A Davidic Psalm, when he fled from his son Absalom.

God Delivers His Servants

Absalom Instigates Civil War

15 Sometime later, Absalom acquired a chariot equipped with horses and recruited^[a] 50 men to accompany^[b] him.^{[c] 2} Then he^[d] would get up early, stand near the passageway to the palace^[e] gate, and when anyone arrived to file a legal complaint for a hearing before the king, Absalom would call to him and ask, “You’re from what city?” If^[f] he replied, “Your servant is from one of Israel’s tribes,” ³ Absalom would respond, “Look, your claims are valid and defensible, but nobody will listen to you on behalf of the king. ⁴ Who will appoint me to be a judge in the land? When anyone arrived to file a legal complaint or other cause, he could approach me for justice and I would settle it!” ⁵ Furthermore, if a man approached him to bow down in front of him, he would put out his hand, grab him, and embrace him. ⁶ By doing all of this to anyone who came to the king for a hearing, Absalom stole the loyalty^[g] of the men of Israel.

⁷ And so it was that forty^[h] years after Israel had demanded a king,^[i] Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron so I can pay my vow that I made to the Lord, ⁸ because when I was living at Geshur in Aram, your servant made this solemn promise:^[j] ‘If the Lord ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’”

⁹ The king replied to him, “Go in peace!” So Absalom^[k] got up and left for Hebron.

¹⁰ But Absalom sent agents throughout all of the tribes of Israel, telling them, “When you hear the sound of the battle trumpet, you’re to announce that Absalom is king in Hebron.” ¹¹ Meanwhile, 200 men left Jerusalem with Absalom. They had been invited to go along, but were innocent, not knowing anything about what was happening.^{[l] 12} Absalom also sent for Ahithophel^[m] the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come^[n] from his home town of Giloh while Absalom^[o] was presenting the sacrificial offerings. And so the conspiracy widened, because the common people increasingly sided with Absalom.

David Flees from Jerusalem

¹³ Then a messenger arrived to inform David, “The loyalties of the men^[p] of Israel have shifted to^[q] Absalom.”

¹⁴ So David told all of his staff who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s get up and get out of here! Otherwise, none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry, or he’ll overtake us quickly, bring disaster on all of us, and execute the inhabitants of the city!”

¹⁵ “Look!” the king’s staff replied. “Your servants will do whatever the king chooses.” ¹⁶ So the king left, taking his entire household with him except for ten mistresses,^[r] who were to keep the palace in order. ¹⁷ The king left, along with all of his people with him, and they paused at the last house. ¹⁸ All of his staff were going on ahead of^[s] him—that is, all of the special forces^[t] and mercenaries,^[u] all of the Gittites, and 600 men who had come to serve^[v] him from Gath, went on ahead of the king.

¹⁹ Then the king suggested to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you have to go with us? Return and stay with the new^[w] king, since you’re a foreigner and exile. Stay where you want to stay.^{[x] 20} It seems only yesterday that you arrived, so should I make you wander around with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your brothers with you. May gracious love and truth accompany you!”

²¹ “As the Lord lives,” Ittai answered in reply, “and as your majesty the king lives, wherever your majesty my king may be—whether living or dying—that’s where your servant will be!”

²² So David replied, “Come along, then!” So Ittai the Gittite went along also, accompanied by all of his men and all of his little ones. ²³ With all of the people in^[y] the territory crying loudly, everybody passed over the Kidron brook, along with the king. Then everyone headed out toward the road that leads to the wilderness.

²⁴ Meanwhile, Zadok showed up also, along with all of the descendants of Levi with him, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God and Abiathar approached while all the people finished abandoning the city. ²⁵ The king told Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I’m shown favor in the Lord’s sight, then he’ll bring me back again and show me both it and the place where it rests.^{[z] 26} But if he should say something like ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ well then, here I am—let him do to me whatever seems right to him.”

²⁷ The king also asked Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer, too? Go back to the city in comfort, along with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. ²⁸ Look! I’ll camp at the wilderness fords until you send word to inform me.”

²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar returned the Ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there. ³⁰ David then left, going up the Mount of Olives,^[aa] crying as he went, with his head covered and his feet bare. All of the people who were with him covered their own heads and climbed up the Mount of Olives,^[ab] crying as they went along.

