⁹ And all the people were in strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled out of the land because of Absalom.

¹⁰ And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore, why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?”

¹¹ And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house, seeing the speech of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house?

¹² Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh. Why then are ye the last to bring back the king?’

¹³ And say ye to Amasa, ‘Art thou not of my bone and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in place of Joab.’”

¹⁴ And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word unto the king: “Return thou, and all thy servants.”

¹⁵ So the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan.