2 Samuel 19:1-16

Complete Jewish Bible

19 ^(18:33)Trembling, the king went up to the room over the gate, weeping and crying, “Oh, my son Avshalom! My son! My son Avshalom! If only I had died instead of you! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!”

²⁽¹⁾Yo’av was told, “The king is weeping, mourning for Avshalom.” ³⁽²⁾Thus the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day that the king was grieving for his son; ⁴⁽³⁾so that the people entered the city furtively that day, the way that people who are ashamed creep away when fleeing a battlefield. ⁵⁽⁴⁾Meanwhile, the king covered his face and cried aloud, “Oh, my son Avshalom! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!”

⁶⁽⁵⁾Yo’av went inside to the king and said, “Today you made all your servants feel ashamed. They saved your life today, and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives and concubines. ⁷⁽⁶⁾But you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today you said that princes and servants mean nothing to you — for I can see today that it would have pleased you more if Avshalom had lived today, and we had all died! ⁸⁽⁷⁾Now get up, go out and speak heart-to-heart with your servants. For I swear by Adonai that if you don’t go out, not one man will stay here with you tonight — and that will be worse for you than all the misfortunes you have suffered from your youth until now.” ⁹⁽⁸⁾So the king got up and sat in the city gateway; and when all the people were told, “Now the king is sitting in the gate,” they came before the king.

Meanwhile, Isra’el had fled, each man to his tent; ¹⁰⁽⁹⁾and throughout all the tribes of Isra’el there was dissension among all the people. They were saying, “The king delivered us from the power of our enemies, and he saved us from the power of the P’lishtim; but now he has fled the land to escape Avshalom. ¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾However, Avshalom, whom we anointed to rule us, is dead in battle. So now, why doesn’t anyone suggest bringing the king back?”

¹²⁽¹¹⁾King David sent this message to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim: “Ask the leaders of Y’hudah, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace? The king has already heard that all Isra’el wants to return him to his palace. ¹³⁽¹²⁾You are my kinsmen, my flesh and bone; so why are you the last to bring back the king?’ ¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Also tell ‘Amasa, ‘You are my flesh and bone. May God bring terrible curses on me and worse ones yet if from now on you are not permanent commander of my army instead of Yo’av.” ¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Y’hudah around as if they were one man, so that they sent a message to the king, “Come back, you and all your servants!”

¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾The king started back and arrived at the Yarden, while Y’hudah came to Gilgal in order to meet the king and bring the king over the Yarden.

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