³¹ Just then, someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of Absalom’s conspirators!”

So David prayed, “Lord, please turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”

Hushai Serves as a Spy

³² Just as David was coming to the top of the Mount of Olives where God was being worshipped, there was Hushai the Archite to meet him, with his coat ripped and dust all over his head! ³³ David greeted him, “If you come along with me, you’ll be a burden to me. ³⁴ So go back to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I’ll be your servant, your majesty! Just as I served your father in the past, I can be your servant now.’ That way you can manipulate Ahithophel’s advice to my benefit. ³⁵ Won’t Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? So whatever you hear from the king’s palace, you’re to report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Their two sons—Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan—are with them there. You’ll be sending me everything that you hear through them.” ³⁷ So David’s friend Hushai went back to the city just as Absalom was arriving in Jerusalem.

David’s Experience with His Adversaries

16 Now just as David happened to have passed the summit of the Mount of Olives,^[ac] suddenly Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba met him, accompanied by a couple of saddled donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 pieces of summer fruit, and a skin of wine! ² The king asked Ziba, “What are those for?”

Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for your young men to eat, and the wine is for whoever wants to drink if they get weary in the wilderness.”

³ Then the king asked, “Where is your master’s son?”

“He’s staying in Jerusalem!” Ziba answered the king. “He’s saying ‘The nation^[ad] of Israel will restore my father’s kingdom to me today!’”

⁴ So the king told Ziba, “Pay attention! Everything that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!”

In response Ziba said, “I’m submitting to you. Let me find favor in your sight, your majesty the king!”

Shimei Curses David

⁵ Later on, as King David approached Bahurim, Gera’s son Shimei, who was related to the family of Saul’s household, went out to meet David,^[ae] cursing continually as he approached. ⁶ He threw rocks at David and all of David’s staff who were accompanying him, while all the rest of the entourage, including all of David’s security detail, were close by him.^{[af] 7} “Get out of here!^[ag] Get out!” Shimei yelled as he cursed. “You murderer! You who think you’re above the law!^{[ah] 8} The Lord has repaid you personally for murdering the entire dynasty of Saul, whose place you’ve taken to reign! And the Lord has given the kingdom into your son Absalom’s control. Now look! Your own evil has caught up with you, because you’re guilty of murder!”

⁹ At this point, Zeruiah’s son Abishai asked the king, “Why should this dead dog be cursing your majesty the king? May I have permission to go over and cut off his head?”

¹⁰ But the king responded, “What do I have in common with you sons of Zeruiah? If he continues to curse—and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David!’—then who are you to be demanding to know^[ai] ‘Why have you done this?’”

¹¹ So David ordered Abishai and all of his staff: “Look! My own son wants to kill me! How much more now is this descendant of Benjamin? Leave him alone and let him go on cursing, because the Lord has ordered him to do this.^{[aj] 12} Perhaps the Lord will take note of my troubles and return good to me instead of curses today!”

¹³ So David and his entourage went on their way, and Shimei walked along the hillside with him, cursing, throwing rocks, and tossing dirt at David^[ak] as they went along. ¹⁴ Eventually, the king and his entourage arrived exhausted at their destination, and David^[al] refreshed himself there.

Absalom Captures Jerusalem

¹⁵ Right about then, Absalom and his entourage from the people of Israel entered Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel. ¹⁶ When David’s friend Hushai the Archite approached Absalom, Hushai greeted Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷ But Absalom asked Hushai, “So this is how you demonstrate your loyalty^[am] to your closest friends? Why didn’t you leave with your friend?”

¹⁸ Hushai replied, “No! On the contrary, whomever the Lord, this group, and all the men of Israel choose is where I’ll be, and I’ll remain with him! ¹⁹ Besides, who else should I be serving? Why not the son? The same way I served your father, I’ll serve you.”^[an]

Ahithophel Counsels Absalom

²⁰ So Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What’s your advice? What should we do?”

²¹ Ahithophel responded, “Go inside and have sex with your father’s mistresses^[ao], whom he left to keep the palace in order. Then everyone in Israel will hear how your father has come to hate you and everyone who has joined you will be emboldened to act.” ²² So they erected a tent for Absalom on the palace roof and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s mistresses right in front of all Israel.

