1
Then it was
told Joab,
"Behold, the
king is
weeping and
mourns for
Absalom."
leB;a.tiY;w h,k{B .$,l,M;h heNih b'aw{y.l d;GUY;w ? ~{l'v.b;a -l;[
2
The
victory that
day was
turned to
mourning for
all the
people, for the
people heard it
said that
day, "The
king is
grieved for his
son."
~'['h -l'k.l l,bea.l a.Wh;h ~w{Y;B h'[Uv.T;h yih.T;w ? b;c/[,n r{mael a.Wh;h ~w{Y;B ~'['h [;m'v -yiK ? w{n.B -l;[ .$,l,M;h
3
So the
people went by
stealth into the
city that
day, as
people who are
humiliated steal away when they
flee in
battle.
ryi['h aw{b'l a.Wh;h ~w{Y;B ~'['h beN;G.tiY;w ? h'm'x.liM;B ~'s.Wn.B ~yim'l.kiN;h ~'['h beN;G.tIy r,v]a;K
4
The
king covered his
face and
cried out with a
loud voice, "O my
son Absalom, O
Absalom, my
son, my
son!"
lw{q .$,l,M;h q;[.ziY;w wy'n'P -t,a j;a'l .$,l,M;h.w ? yin.b yin.B ~w{l'v.b;a ~w{l'v.b;a yin.B lw{d'G
5
Then
Joab came 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,
'T.v;b{h r,ma{Y;w tIy'B;h .$,l,M;h -l,a b'aw{y a{b'Y;w ? ~yij.L;m.m;h '$y,d'b][ -l'k yen.P -t,a ~w{Y;h ? '$y,t{n.b.W '$y,n'B v,p,n tea.w ~w{Y;h '$.v.p;n -t,a ? '$y,v.g;liP v,p,n.w '$y,v'n v,p,n.w
6
by
loving those who
hate you, and by
hating those who
love you. For you have
shown today that
princes and
servants are
nothing to you; for I
know this
day that
if Absalom were
alive and
all of us were
dead today,
then you would be
pleased *.
'$y,b]h{a -t,a a{n.fil.w '$y,a.n{f -t,a h'b]h;a.l ? ~yid'b][;w ~yir'f '$.l !yea yiK ~w{Y;h 'T.d;Gih yiK ? .Wn'LUk.w y;x ~w{l'v.b;a a{l yiK ~w{Y;h yiT.[;d'y yiK ? '$y,nye[.B r'v'y z'a -yiK ~yitem ~w{Y;h
7
"Now therefore
arise,
go out and
speak kindly to your
servants, for I
swear by the
LORD,
if you do not
go out,
surely not a
man will
pass the
night with you, and
this will be
worse for you
than all the
evil that has
come upon you from your
youth until now."
yiK '$y,d'b][ bel -l;[ reB;d.w aec ~.Wq h'T;[.w ? !yil'y -mia aecw{y '$.nyea -yiK yiT.[;B.vin h'why;b ? h'['r'h -l'Kim ta{z '$.l h'['r.w h'l.y;L;h '$.Tia vyia ? h'T'[ -d;[ '$y,rU[.Nim '$y,l'[ h'a'B -r,v]a
8
So the
king arose and
sat in the
gate. When they
told all the
people,
saying,
"Behold, the
king is
sitting in the
gate," then
all the
people came before the
king. Now
Israel had
fled,
each to his
tent.
.WdyiGih ~'['h -l'k.l.W r;['V;B b,veY;w .$,l,M;h ~'q'Y;w ? ~'['h -l'k a{b'Y;w r;[;V;B bevw{y .$,l,M;h heNih r{mael ? wy'l'h{a.l vyia s'n lea'r.fIy.w .$,l,M;h yen.pil
9
All the
people were
quarreling throughout
all the
tribes of
Israel,
saying, "The
king delivered 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.
lea'r.fIy yej.biv -l'k.B !w{d'n ~'['h -l'k yih.y;w ? a.Wh.w .Wnyeb.y{a @;Kim .Wn'lyiCih .$,l,M;h r{mael ? #,r'a'h -nim x;r'B h'T;[.w ~yiT.vil.P @;Kim .Wn'j.Lim ? ~w{l'v.b;a l;[em
10
"However,
Absalom,
whom we
anointed over us, has
died in
battle.
