2 Samuel 19
Christian Standard Bible
David’s Kingdom Restored
19 It was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping. He’s mourning over Absalom.” 2 That day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the troops because on that day the troops heard, “The king is grieving over his son.” 3 So they returned to the city quietly that day like troops come in when they are humiliated after fleeing in battle. 4 But the king covered his face(A) and cried loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have shamed all your soldiers—those who saved your life as well as your sons, your wives, and your concubines— 6 by loving your enemies and hating those who love you! Today you have made it clear that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. In fact, today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would be fine with you![a]
7 “Now get up! Go out and encourage[b] your soldiers, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will remain with you tonight.(B) This will be worse for you than all the trouble that has come to you from your youth until now!”
8 So the king got up and sat in the city gate,(C) and all the people were told, “Look, the king is sitting in the city gate.” Then they all came into the king’s presence.
Meanwhile, each Israelite had fled to his tent.(D) 9 People throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves, saying, “The king rescued us from the grasp of our enemies,(E) and he saved us from the grasp of the Philistines,(F) but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.(G) 10 But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”
11 King David sent word to the priests Zadok and Abiathar:(H) “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace? The talk of all Israel has reached the king at his house. 12 You are my brothers, my flesh and blood.[c](I) So why should you be the last to restore the king?’ 13 And tell Amasa,(J) ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood?[d] May God punish me and do so severely if you don’t become commander of my army from now on instead of Joab!’”
14 So he won over[e] all the men of Judah, and they unanimously sent word to the king: “Come back, you and all your servants.” 15 Then the king returned. When he arrived at the Jordan, Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and escort him across the Jordan.
16 Shimei son of Gera,(K) the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 There were a thousand men from Benjamin with him. Ziba, an attendant from the house of Saul,(L) with his fifteen sons and twenty servants also rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king. 18 They forded the Jordan to bring the king’s household across and do whatever the king desired.[f]
When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell facedown before the king 19 and said to him, “My lord, don’t hold me guilty, and don’t remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem.(M) May the king not take it to heart. 20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. But look! Today I am the first one of the entire house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
21 Abishai son of Zeruiah asked, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” (N)
22 David answered, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything?(O) Have you become my adversary today? Should any man be killed in Israel today? Am I not aware that today I’m king over Israel?” 23 So the king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” Then the king gave him his oath.(P)
24 Mephibosheth,(Q) Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. 25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you come with me?”
26 “My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said, ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself[g] so that I may ride it and go with the king’—for your servant is lame.(R) 27 Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king.(S) But my lord the king is like the angel of God,(T) so do whatever you think best.[h] 28 For my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table.(U) So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king?”
29 The king said to him, “Why keep on speaking about these matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land.”(V)
30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has come to his palace safely, let Ziba take it all!”
31 Barzillai the Gileadite(W) had come down from Rogelim and accompanied the king to the Jordan River to see him off at the Jordan. 32 Barzillai was a very old man—eighty years old—and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the needs of the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.(X)
33 The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I’ll provide for you[i] at my side in Jerusalem.”
34 Barzillai replied to the king, “How many years of my life are left that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? 35 I’m now eighty years old.(Y) Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?(Z) 36 Since your servant is only going with the king a little way across the Jordan, why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37 Please let your servant return so that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham;(AA) let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him what seems good to you.”[j]
38 The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you, and whatever you desire from me I will do for you.” 39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned to his home.
40 The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. All the troops of Judah and half of Israel’s escorted the king. 41 Suddenly, all the men of Israel came to the king. They asked him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and transport the king and his household across the Jordan, along with all of David’s men?”
42 All the men of Judah responded to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our relative. Why does this make you angry? Have we ever eaten anything of the king’s or been honored at all?” [k]
43 The men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king,(AB) so we have a greater claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Weren’t we the first to speak of restoring our king?” (AC) But the words of the men of Judah were harsher than those of the men of Israel.
Notas al pie
- 19:6 Lit be right in your eyes
- 19:7 Lit speak to the heart of
- 19:12 Lit my bone and my flesh
- 19:13 Lit my bone and my flesh?
- 19:14 Lit he turned the heart of
- 19:18 Lit do what is good in his eyes
- 19:26 LXX, Syr, Vg read said to him, ‘Saddle the donkey for me
- 19:27 Lit do what is good in your eyes
- 19:33 LXX reads for your old age; Ru 4:15
- 19:37 Lit what is good in your eyes, also in v. 38
- 19:42 LXX reads king’s or has he given us a gift or granted us a portion
2 Samuel 19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
19 It was told Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”(A) 2 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops, for the troops heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.” 3 The troops stole into the city that day as soldiers steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. 4 The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”(B) 5 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your officers who have saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and your daughters, and the lives of your wives and your concubines, 6 for love of those who hate you and for hatred of those who love you. You have made it clear today that commanders and officers are nothing to you, for I perceive that, if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. 7 So go out at once and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than any disaster that has come upon you from your youth until now.” 8 Then the king got up and took his seat in the gate. The troops were all told, “See, the king is sitting in the gate,” and all the troops came before the king.
David Recalled to Jerusalem
Meanwhile, all the Israelites had fled to their homes.(C) 9 All the people were disputing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land because of Absalom.(D) 10 But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
11 King David sent this message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house? The talk of all Israel has come to the king.[a] 12 You are my kin; you are my bone and my flesh; why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’(E) 13 And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? So may God do to me and more, if you are not the commander of my army from now on, in place of Joab.’ ”(F) 14 Amasa[b] swayed the hearts of all the people of Judah as one, and they sent word to the king, “Return, both you and all your servants.”(G) 15 So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring him over the Jordan.(H)
16 Shimei son of Gera, a Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the people of Judah to meet King David;(I) 17 with him were a thousand people from Benjamin. And Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king(J) 18 while the crossing was taking place,[c] to bring over the king’s household and to do his pleasure.
David’s Mercy to Shimei
Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan 19 and said to the king, “May my lord not hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem; may the king not bear it in mind.(K) 20 For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, see, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”(L) 21 Abishai son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?”(M) 22 But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should today become an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?”(N) 23 The king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath.(O)
David and Mephibosheth Meet
24 Mephibosheth grandson of Saul came down to meet the king; he had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he came back in safety.(P) 25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”(Q) 26 He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘Saddle a donkey for me[d] so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame.(R) 27 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you.(S) 28 For all my father’s house were doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to appeal to the king?”(T) 29 The king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” 30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take it all, since my lord the king has arrived home safely.”
David’s Kindness to Barzillai
31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; he went on with the king to the Jordan to escort him over the Jordan.(U) 32 Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.(V) 33 The king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you in Jerusalem at my side.” 34 But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 Today I am eighty years old; can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?(W) 36 Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king recompense me with such a reward? 37 Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own town, near the graves of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king and do for him whatever seems good to you.”(X) 38 The king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” 39 Then all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king crossed over; the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home.(Y) 40 The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; all the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.
41 Then all the people of Israel came to the king and said to him, “Why have our kindred the people of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan and all David’s men with him?”(Z) 42 All the people of Judah answered the people of Israel, “Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?”(AA) 43 But the people of Israel answered the people of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the people of Judah were fiercer than the words of the people of Israel.(AB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.