19:1 And it was told Yo'av, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Avishalom (אבישׁלום).
19:2 And the victory that day was [turned] into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.
19:3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
19:4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Avishalom (אבישׁלום), O Avishalom (אבישׁלום), my son, my son!
19:5 And Yo'av came 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;
19:6 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 if Avishalom (אבישׁלום) had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.
19:7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by YHWH (יהוה), if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.
19:8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Yisra'el had fled every man to his tent.
19:9 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Yisra'el, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Pelishtim; and now he is fled out of the land for Avishalom (אבישׁלום).
19:10 And Avishalom (אבישׁלום), whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a Dvar bringing the king back?
19:11 And king David sent to Tzadok and to Evyatar the Kohenim, saying, Speak unto the Ziknei of Yehudah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Yisra'el is come to the king, [even] to his house.
19:12 Ye [are] my brethren, ye [are] my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?
19:13 And say ye to Amasa, [Art] thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? Elohim (אלהים) do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Yo'av.
19:14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Yehudah, even as [the heart of] one man; so that they sent [this word] unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.
19:15 So the king returned, and came to Yarden. And Yehudah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Yarden.
19:16 And Shimei Ben Gera, a Benyamite, which [was] of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Yehudah to meet king David.
19:17 And [there were] a thousand men of Benyamin with him, and Tziva the servant of the house of Sha'ul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Yarden before the king.
19:18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei Ben Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Yarden;
19:19 And said unto the king, Let not my adon (אדן ) impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my adon (אדן ) the king went out of Yerushalayim, that the king should take it to his heart.
19:20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Yoseph to go down to meet my adon (אדן ) the king.
19:21 But Avishai Ben Zeruyah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed YHWH (יהוה)'S anointed?
19:22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruyah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Yisra'el? for do not I know that I [am] this day king over Yisra'el?
19:23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.
19:24 And Mefivoshet Ben Sha'ul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came [again] in peace.
19:25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Yerushalayim to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mefivoshet?
19:26 And he answered, My adon (אדן ), O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant [is] lame.
19:27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my adon (אדן ) the king; but my adon (אדן ) the king [is] as an angel of Elohim (אלהים): do therefore [what is] good in thine eyes.
19:28 For all [of] my father's house were but dead men before my adon (אדן ) 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?
19:29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Tziva divide the land.
19:30 And Mefivoshet said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my adon (אדן ) the king is come again in peace unto his own house.
19:31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Yarden with the king, to conduct him over Yarden.
19:32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, [even] fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he [was] a very great man.
19:33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Yerushalayim.
19:34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Yerushalayim?
19:35 I [am] this day fourscore years old: [and] can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what 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 adon (אדן ) the king?
19:36 Thy servant will go a little way over Yarden with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
19:37 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 servant Chimham; let him go over with my adon (אדן ) the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.
19:38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, [that] will I do for thee.
19:39 And all the people went over Yarden. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
19:40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Yehudah conducted the king, and also half the people of Yisra'el.
19:41 And, behold, all the men of Yisra'el came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Yehudah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Yarden?
19:42 And all the men of Yehudah answered the men of Yisra'el, 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?
19:43 And the men of Yisra'el answered the men of Yehudah, and said, We have ten parts 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 Yehudah were fiercer than the words of the men of Yisra'el.