Now then,
why are you
silent about
bringing the
king back?"
h'm'x.liM;B tem .Wnyel'[ .Wn.x;v'm r,v]a ~w{l'v.b;a.w ? .$,l,M;h -t,a byiv'h.l ~yivir]x;m ~,T;a h'm'l h'T;[.w
11
Then
King David sent to
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?
r't'y.b,a -l,a.w qw{d'c -l,a x;l'v diw'D .$,l,M;h.w ? h'd.Wh.y yen.qiz -l,a .Wr.B;D r{mael ~yin]h{K;h ? .$,l,M;h -t,a byiv'h.l ~yin{r]x;a .Wy.hit h'M'l r{mael ? .$,l,M;h -l,a a'B lea'r.fIy -l'K r;b.d.W w{tyeB -l,a ? w{tyeB -l,a
12
'You are my
brothers; you are my
bone and my
flesh.
Why then should you be the
last to
bring back the
king?'
.Wy.hit h'M'l.w ~,T;a yir'f.b.W yim.c;[ ~,T;a y;x;a ? .$,l,M;h -t,a byiv'h.l ~yin{r]x;a
13
"Say to
Amasa, 'Are you not my
bone and my
flesh? May
God do so to me, and
more al
so,
if you will not be
commander of the
army before me
continually * in
place of
Joab.' "
h'T'a yir'f.b.W yim.c;[ aw{l]h .Wr.m{T a'f'm][;l.w ? a{l -mia @yisw{y h{k.w ~yih{l/a yiL -h,f][;y h{K ? t;x;T ~yim'Y;h -l'K y;n'p.l h,y.hiT a'b'c -r;f ? b'aw{y
14
Thus he
turned the
hearts of
all the
men of
Judah as
one man, so that they
sent word to the
king, saying,
"Return, you and
all your
servants."
h'd.Wh.y -vyia -l'K b;b.l -t,a j;Y;w ? '$y,d'b][ -l'k.w h'T;a b.Wv .$,l,M;h -l,a .Wx.l.viY;w d'x,a vyia.K
15
The
king then
returned and
came as
far as the
Jordan. And
Judah came to
Gilgal in order to
go to
meet the
king, to
bring the
king across the
Jordan.
h'd.Whyiw !eD.r;Y;h -d;[ a{b'Y;w .$,l,M;h b'v'Y;w ? ryib][;h.l .$,l,M;h ta;r.qil t,k,l'l h'l'G.liG;h a'B ? !eD.r;Y;h -t,a .$,l,M;h -t,a
16
Then
Shimei the
son of
Gera, the
Benjamite who was from
Bahurim,
hurried and
came down with the
men of
Judah to
meet King David.
r,v]a yinyim.y;h -n,B a'reG -n,b yi[.miv reh;m.y;w ? ta;r.qil h'd.Wh.y vyia -mi[ d,reY;w ~yir.Wx;Bim ? diw'D .$,l,M;h
17
There were a
thousand men of
Benjamin with him, with
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.
tyeB r;[;n a'byic.w !im'y.niBim w{Mi[ vyia @,l,a.w ? wy'd'b][ ~yir.f,[.w wy'n'B r'f'[ t,vem]x;w l.Wa'v ? .$,l,M;h yen.pil !eD.r;Y;h .Wx.l'c.w w{Tia
18
Then they kept
crossing the
ford to
bring over the
king's household, and to
do what was
good in his
sight. And
Shimei the
son of
Gera fell down before the
king as he was about to
cross the
Jordan.
