2 Samuel 19 (NET)

1 Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.” 2 So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.” 3 That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle. 4 The king covered his face and cried out loudly,1 “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

5 So Joab visited2 the king at his home. He said, “Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 6 You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now3 that if4 Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today,5 it would be all right with you. 7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to6 your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”

8 So the king got up and sat at the city gate. When all the people were informed that the king was sitting at the city gate, they7 all came before him.

David Goes Back to Jerusalem

But the Israelite soldiers8 had all fled to their own homes.9 9 All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. 10 But Absalom, whom we anointed as our king,10 has died in battle. So now why do you hesitate to bring the king back?”11

11 Then King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests saying, “Tell the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back to his palace,12 when everything Israel is saying has come to the king’s attention.13 12 You are my brothers – my very own flesh and blood!14 Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back?’ 13 Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood?15 God will punish me severely,16 if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

14 He17 won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. Then they sent word to the king saying, “Return, you and all your servants as well.” 15 So the king returned and came to the Jordan River.18

Now the people of Judah19 had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him20 cross the Jordan. 16 Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim came down quickly with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 There were a thousand men from Benjamin with him, along with Ziba the servant21 of Saul’s household, and with him his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurriedly crossed22 the Jordan within sight of the king. 18 They crossed at the ford in order to help the king’s household cross and to do whatever he thought appropriate.

Now after he had crossed the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera threw himself down before the king. 19 He said to the king, “Don’t think badly of me, my lord, and don’t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left23 Jerusalem!24 Please don’t call it to mind! 20 For I, your servant,25 know that I sinned, and I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

21 Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!” 22 But David said, “What do we have in common,26 you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t you realize that today I am king over Israel?” 23 The king said to Shimei, “You won’t die.” The king vowed an oath27 concerning this.

24 Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson,28 came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely29 returned, Mephibosheth30 had not cared for his feet31 nor trimmed32 his mustache nor washed his clothes.

25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 He replied, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I33 said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I34 am lame. 27 But my servant35 has slandered me36 to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you. 28 After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather37 who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table!38 What further claim do I have to ask39 the king for anything?”

29 Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.” 30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have40 the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely41 to his house!”

31 Now when Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, he crossed the Jordan with the king so he could send him on his way from there.42 32 But Barzillai was very old – eighty years old, in fact – and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich43 man. 33 So the king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will take care of you while you are with me in Jerusalem.”

34 Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days do I have left to my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am presently eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I44 taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I45 continue to be a burden to my lord the king? 36 I will cross the Jordan with the king and go a short distance.46 Why should the king reward me in this way? 37 Let me47 return so that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But look, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever seems appropriate to you.”

38 The king replied, “Kimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever I deem appropriate. And whatever you choose, I will do for you.”

39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home.48 40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham49 crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers50 of Judah along with half of the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over.51

41 Then all the men of Israel began coming to the king. They asked the king, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, sneak the king away and help the king and his household cross the Jordan – and not only him but all of David’s men as well?”

42 All the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative! Why are you so upset about this? Have we eaten at the king’s expense?52 Or have we misappropriated anything for our own use?” 43 The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want53 to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.

1tn Heb “with a great voice.” 2tn Heb “came to.” 3tn Heb “today.” 4tc The translation follows the Qere, 4QSam^a, and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading לוּ (lu, “if”) rather than MT לֹא (lo’, “not”). 5tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack “today.” 6tn Heb “and speak to the heart of.” 7tn Heb “all the people.” 8tn The Hebrew text has simply “Israel” (see 18:16-17). 9tn Heb “had fled, each to his tent.” 10tn Heb “over us.” 11tc The LXX includes the following words at the end of v. 11: “And what all Israel was saying came to the king’s attention.” The words are misplaced in the LXX from v. 12 (although the same statement appears there in the LXX as well). 12tn Heb “his house.” 13tc The Hebrew text adds “to his house” (= palace), but the phrase, which also appears earlier in the verse, is probably accidentally repeated here. 14tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.” 15tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.” 16tn Heb “Thus God will do to me and thus he will add.” 17tn The referent of “he” is not entirely clear: cf. NCV “David”; TEV “David’s words”; NRSV, NLT “Amasa.” 18tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 19tn The Hebrew text has simply “Judah.” 20tn Heb “the king.” The pronoun (“him”) has been used in the translation to avoid redundancy. 21tn Heb “youth.” 22tn Heb “rushed into.” 23tn Though this verb in the MT is 3rd person masculine singular, it should probably be read as 2nd person masculine singular. It is one of fifteen places where the Masoretes placed a dot over each of the letters of the word in question in order to call attention to their suspicion of the word. Their concern in this case apparently had to do with the fact that this verb and the two preceding verbs alternate from third person to second and back again to third. Words marked in this way in Hebrew manuscripts or printed editions are said to have puncta extrordinaria, or “extraordinary points.” 24map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 25tn The Hebrew text has simply “your servant.” 26tn Heb “what to me and to you.” 27tn Heb “swore to him.” 28tn Heb “son.” 29tn Heb “in peace.” So also in v. 31. 30tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 31tn Heb “done his feet.” 32tn Heb “done.” 33tn Heb “your servant.” 34tn Heb “your servant.” 35tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 36tn Heb “your servant.” 37tn Heb “father.” 38tn Heb “and you placed your servant among those who eat at your table.” 39tn Heb “to cry out to.” 40tn Heb “take.” 41tn Heb “in peace.” 42tc The MT reading אֶת־בַיַּרְדֵּן (’et-vayyarden, “in the Jordan”) is odd syntactically. The use of the preposition after the object marker אֶת (’et) is difficult to explain. Graphic confusion is likely in the MT; the translation assumes the reading מִיַּרְדֵּן (miyyarden, “from the Jordan”). Another possibility is to read the definite article on the front of “Jordan” (הַיַּרְדֵּן, hayyarden; “the Jordan”). 43tn Heb “great.” 44tn Heb “your servant.” 45tn Heb “your servant.” 46tn Heb “Like a little your servant will cross the Jordan with the king.” 47tn Heb “your servant.” 48tn Heb “to his place.” 49tn The MT in this instance alone spells the name with final ן (nun, “Kimhan”) rather than as elsewhere with final ם (mem, “Kimham”). As in most other translations, the conventional spelling (with ם) has been used here to avoid confusion. 50tn Heb “people.” 51tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading the Hiphil verb הֶעֱבִירוּ (he’eviru, “they caused to pass over”) rather than the Qal verb וַיְעֱבִרוּ (vay’ÿviru, “they crossed over”) of the MT. 52tn Heb “from the king.” 53tn The translation understands the verb in a desiderative sense, indicating the desire but not necessarily the completed action of the party in question. It is possible, however, that the verb should be given the more common sense of accomplished action, in which case it means here “Why have you cursed us?”