1 Joab was told, “Behold, the king weeps
and mourns for Absalom.”

2 The victory that day was turned into
mourning among all the people, for the
people heard it said that day, “The king
grieves for his son.”

3 The people sneaked into the city that
day, as people who are ashamed steal
away when they flee in battle.

4 The king covered his face, and the king
cried with a loud voice, “My son Absalom,
Absalom, my son, my son!”

5 Joab came into the house to the king,
and said, “Today you have shamed the
faces of all your servants who today have
saved your life, and the lives of your sons
and of your daughters, and the lives of
your wives, and the lives of your concubines;

6 in that you love those who hate you and
hate those who love you. For you have
declared today that princes and servants
are nothing to you. For today I perceive
that if Absalom had lived and we had all
died today, then it would have pleased you
well.

7 Now therefore arise, go out and speak
to comfort your servants; for I swear by
Yahweh, if you don’t go out, not a man
will stay with you this night. That would
be worse to you than all the evil that has
happened to you from your youth until
now.”

8 Then the king arose and sat in the gate.
The people were all told, “Behold, the king
is sitting in the gate.” All the people came
before the king. Now Israel had fled every
man to his tent.

9 All the people were at strife throughout
all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king
delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, andhe savedus out ofthehand ofthe
Philistines; and now he has fled out of the
land from Absalom.

10 Absalom, whom we anointed over us,
is dead in battle. Now therefore why don’t
you speak a word of bringing the king
back?”

11 King David sent to Zadok and to 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 speech of all Israel has come to
the king, to return him to his house?

12 You are my brothers. You are my bone
and my flesh. Why then are you the last to
bring back the king?’

13 Say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my bone and
my flesh? God do so to me, and more also,
if you aren’t captain of the army before me
continually instead of Joab.’ ”

14 He bowed the heart of all the men of
Judah, evenas oneman, so thatthey sentto
the king, saying, “Return, you and all your
servants.”

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

16 Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite,
who was of Bahurim, hurried and came
down with the men of Judah to meet King
David.

17 There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of
Saul’s house, and his fifteen sons and his
twenty servants with him; and they went
through the Jordan in the presence of the
king.

18 A ferry boat went to bring over the
king’s household, and to do what he
thought good. Shimei the son of Gera fell down before
the king when he had come over the Jordan.

19 He said to the king, “Don’t let my
lord impute iniquity to me, or remember
that which your servant did perversely
the day that my lord the king went out of
Jerusalem, that the king should take it to
his heart.

20 For your servant knows that I have
sinned. Therefore behold, I have come
today as the first of all the house of Joseph
to go down to meet my lord the king.”

21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah
answered, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to
death for this, because he cursed Yahweh’s
anointed?”

22 David said, “What have I to do with
you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should
be adversaries to me today? Shall any man
be put to death today in Israel? For don’t I
know that I am king over Israel today?”