Beginning
Joab Scolds David
19 People told Joab, “Look, the king is crying. He is very sad because of Absalom.” 2 David’s army had won the battle that day. But it became a very sad day for all the people. This was because they heard, “The king is very sad for his son.” 3 The people came into the city quietly. They were like people who had been defeated in battle and had run away. 4 The king covered his face and cried loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 Then Joab went into the king’s house. He said to the king, “Today you have shamed all your men. They saved your life today! They saved the lives of your sons, daughters, wives and slave women. 6 You have shamed them because you love those who hate you. And you hate those people who love you. Today you’ve made it clear that your commanders and men mean nothing to you. What if Absalom had lived and all of us were dead? I can see you would be very pleased. 7 Now go out and encourage your servants. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, no man will be left with you by tonight! That will be worse than all the troubles you have had from your youth until today.”
8 So the king went to the city gate.[a] The news spread that the king was at the gate. So everyone came to see him.
David Goes Back to Jerusalem
All the Israelites who had followed Absalom had run away to their homes. 9 People in all the tribes of Israel began to argue. They said, “The king saved us from the Philistines and our other enemies. But he left the country because of Absalom. 10 We appointed Absalom to rule us, but now he has died in battle. We should make David the king again.”
11 King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. David said, “Speak to the elders of Judah. Say, ‘Even in my house I have heard what all the Israelites are saying. So why are you the last tribe to bring the king back to his palace? 12 You are my brothers, my own family. Then why are you the last tribe to bring back the king?’ 13 And say to Amasa, ‘You are part of my own family. May God punish me terribly if I don’t make you commander of the army in Joab’s place!’”
14 David touched the hearts of all the people of Judah. They agreed as if they were one man. They sent a message to the king. They said, “Return with all your men.” 15 Then the king returned as far as the Jordan River. The men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him. They wanted to bring the king across the Jordan River.
16 Shimei son of Gera was a Benjaminite. He lived in Bahurim. He hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 With Shimei came 1,000 Benjaminites. Ziba, the servant from Saul’s family, also came. He brought his 15 sons and 20 servants with him. They all hurried to the Jordan River to meet the king. 18 The people went across the Jordan River to help bring the king’s family back to Judah. They did whatever the king wanted. As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei son of Gera came to him. Shimei bowed facedown on the ground in front of the king. 19 He said to the king, “My master, don’t hold me guilty. Don’t remember the wrong things I did when you left Jerusalem! Don’t hold it against me. 20 I know I have sinned. That is why I am the first person from Joseph’s family to come down and meet you today, my master and king!”
21 But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shimei should die. He cursed you, the Lord’s appointed king!”
22 David said, “This does not concern you, sons of Zeruiah! Today you’re against me! No one will be put to death in Israel today. Today I know I am king over Israel!” 23 Then the king said to Shimei, “You won’t die.” The king made this promise to Shimei.
24 Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet King David. Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet, cut his beard or washed his clothes while David was gone. He had not done this from the time the king had left Jerusalem until he returned safely. 25 Mephibosheth came from Jerusalem to meet the king. The king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you go with me?”
26 He answered, “My master, my servant Ziba tricked me! I said to Ziba, ‘I am crippled. So saddle a donkey. Then I will ride it so I can go with the king.’ 27 But he lied about me to you. You, my master and king, are like an angel from God. Do what you think is good. 28 You could have killed all my grandfather’s family. Instead, you put me with the people who eat at your own table. So I don’t have a right to ask anything more from the king!”
29 The king said to him, “Don’t say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba may divide the land.”
30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let Ziba take all the land. I’m just happy that my master the king has arrived in peace at his own house.”
31 Barzillai of Gilead came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan River with the king. 32 Now Barzillai was a very old man. He was 80 years old. He had taken care of the king when David was staying at Mahanaim. Barzillai could do this, because he was a very rich man. 33 David said to Barzillai, “Cross the river with me. Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you.”
