Dual Panel1Joab <03097> was told <05046>, “The king <04428> is weeping <01058> and mourning <056> over <05921> Absalom <053>.”
2So the victory <08668> of that <01931> day <03117> was turned <01961> to mourning <060> as far as all <03605> the people <05971> were concerned. For <03588> the people <05971> heard <08085> on that <01931> day <03117>, “The king <04428> is grieved <06087> over <05921> his son <01121>.”
3That <01931> day <03117> the people <05971> stole away <01589> to go <0935> to the city <05892> the way people <05971> who are embarrassed <03637> steal away <01589> in fleeing <05127> from battle <04421>.
4The king <04428> covered <03813> his face <06440> and cried out <02199> loudly <01419> <06963>, “My son <01121>, Absalom <053>! Absalom <053>, my son <01121>, my son <01121>!”
5So Joab <03097> visited <0935> the king <04428> at <0413> his home <01004>. He said <0559>, “Today <03117> you have embarrassed <03001> all <03605> your servants <05650> who have saved <04422> your life <05315> this day <03117>, as well as the lives <05315> of your sons <01121>, your daughters <01323>, your wives <0802>, and your concubines <06370>.
6You seem to love <0157> your enemies and hate <08130> your friends <0157>! For <03588> you have as much as declared <05046> today <03117> that <03588> leaders <08269> and servants <05650> don’t <0369> matter to you. I realize <03045> now <03117> that <03588> if <03863> Absalom <053> were alive <02416> and all <03605> of us were dead <04191> today <03117>, it would be all right <03477> with you.
7So get up <06965> now <06258> and go out <03318> and give <01696> some encouragement <01696> to <05921> your servants <05650>. For <03588> I swear <07650> by the Lord <03068> that <03588> if you don’t <0369> go out <03318> there, not <0518> a single man <0376> will stay <03885> here with <0854> you tonight <03915>! This <02063> disaster <07451> will be worse for you than any <03605> disaster <07451> that <0834> has overtaken <0935> you from <05921> your youth <05271> right to <05704> the present time <06258>!”
8So the king <04428> got up <06965> and sat <03427> at the city gate <08179>. When all <03605> the people <05971> were informed <05046> that the king <04428> was sitting <03427> at the city gate <08179>, they <05971> all <03605> came <0935> before <06440> him <04428>. But the Israelite <03478> soldiers <0376> had all fled <05127> to their own homes <0168>.
9All <03605> the people <05971> throughout all <03605> the tribes <07626> of Israel <03478> were arguing <01777> among themselves saying <0559>, “The king <04428> delivered <05337> us from the hand <03709> of our enemies <0341>. He <01931> rescued <04422> us from the hand <03709> of the Philistines <06430>, but now <06258> he has fled <01272> from <04480> the land <0776> because of <05921> Absalom <053>.
10But Absalom <053>, whom <0834> we anointed <04886> as our king, has died <04191> in battle <04421>. So now <06258> why <04100> do you <0859> hesitate <02790> to bring <07725> the king <04428> back <07725>?”
11Then King <04428> David <01732> sent <07971> a message to <0413> Zadok <06659> and Abiathar <054> the priests <03548> saying <0559>, “Tell <01696> the elders <02205> of Judah <03063>, ‘Why <04100> should you delay <01961> any further <0314> in bringing <07725> the king <04428> back <07725> to <0413> his palace <01004>, when everything <03605> Israel <03478> is saying <01697> has come <0935> to <0413> the king’s <04428> attention.
12You <0859> are my brothers <0251>– my very own <06106> flesh and blood <01320>! Why <04100> should you <0859> delay <01961> any further <0314> in bringing <07725> the king <04428> back <07725>?’
13Say <0559> to Amasa <06021>, ‘Are you <0859> not <03808> my flesh <06106> and blood <01320>? God <0430> will punish <06213> me severely <03254>, if <0518> from this time on <03117> <03605> you are not <03808> the commander <08269> of my army <06635> in place <08478> of Joab <03097>!’”
14He won <05186> over the hearts <03824> of all <03605> the men <0376> of Judah <03063> as though they were one <0259> man <0376>. Then they sent <07971> word to <0413> the king <04428> saying, “Return <07725>, you <0859> and all <03605> your servants <05650> as well.”
