5
Then Joabcame into the house to the king and said, "Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines,
6
by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have showntoday that princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that ifAbsalom were alive and all of us were deadtoday, then you would be pleased*.
7
"Now therefore arise, go out and speakkindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, surely not a man will pass the night with you, and this will be worse for you thanall the evil that has come upon you from your youthuntilnow."
8
So the kingarose and sat in the gate. When they toldall the people, saying, "Behold, the king is sitting in the gate," then all the peoplecamebefore the king. Now Israel had fled, each to his tent.
9
All the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The kingdelivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.
11
Then KingDavidsent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, 'Why are you the last to bring the kingback to his house, since the word of allIsrael has come to the king, even to his house?
13
"Say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? May Goddoso to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of the armybefore me continually* in place of Joab.' "
17
There were a thousandmen of Benjamin with him, with Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen*sons and his twentyservants with him; and they rushed to the Jordanbefore the king.
18
Then they kept crossing the ford to bringover the king'shousehold, and to dowhat was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gerafelldownbefore the king as he was about to cross the Jordan.
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So he said to the king, "Let not my lordconsider me guilty, norrememberwhat your servantdidwrong on the daywhen my lord the kingcame out from Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart.
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"For your servantknows that I have sinned; therefore behold, I have cometoday, the first of all the house of Joseph to godown to meet my lord the king."
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David then said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be an adversary to me? Should anyman be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am kingoverIsrael today?"
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Then Mephibosheth the son of Saulcamedown to meet the king; and he had neithercared for his feet, nortrimmed his mustache, norwashed his clothes, from the day the kingdeparteduntil the day he came home in peace.
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So he answered, "O my lord, the king, my servantdeceived me; for your servantsaid, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,' because your servant is lame.
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"Moreover, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God, therefore dowhat is good in your sight.
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"For all my father'shousehold was nothing but deadmen before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. Whatright do I haveyet that I should complainanymore to the king?"
35
"I am noweightyyearsold. Can I distinguishbetweengood and bad? Or can your servanttastewhat I eat or what I drink? Or can I hearanymore the voice of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be an addedburden to my lord the king?
37
"Please let your servantreturn, that I may die in my own citynear the grave of my father and my mother. However, here is your servantChimham, let him crossover with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight."
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The kinganswered, "Chimham shall crossover with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight; and whatever* you require of me, I will do for you."
41
And behold, all the men of Israelcame to the king and said to the king, "Why had our brothers the men of Judahstolen you away, and brought the king and his household and allDavid'smen with him over the Jordan?"
42
Then all the men of Judahanswered the men of Israel, "Because the king is a closerelative to us. Why then are you angryaboutthismatter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense, or has anything been taken for us?"
43
But the men of Israelanswered the men of Judah and said, "We have tenparts in the king, therefore we also have more claim on Davidthan you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not our advicefirst to bringback our king?" Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsherthan the words of the men of Israel.