Ahithophel Tries to Crush David’s Supporters

²³ Now Ahithophel’s advice that he provided at that time was being compared to one who inquired of God, so highly regarded was Ahithophel’s counsel by both David and Absalom. 17 ¹ “Give me 12,000 men! I’ll leave^[ap] tonight and pursue David,” Ahithophel advised Absalom. ² “I’ll catch him while he is still tired and weak.^[aq] I’ll frighten him so all his people with him desert him. But I’ll only kill the king. ³ Then I’ll bring everybody else back to you. When the man you’re looking for is dead, all the rest of the people will return quietly.”

⁴ Even though this plan seemed like a good idea to Absalom and to all of the elders of Israel, ⁵ Absalom replied, “Call in Hushai the Archite so I can hear what he has to say, too!” ⁶ When Hushai approached Absalom, Absalom asked him, “Here’s what Ahithophel had to advise. Should we do what he says? Or if not, say so!”

Hushai Counters Ahithophel’s Advice

⁷ “Ahithophel’s advice is not best at this time,” Hushai suggested to Absalom. ⁸ “You know how strong your father and his men are. They’re as mad as a bear robbed of her cubs! Furthermore, your father is a skilled warrior. He won’t stay with his army at night. ⁹ Look! He’s probably already hiding in a cave or someplace like that. If the first attack fails, people will hear about it and think, ‘Absalom’s army is losing!’ ¹⁰ Then even men who would otherwise be as brave as lions will be scared, because every Israeli knows your father is a mighty man, and they know his men are valiant! ¹¹ So here’s my advice: Muster everybody from one end of the country to the other!^[ar] You’ll have an army in number like the sand on the seashore! Then you’ll go into battle! ¹² We’ll go find David wherever he’s hiding. We’ll fall on him like dew on the ground! We’ll kill him and all of his men, and we won’t leave even one man alive! ¹³ If he escapes into a city, we’ll bring ropes to that city and tear it down! We won’t leave a single stone left in the valley!”

¹⁴ Absalom and all of the Israelis replied, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel’s!”

Hushai Warns David

But the Lord had planned to circumvent the sound advice of Ahithophel so the Lord could bring Absalom to destruction. ¹⁵ So Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He also reported what he himself had proposed. Hushai said, ¹⁶ “Quick! Get word to David! Tell him not to spend the night at the crossings that lead to the desert. Instead, he must cross the Jordan River immediately. That way, if he crosses the river, the king and his entourage^[as] will survive.”

¹⁷ Meanwhile, since they could not risk being seen entering the city, Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been waiting at En-rogel, where a young servant woman was to go to inform them and they would then go brief King David. ¹⁸ But a young man observed Jonathan and Ahimaaz and informed Absalom, so they left in a hurry, arrived at the home of a man who lived at Bahurim, and hid inside a well that was in his courtyard. ¹⁹ The man’s wife grabbed a sheet, covered the mouth of the well with it, and spread some dried grain over it. As a result, nobody could tell it was a hiding place.^[at]

²⁰ When Absalom’s servants approached the woman of the house, they asked her, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

“They’ve already crossed the brook,” the woman answered. So Absalom’s servants went away in search of Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they couldn’t find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ A little while later, the men crawled up out of the well and went off to talk to King David. They told David, “Get up! Cross the water quickly, because this is what Ahithophel advised about you…” ²² So David got up and all of his entourage crossed the Jordan River.^[au] Everyone had crossed the Jordan River by dawn’s first light.

Ahithophel’s Suicide

²³ Meanwhile, when Ahithophel observed that his counsel was not being acted upon, he saddled his donkey, got up, and left for his hometown. Leaving behind a set of orders for his household, he hanged^[av] himself. After his death he was buried in his father’s tomb.

David Receives Supplies in the Wilderness

²⁴ Later, David arrived at Mahanaim. Absalom and all of the Israelis who supported him crossed the Jordan River. ²⁵ Absalom had installed Amasa in place of Joab over the army. (Amasa was the son of a man named Jether the Ishmaelite. His mother was Abigail, a daughter of Nahash and a sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.) ²⁶ Absalom and the Israelis with him^[aw] camped in the territory of Gilead. ²⁷ When David arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi (Nahash’s son from the Ammonite town of Rabbah), Makir (Ammiel’s son from Lo-debar), and Barzillai (from Rogelim in Gilead) were already there. ²⁸ They brought along bedding, bowls, clay basins, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grains, beans, peas, ²⁹ honey, cheeses,^[ax] sheep, and cheese made from cow’s milk for David and his entourage because they had been reasoning, “The people are hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the wilderness.”