15So the king <04428> returned <07725> and came <0935> to <05704> the Jordan River <03383>. Now the people of Judah <03063> had come <0935> to Gilgal <01537> to meet <07125> the king <04428> and to help <05674> him cross <05674> the <0853> Jordan <03383>.
16Shimei <08096> son <01121> of Gera <01617> the Benjaminite <01145> from <0834> Bahurim <0980> came down <03381> quickly <04116> with <05973> the men <0376> of Judah <03063> to meet <07125> King <04428> David <01732>.
17There were a thousand <0505> men <0376> from <05973> Benjamin <01144> with him, along with Ziba <06717> the servant <05288> of Saul’s <07586> household <01004>, and with him his fifteen <06240> <02568> sons <01121> and twenty <06242> servants <05650>. They hurriedly crossed <06743> the Jordan <03383> within sight <06440> of the king <04428>.
18They crossed <05674> at the ford <05679> in order to help the king’s <04428> household <01004> cross <05674> and to do <06213> whatever he thought appropriate <05869> <02896>. Now after he had crossed <05674> the Jordan <03383>, Shimei <08096> son <01121> of Gera <01617> threw <05307> himself down <05307> before <06440> the king <04428>.
19He said <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “Don’t <0408> think badly <02803> of me, my lord <0113>, and don’t <0408> recall <02142> the sin <05753> of your servant <05650> on the day <03117> when <0834> you, my lord <0113> the king <04428>, left <03318> Jerusalem <03389>! Please don’t call <07760> it to <0413> mind <03820>!
20For <03588> I, your servant <05650>, know <03045> that <03588> I <0589> sinned <02398>, and I have come <0935> today <03117> as the first <07223> of all <03605> the house <01004> of Joseph <03130> to come down <03381> to meet <07125> my lord <0113> the king <04428>.”
21Abishai <052> son <01121> of Zeruiah <06870> replied <0559> <06030>, “For <08478> this <02063> should not <03808> Shimei <08096> be put to death <04191>? After all, he cursed <07043> the Lord’s <03068> anointed <04899>!”
22But David <01732> said <0559>, “What <04100> do we have in common, you sons <01121> of Zeruiah <06870>? You are like my enemy <07854> today <03117>! Should anyone <0376> be put to death <04191> in Israel <03478> today <03117>? Don’t <03808> you realize <03045> that <03588> today <03117> I <0589> am king <04428> over <05921> Israel <03478>?”
23The king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> Shimei <08096>, “You won’t <03808> die <04191>.” The king <04428> vowed an oath <07650> concerning this.
24Now Mephibosheth <04648>, Saul’s <07586> grandson <01121>, came down <03381> to meet <07125> the king <04428>. From the day <03117> the king <04428> had left <01980> until <05704> the day <03117> he safely <07965> returned <0935>, Mephibosheth had not <03808> cared <06213> for his feet <07272> nor trimmed <06213> his mustache <08222> nor <03808> washed <03526> his clothes <0899>.
25When <03588> he came <0935> from Jerusalem <03389> to meet <07125> the king <04428>, the king <04428> asked <0559> him, “Why <04100> didn’t <03808> you go <01980> with <05973> me, Mephibosheth <04648>?”
26He replied <0559>, “My lord <0113> the king <04428>, my servant <05650> deceived <07411> me! I said <0559>, ‘Let me get my donkey <05650> saddled <02543> <02280> so that I can ride <07392> on <05921> it and go <01980> with <0854> the king <04428>,’ for <03588> I <05650> am lame <06455>.
27But my servant <05650> has slandered <07270> me to <0413> my lord <0113> the king <04428>. But my lord <0113> the king <04428> is like an angel <04397> of God <0430>. Do <06213> whatever seems appropriate <02896> to you.
28After all, there was <01961> no one <03808> in the entire <03605> house <01004> of my grandfather <01> who did not deserve death <04194> from my lord <0113> the king <04428>. But instead you allowed <07896> me to eat <0398> at your own table <07979>! What <04100> further <05750> claim <06666> do I have <03426> to <0413> ask <02199> the king <04428> for anything <05750>?”
29Then the king <04428> replied <0559> to him, “Why <04100> should you continue <05750> speaking <01696> like this? You <0859> and Ziba <06717> will inherit <02505> the field <07704> together <02505>.”
