good things you want to give him.”

38 “Good,” the king agreed. “Chimham shall go with me, and I will do for him whatever I would have done for you.”

39 So all the people crossed the Jordan with the king; and after David had kissed and blessed Barzillai, he returned home. 40 The king then went on to Gilgal, taking Chimham with him. And most of Judah and half of Israel were there to greet him. 41 But the men of Israel complained to the king because only men from Judah had ferried him and his household across the Jordan.

42 “Why not?” the men of Judah replied. “The king is one of our own tribe. Why should this make you angry? We have charged him nothing—he hasn’t fed us or given us gifts!”

43 “But there are ten tribes in Israel,” the others replied, “so we have ten times as much right in the king as you do; why didn’t you invite the rest of us? And, remember, we were the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again.”

The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah were very rough in their replies.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 19:27 saying that I refused to come, implied.
  2. 2 Samuel 19:35 life has lost its excitement, literally, “can I discern between good and bad?”
  3. 2 Samuel 19:37 Chimham. According to Josephus, Chimham was Barzillai’s son.
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