The Battle Begins

18 David mustered his forces and appointed officers in charge of regiments and companies.^{[ay] 2} Dividing his forces into three groups, he set Joab as commander of one third of his army, Zeruiah’s son Abishai, Joab’s brother, as commander of another third, and Ittai from Gath as commander of another third. The king informed the army, “I’m going out to battle^[az] with you, too.”

³ “No way!” his army responded. “If we have to retreat from the battle, Absalom’s men won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care about us. But you are worth 10,000 of us. The best thing you can do for us is to remain in the city.”

⁴ So David responded, “I’ll do what you think best.” Then he stood alongside the city gate as the army went out in battle array by hundreds and thousands. ⁵ As they were going out, the king ordered Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat young Absalom gently for my sake.” Everyone heard what the king had ordered his commanders about Absalom.

⁶ David’s army left for the battlefield to fight Absalom and his Israeli followers, and they also fought in the Ephraim forest, ⁷ where David’s army of servants defeated the Israelis. Many died that day—20,000 men. ⁸ The battle spread throughout the entire countryside, and the forest claimed more casualties that day than did the sword fighting.

Joab Kills Absalom

⁹ Absalom happened to run into David’s soldiers. While Absalom was trying to get away on his mule, it ran under the thick branches of a giant oak tree, and Absalom’s head got caught in the tree! As his mule ran out from under him, Absalom was left hanging above the ground. ¹⁰ When one of the soldiers saw what had happened, he told Joab, “I saw Absalom stuck in an oak tree!”

¹¹ Joab asked the man who was reporting to him, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you kill him right then and there? I would’ve given you ten pieces^[ba] of silver and a warrior’s sash!”^[bb]

¹² But the soldier replied to Joab, “I wouldn’t have touched the king’s son even if you dropped 1,000 pieces^[bc] of silver right into my hands, because we heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Watch how you treat the young man Absalom!’ ¹³ If I had taken his life,^[bd] the king would have uncovered everything about it, and you would never have protected me!”

¹⁴ “There’s no reason to wait for you!” Joab retorted. Then he took three spears^[be] in his hand and stabbed Absalom in the heart while he was still alive, dangling from the branches of^[bf] the oak tree. ¹⁵ Ten young men who served as Joab’s personal assistants then surrounded Absalom, striking him repeatedly and killing him. ¹⁶ At this, Joab sounded his battle trumpet and his troops stopped pursuing the other^[bg] Israelis. ¹⁷ Meanwhile, Joab’s army grabbed Absalom’s body, tossed it into a large pit in the forest, and filled it up with a huge pile of rocks. Then the Israelis ran away back to their homes.

¹⁸ While Absalom had been living, he had erected a pillar as a monument^[bh] to himself in King’s Valley because he had been telling himself, “I don’t have a son to carry on my family name.”^[bi] So he named the pillar after himself—it’s called Absalom’s Monument even today.

David Learns of Absalom’s Death

¹⁹ Zadok’s son Ahimaaz told Joab, “Let me run over to King David and take him the news. I’ll mention that the Lord has delivered him from his enemies.”

²⁰ But Joab answered Ahimaaz, “You’re not the man to deliver news today. Do it any other time, but not today, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ So Joab ordered a man from Ethiopia,^[bj] “Go tell the king what you’ve seen.” So the Ethiopian^[bk] saluted^[bl] Joab and then ran to tell David.

²² “Please,” Zadok’s son Ahimaaz continued, “No matter what happens, let me follow the Ethiopian!”

Joab asked him, “Why this request^[bm] to run, my son? There’s no reward in it for you.”

²³ “No matter what, I’m running,” Ahimaaz replied.^[bn]

So Joab told Ahimaaz, “Run!” And Ahimaaz ran, taking the Jordan Valley road, passing the Ethiopian.

