5
And Joabcame into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;
6
In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that ifAbsalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well*.
7
Now therefore arise, go forth, and speakcomfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarryone with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.
8
Then the kingarose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people,saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the peoplecamebefore the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
9
And all the people were at strife throughout 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.
11
And kingDavidsent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,saying, Speak unto 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.
13
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh?Goddo so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the hostbefore me continually in the room of Joab.
14
And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of oneman; so that they sent this word unto the king,Return thou, and all thy servants.
17
And there were a thousandmen of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen*sons and his twentyservants with him; and they went overJordanbefore the king.
18
And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king'shousehold, and to do what he thoughtgood. And Shimei the son of Gera fell downbefore the king, as he was come overJordan;
19
And said unto the king, Let not my lordimputeiniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
20
For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
22
And Davidsaid, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this dayking over Israel?
24
And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neitherdressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the kingdeparted until the day he came again in peace.
26
And he answered, My lord, O king, my servantdeceived me: for thy servantsaid, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.
28
For all of my father'shouse were butdeadmen before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
32
Now Barzillai was a veryaged man, even fourscoreyearsold: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a verygreatman.
35
I am this dayfourscoreyearsold: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servanttastewhat I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
37
Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, 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 over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem goodunto thee.
38
And the kinganswered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem goodunto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.
41
And, behold, all the men of Israelcame to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David'smen with him, over Jordan?
42
And all the men of Judahanswered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift?
43
And the men of Israelanswered the men of Judah, and said, We have tenparts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.