.$,l,M;h tyeB -t,a ryib][;l h'r'b]['h h'r.b'[.w ? a'reG -n,b yi[.miv.w w{n.y;[.B bw{J;h tw{f][;l.w ? !eD.r;Y;B w{r.b'[.B .$,l,M;h yen.pil l;p'n
19
So he
said to the
king, "Let not my
lord consider me
guilty,
nor remember what your
servant did wrong on the
day when my
lord the
king came out from
Jerusalem, so that the
king would
take it to
heart.
yin{d]a yil -b'v]x;y -l;a .$,l,M;h -l,a r,ma{Y;w ? '$.D.b;[ h'w/[,h r,v]a tea r{K.ziT -l;a.w !{w'[ ? ~i'l'v.Wryim .$,l,M;h -yin{d]a ]a'c'y -r,v]a ~w{Y;B ? w{Bil -l,a .$,l,M;h ~.Wf'l
20
"For your
servant knows that I have
sinned; therefore
behold, I have
come today, the
first of
all the
house of
Joseph to
go down to
meet my
lord the
king."
yita'b -heNih.w yita'j'x yin]a yiK '$.D.b;[ [;d'y yiK ? ta;r.qil t,d,r'l @esw{y tyeB -l'k.l !w{vair ~w{Y;h ? .$,l,M;h yin{d]a
21
But
Abishai the
son of
Zeruiah said, "Should not
Shimei be
put to
death for
this,
because he
cursed the
LORD'S anointed?"
t;x;t]h r,ma{Y;w h'y.Wr.c -n,B y;vyib]a !;[;Y;w ? ;xyiv.m -t,a leLiq yiK yi[.miv t;m.Wy a{l ta{z ? h'wh.y
22
David then
said,
"What have I to do with you, O
sons of
Zeruiah, that you should this
day be an
adversary to me? Should
any man be
put to
death in
Israel to
day? For do I not
know that I am
king over Israel to
day?"
h'y.Wr.c yen.B ~,k'l.w yiL -h;m diw'D r,ma{Y;w ? t;m.Wy ~w{Y;h !'j'f.l ~w{Y;h yil -.Wy.hit -yiK ? ~w{Y;h yiK yiT.[;d'y aw{l]h yiK lea'r.fIy.B vyia ? lea'r.fIy -l;[ .$,l,m -yin]a
23
The
king said to
Shimei, "You shall not
die." Thus the
king swore to him.
[;b'ViY;w t.Wm't a{l yi[.miv -l,a .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? .$,l,M;h w{l
24
Then
Mephibosheth the
son of
Saul came down to
meet the
king; and he had
neither cared for his
feet,
nor trimmed his
mustache,
nor washed his
clothes, from the
day the
king departed until the
day he
came home in
peace.
.$,l,M;h ta;r.qil d;r'y l.Wa'v -n,B t,v{bip.m.W ? wy'd'g.B -t,a.w w{m'p.f h'f'[ -a{l.w wy'l.g;r h'f'[ -a{l.w ? ~w{Y;h -d;[ .$,l,M;h t,k,l ~w{Y;h -nim.l seBik a{l ? ~w{l'v.b a'B -r,v]a
25
It was
when he
came from
Jerusalem to
meet the
king, that the
king said to him,
"Why did you not
go with me,
Mephibosheth?"
r,ma{Y;w .$,l,M;h ta;r.qil ~i;l'v.Wr.y a'b -yiK yih.y;w ? t,v{byip.m yiMi[ 'T.k;l'h -a{l h'M'l .$,l,M;h w{l
26
So he
answered, "O my
lord, the
king, my
servant deceived me; for your
servant said, 'I will
saddle a
donkey for myself that I may
ride on it and
go with the
king,'
because your
servant is
lame.
r;m'a -yiK yin'Mir yiD.b;[ .$,l,M;h yin{d]a r;ma{Y;w ? 'hy,l'[ b;K.r,a.w rw{m]x;h yiL -h'v.B.x,a '$.D.b;[ ? '$,D.b;[ ;xeSip yiK .$,l,M;h -t,a .$elea.w
27
"Moreover, he has
slandered your
servant to my
lord the
king; but my
lord the
king is like the
angel of
God, therefore
do what is
good in your
sight.
yin{da;w .$,l,M;h yin{d]a -l,a '$.D.b;[.B leG;r.y;w ? '$y,nye[.B bw{J;h hef][;w ~yih{l/a'h .$;a.l;m.K .$,l,M;h
28
"For
all my
father's household was
nothing but
dead men before my
lord the
king; yet you
set your
servant among those who
ate at your own
table.
