David Returns to Jerusalem

⁹ Now all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us from the hand of our ^(A)enemies, he delivered us from the hand of the ^(B)Philistines, and now he has ^(C)fled from the land because of Absalom. ¹⁰ But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?”

¹¹ So King David sent to ^(D)Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the words of all Israel have come to the king, to his very house? ¹² You are my brethren, you are ^(E)my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’ ^13 (F)And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? ^(G)God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me ^[a]continually in place of Joab.’ ” ¹⁴ So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, ^(H)just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants!”

¹⁵ Then the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to ^(I)Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to escort the king ^(J)across the Jordan.