²⁴ Meanwhile, David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman was up on the roof of the gateway near the walls, looking around, and there was a man running by himself! ²⁵ So the watchman^[bo] called out his news to the king.

The king responded, “If he’s alone, he’s bringing some news to report.”^[bp] As the man continued to draw near and approach the palace,^{[bq] 26} the watchman observed another man running. So he called out to the gatekeeper, “There’s another^[br] man running by himself!”

The king replied, “He’s also bringing some news to report!”

²⁷ Then the watchman observed, “It looks to me that the runner out in front is running like Zadok’s son Ahimaaz!”

The king replied, “This is a good man bearing good news!”

²⁸ “Everything’s fine!”^[bs] Ahimaaz announced to the king. He bowed low with his face to the ground^[bt] before the king and said, “Praise be to the Lord your God! He has handed over the men who rebelled against your majesty the king.”

²⁹ “Are things fine^[bu] with respect to the young man Absalom?” the king asked.

Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a lot of confusion about the time Joab was getting ready to send the king’s courier and me, your servant, but I’m not sure what was going on.”^[bv]

³⁰ The king replied, “Stand here at attention and wait.” So he stepped to the side and stood there waiting.

³¹ Just then the Ethiopian arrived. He^[bw] reported, “Good news, your majesty the king! The Lord has delivered you from the control of everyone who rebelled against you!”

³² The king asked the Ethiopian, “Is the young man safe?”

The Ethiopian answered, “May the enemies of your majesty the king—including everyone who rebels and tries to harm you—become like that young man….”

David Mourns for Absalom

^33 [bx]Deeply shaken, the king went up to the chamber overlooking the city gate, weeping bitterly and crying out as he went along, “My son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you, Absalom my son, my son!”

Joab Rebukes David

19 ^[by]Someone informed Joab, “The king is weeping bitterly, mourning for Absalom.” ² The victory had become an occasion for the army to mourn, because on that very day the troops heard the announcement, “The king is grieving for his son!” ³ So men snuck into the city that day like men do who are ashamed after they’ve run away from a battle.

⁴ Meanwhile, the king veiled his face and kept on crying loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom my son, my son!”

⁵ Joab went up to the palace and rebuked the king: “Today you’ve humiliated your entire army who just saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and mistresses! ⁶ You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! You’ve made it abundantly clear today that your officers and the men under them^[bz] mean nothing to you! I’ve learned today that you would rather have Absalom alive today and all the rest of us dead! ⁷ Now get up and restore the morale of^[ca] your army. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t get out there, you won’t have a single man left in your army^[cb] by nightfall! You’ll be in more trouble today than all the disasters you’ve been through from your boyhood until now!” ⁸ So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the army was informed, “The king is sitting in the gateway!” they all gathered together in his presence.

David is Reinstated as King

Meanwhile, the Israelis had run away back to their own homes. ⁹ Throughout the tribes of Israel, everyone was quarreling with one another:

“The king delivered us from the domination of our enemies….”

“He’s the one who rescued us from Philistine control….”

“Now he’s fleeing the country because of Absalom…!”

¹⁰ “The very same Absalom we anointed to rule just died in battle…!”

“Now then, why remain silent about bringing the king back…?”

¹¹ So King David sent this message^[cc] to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Ask the elders of Judah, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace, considering that what’s being reported throughout all of Israel has come to the king at his palace? ¹² You’re my relatives! You’re my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last to bring back the king?’ ¹³ Then ask Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my own flesh and blood? So may God deal with me, no matter how severely, if from this day forward you don’t take Joab’s place as commander of my army.’

¹⁴ By doing things like this,^[cd] he persuaded all the men of Judah to unite in support of him.^[ce] They sent the king this message: “Come on back, you and all of your army!” ¹⁵ So the king returned to Israel as far as the Jordan River.^[cf]

Shimei is Shown Mercy

The men of Judah went out as far as Gilgal to greet the king and escort him across the Jordan River ¹⁶ while Gera’s son Shimei,^[cg] a descendant of Benjamin from Bahurim, accompanied them to meet King David. ¹⁷ Ziba, the steward in charge of Saul’s household, and 1,000 descendants of Benjamin accompanied him, along with Ziba’s fifteen sons and 20 servants. They rushed toward the Jordan River ahead of the king ¹⁸ and forded it to assist the king at the crossing so he could do whatever he wished.

