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14 He[a] 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.[b]

Now the people of Judah[c] had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him[d] 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 1,000 men from Benjamin with him, along with Ziba the servant[e] of Saul’s household, and with him his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurriedly crossed[f] 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, left[g] Jerusalem! Please don’t call it to mind! 20 For I, your servant,[h] 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,[i] you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?” 23 The king said to Shimei, “You won’t die.” The king vowed an oath[j] concerning this.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 19:14 tn The referent of “he” is not entirely clear: cf. NCV “David”; TEV “David’s words”; NRSV, NLT “Amasa.”
  2. 2 Samuel 19:15 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  3. 2 Samuel 19:15 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Judah.”
  4. 2 Samuel 19:15 tn Heb “the king.” The pronoun (“him”) has been used in the translation to avoid redundancy.
  5. 2 Samuel 19:17 tn Heb “youth.”
  6. 2 Samuel 19:17 tn Heb “rushed into.”
  7. 2 Samuel 19:19 tn Though this verb in the MT is third person masculine singular, it should probably be read as second 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.”
  8. 2 Samuel 19:20 tn The Hebrew text has simply “your servant.” The word "I" has been supplied for English style.
  9. 2 Samuel 19:22 tn Heb “what to me and to you.”
  10. 2 Samuel 19:23 tn Heb “swore to him.”

14 He won over the hearts of the men of Judah so that they were all of one mind. They sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your men.” 15 Then the king returned and went as far as the Jordan.

Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal(A) to go out and meet the king and bring him across the Jordan. 16 Shimei(B) son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba,(C) the steward of Saul’s household,(D) and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan, where the king was. 18 They crossed at the ford to take the king’s household over and to do whatever he wished.

When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king 19 and said to him, “May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem.(E) May the king put it out of his mind. 20 For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first from the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.”

21 Then Abishai(F) son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed(G) the Lord’s anointed.”(H)

22 David replied, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?(I) What right do you have to interfere? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today?(J) Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?” 23 So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king promised him on oath.(K)

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