30Mephibosheth <04648> said <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “Let him have <03947> the whole thing <03605>! My lord <0113> the king <04428> has returned <0935> safely <07965> to <0413> his house <01004>!”
31Now when Barzillai <01271> the Gileadite <01569> had come down <03381> from Rogelim <07274>, he crossed <05674> the Jordan <03383> with <0854> the king <04428> so he could send <07971> him on his way from there <03383>.
32But Barzillai <01271> was very <03966> old <02204>– eighty <08084> years <08141> old <01121>, in fact– and he <01931> had taken care <03557> of the king <04428> when he stayed <07871> in Mahanaim <04266>, for <03588> he <01931> was a very <03966> rich <01419> man <0376>.
33So the king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> Barzillai <01271>, “Cross over <05674> with <0854> me, and I will take care <03557> of you <0859> while you are with me <05978> in Jerusalem <03389>.”
34Barzillai <01271> replied <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “How many <04100> days <03117> do I have left to my life <02416>, that <03588> I should go up <05927> with <0854> the king <04428> to Jerusalem <03389>?
35I <0595> am presently <03117> eighty <08084> years <08141> old <01121>. Am I able to discern <03045> good <02896> and bad <07451>? Can I <05650> taste <02938> what <0834> I eat <0398> and drink <08354>? Am I still <05750> able to hear <08085> the voices <06963> of male <07891> and female <07891> singers <07891> <07891>? Why <04100> should I <05650> continue <05750> to be <01961> a burden <04853> to <0413> my lord <0113> the king <04428>?
36I <05650> will cross <05674> the Jordan <03383> with <0854> the king <04428> and go a short <04592> distance. Why <04100> should the king <04428> reward <01580> me in this <02063> way <01578>?
37Let me <05650> return <07725> so that I may <04994> die <04191> in my own city <05892> near <05973> the grave <06913> of my father <01> and my mother <0517>. But look <02009>, here is your servant <05650> Kimham <03643>. Let him cross over <05674> with <05973> my lord <0113> the king <04428>. Do <06213> for him whatever <0834> seems appropriate <05869> <02896> to you.”
38The king <04428> replied <0559>, “Kimham <03643> will cross over <05674> with <0854> me, and I <0589> will do <06213> for him whatever I deem <05869> appropriate <02896>. And whatever <0834> <03605> you choose <0977>, I will do <06213> for <05921> you.”
39So all <03605> the people <05971> crossed <05674> the Jordan <03383>, as did <05674> the king <04428>. After the king <04428> had kissed <05401> him and blessed <01288> him, Barzillai <01271> returned <07725> to his home <04725>.
40When the king <04428> crossed over <05674> to Gilgal <01537>, Kimham <03643> crossed over <05674> with <05973> him. Now all <03605> the soldiers <05971> of Judah <03063> along <01571> with half <02677> of the soldiers <05971> of Israel <03478> had helped the king <04428> cross over <05674>.
41Then <02009> all <03605> the men <0376> of Israel <03478> began coming <0935> to <0413> the king <04428>. They asked <0559> the king <04428>, “Why <04069> did our brothers <0251>, the men <0376> of Judah <03063>, sneak <01589> the king away <01589> and help <05674> the king <04428> and his household <01004> cross <05674> the Jordan <03383>– and not only him but all <03605> of David’s <01732> men <0376> as well?”
42All <03605> the men <0376> of Judah <03063> replied <06030> to the men <0376> of Israel <03478>, “Because <03588> the king <04428> is our close relative <07138>! Why <04100> are you so upset <02734> about this <02088>? Have we eaten <0398> <0398> at the king’s <04428> expense? Or <0518> have we misappropriated anything <05375> <05379> for our own use?”
43The men <0376> of Israel <03478> replied <06030> to the men <0376> of Judah <03063>, “We have ten <06235> shares <03027> in the king <04428>, and <01571> we have a greater claim on David <01732> than <04480> you do! Why <04069> do you want to curse <07043> us? Weren’t <01961> <03808> we the first <07223> to suggest <01697> bringing back <07725> our king <04428>?” But the comments <01697> of the men <0376> of Judah <03063> were more severe <07185> than those <01697> of the men <0376> of Israel <03478>.