Just as the king was about to ford the Jordan River, Gera’s son Shimei fell down in front of the king ¹⁹ and addressed him,^[ch] “May your majesty not hold me guilty. Don’t remember how your servant did wrong the day your majesty the king left Jerusalem. May the king not let it burden his heart, ²⁰ because your servant knows that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first one from the entire house of Joseph to meet your majesty the king.”

²¹ But Zeruiah’s son Abishai asked, “Why shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!”

²² David replied, “What do you sons of Zeruiah have in common with me?^[ci] You’ve become my enemies today! Should anyone be executed in Israel today? Don’t you know that I’ve been reinstated as king over Israel today?” ²³ Then the king addressed Shimei, “You won’t die!” affirming his promise with an oath.

David Meets Mephibosheth

²⁴ Meanwhile, Saul’s grandson Mephibosheth also went out to greet 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 arrived from Jerusalem to greet the king, the king asked him, “So why didn’t you come with me, Mephibosheth?”

²⁶ He replied, “Well, your majesty, since your servant is lame, I told myself, ‘I’ll have my donkey saddled and I’ll ride on it so I can leave with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me ²⁷ by slandering your servant to your majesty.^[cj] But your majesty the king is like an angel from God: so do what you think is best. ²⁸ Everyone from my grandfather’s household deserved nothing but death from your majesty the king, but you provided a place for your servant among those who have been eating from your table. So what right do I have to ask for anything more from the king?”

²⁹ In response, the king told him, “What’s the point of us talking anymore? My decision is that you and Ziba divide the fields.”

³⁰ But Mephibosheth told the king, “Let him take all of it, now that your majesty the king has returned safely to his palace.”

David’s Mercy for Barzillai

³¹ Barzillai the Gileadite also had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan River with the king and to see him on his way from there. ³² Now Barzillai was a very old man at the age of 80 years. A very wealthy man, Barzillai^[ck] had provided for king David during his sojourn in Mahanaim.^{[cl] 33} So the king invited Barzillai, “Cross the Jordan River^[cm] with me, live with me in Jerusalem, and I’ll provide for you there.”^[cn]

³⁴ “How many more years do I have to live,” Barzillai replied to the king, “that I should move to Jerusalem with the king? ³⁵ I’m now 80 years old! I can hardly tell the difference between what tastes^[co] good or bad! I can’t tell what I eat or drink! I can’t hear the voice of men and women when they sing! So why should your servant be an added burden to your majesty the king? ³⁶ Your servant will cross the Jordan River^[cp] with the king for a short distance, but why should the king offer me this reward? ³⁷ Please let your servant return so I can die in my own home town near the grave of my father and mother. Meanwhile, here is your servant Chimham!^[cq] Let him accompany your majesty the king. Please do for him whatever seems best to you.”

³⁸ So the king answered, “Chimham will accompany me, and I’ll do for him whatever seems best to you! I’ll do anything for you that you want!” ³⁹ Then all the people crossed the Jordan River,^[cr] followed by the king. The king embraced^[cs] Barzillai, blessed him, and then Barzillai^[ct] returned to his home.^{[cu] 40} As the king crossed over the Jordan River^[cv] to Gilgal, Chimham accompanied him, as did all the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel.

Petty Quarrels Arise between Israel and Judah

⁴¹ Not long afterward, all the men of Israel started coming to the king, complaining to him,^[cw] “Why did our relatives in Judah’s army sneak you away, taking the king and his household over the Jordan River,^[cx] along with David’s army?”

⁴² Everybody from Judah shouted to the men from Israel, “We did this because the king is closely related to us. So why are you angry about this? Have we lived off^[cy] the king’s expense? Have we appropriated anything for ourselves?”

⁴³ But the men from Israel answered the men from Judah: “We^[cz] represent ten of the tribes^[da] of Israel! So we^[db] have more right to David than you^[dc] do! Why haven’t you^[dd] taken us^[de] seriously? Weren’t we^[df] the first to talk about bringing back our^[dg] king?” But what the people of Judah had to say was harsher than what the people of Israel were saying.