What right do I
have yet that I should
complain anymore to the
king?"
t,w'm -yev.n;a -mia yiK yib'a tyeB -l'K h'y'h a{l yiK ? yel.k{a.B '$.D.b;[ -t,a t,v'T;w .$,l,M;h yin{da;l ? q{[.zil.w h'q'd.c dw{[ yil -v,Y -h;m.W '$,n'x.lUv ? .$,l,M;h -l,a dw{[
29
So the
king said to him,
"Why do you
still speak of your
affairs? I have
decided, 'You and
Ziba shall
divide the
land.' "
'$y,r'b.D dw{[ reB;d.T h'M'l .$,l,M;h w{l r,ma{Y;w ? h,d'F;h -t,a .Wq.l.x;T a'byic.w h'T;a yiT.r;m'a
30
Mephibosheth said to the
king, "Let him
even take it
all,
since * my
lord the
king has
come safely to his own
house."
l{K;h -t,a ~;G .$,l,M;h -l,a t,v{byip.m r,ma{Y;w ? ~w{l'v.B ]$,l,M;h yin{d]a a'B -r,v]a yer]x;a x'QIy ? w{tyeB -l,a
31
Now
Barzillai the
Gileadite had
come down from
Rogelim; and he
went on to the
Jordan with the
king to
escort him over the
Jordan.
r{b][;Y;w ~yil.g{rem d;r'y yid'[.liG;h y;Liz.r;b.W ? !eD.r;Y;b -t,a w{x.L;v.l !eD.r;Y;h .$,l,M;h -t,a
32
Now
Barzillai was
very old, being
eighty years old; and he had
sustained the
king while he
stayed at
Mahanaim, for he was a
very great man.
l;K.lik -a.Wh.w h'n'v ~yin{m.v -n,B d{a.m !eq'z y;Liz.r;b.W ? vyia -yiK ~Iy;n]x;m.b w{t'byiv.b .$,l,M;h -t,a ? d{a.m a.Wh lw{d'G
33
The
king said to
Barzillai, "You
cross over with me and I will
sustain you in
Jerusalem with me."
yiTia r{b][ h'T;a y'Liz.r;B -l,a .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? ~i'l'v.WryiB yid'Mi[ '$.t{a yiT.l;K.lik.w
34
But
Barzillai said to the
king,
"How long have I yet to
live, that I should
go up with the
king to
Jerusalem?
yen.v yem.y h'M;K .$,l,M;h -l,a y;Liz.r;B r,ma{Y;w ? ~i'l'v.Wr.y .$,l,M;h -t,a h,l/[,a -yiK y;Y;x
35
"I am
now 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
hear anymore the
voice of
singing men and women?
Why then should your
servant be an
added burden to my
lord the
king?
bw{j -nyeB [;dea;h ~w{Y;h yik{n'a h'n'v ~yin{m.v -n,B ? r,v]a -t,a.w l;k{a r,v]a -t,a '$.D.b;[ ~;[.jIy -mia ['r.l ? tw{r'v.w ~yir'v lw{q.B dw{[ [;m.v,a -mia h,T.v,a ? yin{d]a -l,a a'F;m.l dw{[ '$.D.b;[ h,y.hIy h'M'l.w ? .$,l,M;h
36
"Your
servant would
merely cross over the
Jordan with the
king.
Why should the
king compensate me with
this reward?