34 But Barzillai answered the king, “Do you know how old I am? Do you think I can go with you to Jerusalem? 35 I am 80 years old! I am too old to taste what I eat or drink. I am too old to hear the voices of men and women singers. Why should you be bothered with me? 36 I am not worthy of a reward from you. But I will cross the Jordan River with you. 37 Then please let me go back so I may die in my own city. Let me die near the grave of my father and mother. But here is Kimham. Let him go with you, my master and king. Do with him whatever you want.”
38 The king answered, “Kimham will go with me. I will do for him anything you wish. And I will do anything for you that you wish.” 39 The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Then Barzillai returned home. And the king and all the people crossed the Jordan.
40 When the king crossed the Jordan to Gilgal, Kimham went with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel led David across the river.
41 Soon all the men of Israel came to the king. They said to him, “Our brothers, the men of Judah, stole you away. They brought you and your family across the Jordan River with your men! Why did they do this?”
42 All the men of Judah answered the Israelites, “We did this because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry about it? We have not eaten food at the king’s expense! He did not give us any gifts!”
43 The men of Israel answered the people of Judah, “We have ten tribes in the kingdom. So we have more right to David than you do! But you ignored us! We were the first ones to talk about bringing our king back!”
But the men of Judah spoke even more unkindly than the men of Israel.
Sheba Leads Israel Away from David
20 It happened that a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri was there. Sheba was from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew the trumpet and said:
“We have no share in David!
We have no part in the son of Jesse!
People of Israel, let’s go to our own homes!”
2 So all the Israelites left David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
3 David came to his palace in Jerusalem. Earlier he had left there ten of his slave women who gave birth to his children. He had left them there to take care of the palace. Now he put them in a house where they would be guarded. They were kept there for the rest of their lives. David gave them food, but he did not have physical relations with them. They lived like widows until they died.
4 The king said to Amasa, “Tell the men of Judah to meet with me in three days. And you must also be here.” 5 So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together. But he took longer than the time the king had told him.
6 David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is more dangerous to us than Absalom was. Take my men and chase him. Hurry before he finds strong, walled cities. If he gets there, he will escape from us.” 7 So Joab’s men, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, who were the king’s bodyguards, and all the soldiers went with Abishai. They went out from Jerusalem to chase Sheba son of Bicri.
8 When Joab and the army came to the great rock at Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was wearing his uniform. At his waist he wore a belt. It held his sword in its case. As Joab stepped forward, his sword fell out of its case. 9 Joab asked Amasa, “Brother, is everything all right with you?” Then with his right hand he took Amasa by the beard to kiss him. 10 Amasa did not guard against the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So Joab pushed the sword into Amasa’s stomach. This caused Amasa’s insides to spill on the ground. Joab did not have to stab Amasa again. He was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to chase Sheba son of Bicri.
11 One of Joab’s young men stood by Amasa’s body. The young man said, “Everyone who is for Joab and David should follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay in the middle of the road, covered with his own blood. The young man saw that everyone was stopping to look at the body. So he dragged Amasa’s body from the road and laid it in a field. Then he put a cloth over it. 13 After Amasa’s body was taken off the road, all the men followed Joab. They went with him to chase Sheba son of Bicri.
14 Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah. All the Berites also came together and followed him. 15 So Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah and surrounded it. They piled dirt up against the city wall so they could attack it. And they began digging under the city walls to make them fall down.
16 But a wise woman shouted out from the city. She said, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk to him!”
17 So Joab came near her. She asked him, “Are you Joab?”
He answered, “Yes, I am.”
Then she said, “Listen to what I say!”
Joab said, “I’m listening.”
18 Then the woman said, “In the past people would say, ‘Ask for advice at Abel.’ Then the problem would be solved. 19 I am one of the peaceful, loyal people of Israel. You are trying to destroy an important city of Israel. Why must you destroy what belongs to the Lord?”
20 Joab answered, “May I not destroy or ruin anything. 21 That is not what I want. But there is a man here from the mountains of Ephraim. He is named Sheba son of Bicri. He has turned against King David. If you will bring him to me, I will leave the city alone.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown over the wall to you.”
