2 Samuel 19:9-15

Amplified Bible

⁹ All the people were quarreling throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king rescued us from the hands of our enemies, and he saved us from the hands of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. ¹⁰ And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So now, why are you [leaders] doing nothing about bringing back the king?”

¹¹ Then King David sent word to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house [in Jerusalem], since the word of all Israel has come to the king, and to his house? ¹² You are my brothers (relatives, relations); you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’ ¹³ Say to Amasa [the commander of Absalom’s troops], ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’” ¹⁴ In this way he changed the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so they sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your ^[a]servants.” ¹⁵ So David returned and came to the Jordan. And [supporters from] Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king, to escort him across the Jordan.