Chapter 19

Joab Reproves David. ¹ Word was brought to Joab: “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” ² Therefore, that day’s victory was turned into one of mourning for the entire army when the troops heard the report: “The king is grieving for his son.”

³ The troops stole furtively into the city that day, much as soldiers steal in who are ashamed when they flee from a battle. ⁴ Meanwhile the king covered his face and cried out in a loud voice: “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

⁵ Then Joab came to the king’s house and said to him: “Today you have caused all of your officers and servants to feel ashamed, humiliating those who saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and concubines, ⁶ by showing love for those who hate you and hatred for those who love you.

“You have made it perfectly clear that your commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I feel certain that if Absalom were still alive and all the rest of us were dead, then you would be pleased. ⁷ Therefore, get up, come out, and reassure your servants. I swear by the Lord that if you do not go out, not one man will be left with you by nightfall, and that will be worse for you than all the calamities you have endured from your youth until now.”

⁸ On hearing these words, the king arose and took his seat at the gate. When it was announced to the troops: “The king is sitting at the gate,” they all assembled there before him.

The Reconciliation. Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their homes. ⁹ However, throughout all the tribes of Israel, there was great dissension, and the people were arguing among themselves, saying: “The king delivered us from the clutches of our enemies and rescued us from the hands of the Philistines. But now he has fled from the country to escape from Absalom. ¹⁰ However, Absalom, whom we anointed to reign over us, has fallen in battle. Why, then, does no one offer the suggestion that we should restore the king to his palace?”

¹¹ When King David learned of the debate that was ensuing throughout Israel, he sent this message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “Say to the elders of Judah: ‘Why should you be the last to bring back the king to his palace? ¹² You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. Why then should you be the last to bring the king home?’

¹³ “And say to Amasa: ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh?^[a] May God deal with me in the most severe way possible if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab.’ ” ¹⁴ With those words, David won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man, and they sent this message to the king: “Return, both you and all who serve you.”

¹⁵ David and Shimei. When the king on his return reached the Jordan, the men of Judah came to Gilgal to greet him and escort him across the river. ¹⁶ Shimei, the son of Gera the Benjaminite, from Horonaim, hurried down with the men of Judah to welcome King David.

¹⁷ Accompanying Shimei were one thousand men from Benjamin. Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, together with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, hastened to the Jordan ahead of the king. ¹⁸ They crossed at the ford to transport the king’s household and to do whatever the king requested.

When Shimei, the son of Gera, crossed the Jordan, he threw himself down before the king, ¹⁹ and he said: “I entreat my lord not to hold me guilty or to remember how shamefully I behaved on the day my lord the king departed from Jerusalem. I beg you not to hold my guilt against me. ²⁰ I humbly admit that I have sinned. Today I am the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

²¹ However, Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, objected, saying: “Should not Shimei be put to death because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” ²² David replied: “Of what concern are my decisions to you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you have become my adversary? Should anyone be put to death this day in Israel? Am I not fully aware that today I am king of Israel?” ²³ Then the king said to Shimei: “You shall not die,” and he confirmed that with an oath.

²⁴ David and Meribbaal. Meribbaal, the grandson of Saul, also came down to greet the king. He had not bathed his feet or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he returned safely.

²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him: “Why did you not go with me, Meribbaal?” ²⁶ He said: “My lord the king, my servant betrayed me. Since your servant is lame, I said to him: ‘Saddle a donkey for me so that I may ride on it and accompany the king.’

²⁷ “However, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But I well know that your majesty is like an angel of God. Do what you judge to be best. ²⁸ Although my father’s entire family deserved to die at your majesty’s hands, you placed me, your servant, among those who eat at your table. What right do I have to make any further appeals to the king?”

²⁹ However, the king said to him: “There is no necessity for you to say anything further. I have decided that you and Ziba shall divide the property equally.” ³⁰ Meribbaal replied to the king: “Let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has arrived home safely.”

³¹ David and Barzillai. Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he accompanied the king to the Jordan, where he then planned to take leave of him. ³² Barzillai was quite elderly, eighty years old. He was the one who had provided for the king during David’s stay at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.

³³ The king said to Barzillai: “Cross over with me and stay with me as my guest, and I will provide for you in Jerusalem.” ³⁴ But Barzillai replied to the king: “How many more years do I have to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵ I am now eighty years old. Can I distinguish between what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singing? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?

³⁶ “Your servant will go a short distance across the Jordan with the king. That hardly makes me worthy to receive such a generous reward. ³⁷ Please allow your servant to return to his own town and end his days there, near the graves of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and then do for him whatever you think is right.”

³⁸ The king replied: “Chimham shall cross over with me. I shall do for him whatever you wish, and whatever you request from me, I will do for you.” ³⁹ Thereupon all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king also crossed over. After the king had kissed Barzillai and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home. ⁴⁰ Then the king continued on his journey to Gilgal, accompanied by Chimham.

Israel and Judah Quarrel. All the people of Judah and half the people of Israel had escorted the king across the river. ⁴¹ Before long, all the men of Israel came to the king and complained: “Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away and joined with all David’s men in escorting the king and his household across the Jordan?” ⁴² Then all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel: “We did so because the king is our close relative. What right do you have to complain about this? Have we eaten anything at the king’s expense? Have we received any gifts from him?”

⁴³ The men of Israel retorted to the men of Judah: “We have ten shares in the king. In addition, we have a greater claim than you do. Why do you continue to slight us? Were we not the first ones to suggest the possibility of bringing back the king?” However, the words of the men of Judah were even more vitriolic than the words of the men of Israel.