22 Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri. Then they threw it over the wall to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and the army left the city. Every man returned home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
23 Joab was commander of all the army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada led the Kerethites and Pelethites, the king’s bodyguards. 24 Adoniram led the men who were forced to do hard work. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder. 25 Sheba was the royal assistant. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 26 And Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
The Gibeonites Punish Saul’s Family
21 During the time David was king, there was a time of hunger. It continued for three years. So David prayed to the Lord.
The Lord answered, “Saul and his family of murderers are the reason for this time of hunger. It has come because Saul killed the Gibeonites.” 2 (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites. They were a group of Amorites who were left alive. The Israelites had promised not to hurt the Gibeonites. But Saul was very eager to help the people of Israel and Judah. So he tried to kill all the Gibeonites.)
King David called the Gibeonites together and talked to them. 3 He asked them, “What can I do for you? What can I do to take away Israel’s sin so you can bless the Lord’s people?”
4 The Gibeonites said to David, “Saul and his family don’t have enough silver and gold to pay for what they did! And we don’t have the right to kill anyone in Israel.”
Then David asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
5 The Gibeonites said to him, “Saul made plans against us. He tried to destroy all our people who are left in the land of Israel. 6 Saul was the Lord’s chosen king. So bring seven of his sons to us. Then we will kill them and hang them on stakes. We will put them in front of the Lord at Gibeah, Saul’s hometown.”
The king said, “I will give them to you.” 7 But the king protected Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. (Jonathan was Saul’s son.) David did this because of the promise he had made to Jonathan in the Lord’s name. So the king did not let them hurt Mephibosheth. 8 But the king did take Armoni and Mephibosheth,[b] sons of Rizpah and Saul. (Rizpah was the daughter of Aiah.) And the king took the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab. Adriel was the father of Merab’s five sons. (Adriel was the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.) 9 David gave these seven sons to the Gibeonites. Then the Gibeonites killed them and hung them on stakes on a hill before the Lord. All seven sons died together. They were put to death during the first days of the harvest season. (The barley harvest was just beginning.)
10 Aiah’s daughter Rizpah took the rough cloth that was worn to show sadness. Then she put it on a rock for herself. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on her sons’ bodies. During the day she did not let the birds of the sky touch her sons’ bodies. At night she did not let the wild animals touch them.
11 People told David what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s slave woman, was doing. 12 Then David took the bones of Saul and Jonathan from the men of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken these bones secretly from the public square of Beth Shan. The Philistines had hung the bodies of Saul and Jonathan there after they had killed Saul at Gilboa.) 13 David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from Gilead. Then the people gathered the bodies of Saul’s seven sons who were hanged on stakes. 14 The people buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in Benjamin. They buried them in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. The people did everything the king commanded.
Then God answered the prayers of the people in the land.
Wars with the Philistines
15 Again there was war between the Philistines and Israel. David and his men went out to fight the Philistines. But David became tired and weak. 16 Ishbi-Benob was one of the sons of Rapha. His bronze spearhead weighed about seven and a half pounds. Ishbi-Benob had a new sword, and he planned to kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah killed the Philistine. So he saved David’s life.
Then David’s men made a promise to David. They said, “Never again will you go out with us to battle. If you were killed, Israel would lose its greatest leader.”
18 Later, at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, another one of the sons of Rapha.
19 Later, there was another battle at Gob with the Philistines. Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim from Bethlehem killed Goliath[c] from Gath. Goliath’s spear was as large as a weaver’s rod.
20 At Gath another battle took place. A very large man was there. He had 6 fingers on each hand. And he had 6 toes on each foot. He had 24 fingers and toes in all. This man also was one of the sons of Rapha. 21 When he challenged Israel, Jonathan killed him. Jonathan was the son of Shimeah, David’s brother.
22 These four men were sons of Rapha from Gath. They all were killed by David and his men.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.