.$,l,M;h -t,a !eD.r;Y;h -t,a '$.D.b;[ r{b][;y j;[.miK ? ta{Z;h h'l.Wm.G;h .$,l,M;h yinel.m.gIy h'M'l.w
37
"Please let your
servant return, that I may
die in my own
city near the
grave of my
father and my
mother. However,
here is your
servant Chimham, let him
cross over with my
lord the
king, and
do for him
what is
good in your
sight."
r,b,q ~i[ yiryi[.B tUm'a.w '$.D.b;[ a'n -b'v'y ? yin{d]a -mi[ r{b][;y ~'h.mik '$.D.b;[ heNih.w yiMia.w yib'a ? '$y,nye[.B bw{j -r,v]a tea w{l -hef][;w .$,l,M;h
38
The
king answered,
"Chimham shall
cross over 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."
w{L -h,f/[,a yin]a;w ~'h.miK r{b][;y yiTia .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? y;l'[ r;x.biT -r,v]a l{k.w '$y,nye[.B bw{J;h -t,a ? .$'L -h,f/[,a
39
All the
people crossed over the
Jordan and the
king crossed too. The
king then
kissed Barzillai and
blessed him, and he
returned to his
place.
r'b'[ .$,l,M;h.w !eD.r;Y;h -t,a ~'['h -l'K r{b][;Y;w ? w{m{q.mil b'v'Y;w .Whek]r'b.y;w y;Liz.r;b.l .$,l,M;h q;ViY;w
40
Now the
king went on to
Gilgal, and
Chimham went on with him; and
all the
people of
Judah and
also half the
people of
Israel accompanied the
king.
w{Mi[ r;b'[ !'h.mik.w h'l'G.liG;h .$,l,M;h r{b][;Y;w ? ~;g.w .$,l,M;h -t,a .Wrib/[.y;w h'd.Wh.y ~;[ -l'k.w ? lea'r.fIy ~;[ yic]x
41
And
behold,
all the
men of
Israel came to the
king and
said to the
king,
"Why had our
brothers the
men of
Judah stolen you
away, and
brought the
king and his
household and
all David's men with him
over the
Jordan?"
.$,l,M;h -l,a ~yia'B lea'r.fIy vyia -l'K heNih.w ? .Wnyex;a '$.Wb'n.G ;[.WD;m .$,l,M;h -l,a .Wr.ma{Y;w ? w{tyeB -t,a.w .$,l,M;h -t,a .Wrib][;Y;w h'd.Wh.y vyia ? w{Mi[ diw'd yev.n;a -l'k.w !eD.r;Y;h -t,a
42
Then
all the
men of
Judah answered the
men of
Israel,
"Because the
king is a
close relative to us.
Why then are you
angry about this matter? Have we
eaten at
all at the
king's expense,
or has
anything been
taken for us?"
lea'r.fIy vyia -l;[ h'd.Wh.y vyia -l'K !;[;Y;w ? '$.l h'r'x h,Z h'M'l.w y;lea .$,l,M;h bw{r'q -yiK ? .$,l,M;h -nim .Wn.l;k'a lw{k'a,h h,Z;h r'b'D;h -l;[ ? .Wn'l a'Fin taeFin -mia
43
But the
men of
Israel answered the
men of
Judah and
said, "We have
ten parts in the
king, therefore we
also have
more claim on
David than you.
Why then did you
treat us with
contempt? Was it not our
advice first to
bring back our
king?" Yet the
words of the
men of
Judah were
harsher than the
words of the
men of
Israel.
r,ma{Y;w h'd.Wh.y vyia -t,a lea'r.fIy -vyia !;[;Y;w ? yin]a diw'd.B -m;g.w .$,l,M;b yil tw{d'y -r,f,[ ? yir'b.d h'y'h -a{l.w yin;t{Liq/h ;[.WD;m.W '$.Mim ? vyia -r;b.D v,qiY;w yiK.l;m -t,a byiv'h.l yil !w{vair ? lea'r.fIy vyia r;b.Dim h'd.Wh.y