David Returns from Exile

⁹ Then it happened that all the people were disputing among all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies, and he saved us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. ¹⁰ Now Absalom whom we anointed as king over us has died in the battle; so then, why are you taking no action to restore the king?” ¹¹ Then King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah: ‘Why are you last to bring back the king to his house? The talk of all Israel has come to the king in his house. ¹² My brothers, you are my bones and you are my flesh. Why should you be the last to bring back the king?’ ¹³ To Amasa you shall say: ‘Are you not my bones and my flesh? May God punish me^[a] if you are not the commander of my army before me forever, in place of Joab.’” ¹⁴ So he turned the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your servants.”

¹⁵ Then the king returned and he came to the Jordan; Judah had come to Gilgal to come to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan.