1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. 3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! 5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; 6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. 7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now. 8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
9 ¶ And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom. 10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?
11 ¶ And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house. 12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king? 13 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab. 14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants. 15 So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.
16 ¶ And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. 17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king. 18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan; 19 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy 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 thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed? 22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? 23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.
24 ¶ And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. 25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth? 26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame. 27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes. 28 For all of my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king? 29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. 30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.
31 ¶ And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan. 32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man. 33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem. 34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? 35 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? 36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward? 37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee. 38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee. 39 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
41 ¶ And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David’s men with him, over Jordan? 42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king’s cost ? or hath he given us any gift? 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
1 nuntiatum est autem Ioab quod rex fleret et lugeret filium suum
2 et versa est victoria in die illa in luctum omni populo
audivit enim populus in die illa dici dolet rex super filio suo
3 et declinabat populus in die illa ingredi
civitatem
quomodo declinare solet populus versus et fugiens de proelio
4 porro rex operuit caput suum et clamabat voce magna
fili mi Absalom Absalom fili mi fili mi
5 ingressus ergo Ioab ad regem in domo dixit
confudisti hodie vultus omnium servorum tuorum
qui salvam fecerunt animam tuam
et animam filiorum tuorum et filiarum tuarum
et animam uxorum tuarum et animam concubinarum tuarum
6 diligis odientes te et odio habes
diligentes te
et ostendisti hodie quia non curas de ducibus tuis et de servis tuis
et vere cognovi modo
quia si Absalom viveret et nos omnes occubuissemus
tunc placeret tibi
7 nunc igitur surge et procede et adloquens satisfac servis tuis
iuro enim tibi per Dominum
quod si non exieris ne unus quidem remansurus sit tecum nocte hac
et peius erit hoc tibi
quam omnia mala quae venerunt super te
ab adulescentia tua usque in praesens
8 surrexit ergo rex et sedit in porta
et omni populo nuntiatum est quod rex sederet in porta
venitque universa multitudo coram rege
Israhel autem fugit in tabernacula sua
9 omnis quoque populus certabat in cunctis tribubus Israhel
dicens
rex liberavit nos de manu inimicorum nostrorum
ipse salvavit nos de manu Philisthinorum
et nunc fugit de terra propter Absalom
10 Absalom autem quem unximus super nos mortuus est in bello
usquequo siletis et non reducitis regem
11 rex vero David misit ad Sadoc et ad Abiathar sacerdotes dicens
loquimini ad maiores natu Iuda dicentes
cur venitis novissimi ad reducendum regem in domum suam
sermo autem omnis Israhel pervenerat ad regem in domo eius
12 fratres mei vos os meum et caro mea vos
quare novissimi reducitis regem
13 et Amasae dicite nonne os meum es et caro mea
haec faciat mihi Deus et haec addat
si non magister militiae fueris coram me omni tempore pro Ioab
14 et inclinavit cor omnium virorum Iuda quasi viri unius
miseruntque ad regem dicentes revertere tu et omnes servi tui
15 et reversus est rex et venit usque ad Iordanem
et Iuda venit in Galgala
ut occurreret regi et transduceret eum Iordanem
16 festinavit autem Semei filius Gera filii Iemini de Baurim
et descendit cum viris Iuda in occursum regis David
17 cum mille viris de Beniamin
et Siba puer de domo Saul
et quindecim filii eius ac viginti servi erant cum eo
et inrumpentes Iordanem ante regem
18 transierunt vada
ut transducerent domum regis et facerent iuxta iussionem eius
Semei autem filius Gera prostratus coram rege
cum iam transisset Iordanem
19 dixit ad eum ne reputes mihi domine mi iniquitatem
neque memineris iniuriam servi tui
in die qua egressus es domine mi rex de Hierusalem
neque ponas rex in corde tuo
20 agnosco enim servus tuus peccatum meum
et idcirco hodie primus veni de omni domo Ioseph
descendique in occursum domini mei regis
21 respondens vero Abisai filius Sarviae dixit
numquid pro his verbis non occidetur Semei
quia maledixit christo Domini
22 et ait David quid mihi et vobis filii Sarviae
cur efficimini mihi hodie in Satan
ergone hodie interficietur vir in Israhel
an ignoro hodie me factum regem super Israhel
23 et ait rex Semei non morieris iuravitque ei
24 Mifiboseth quoque filius Saul descendit in occursum regis
inlotis pedibus et intonsa barba
vestesque suas non laverat a die qua egressus fuerat rex
usque ad diem reversionis eius in pace
25 cumque Hierusalem occurrisset regi dixit ei rex
quare non venisti mecum Mifiboseth
26 qui respondens ait
domine mi rex servus meus contempsit me
dixi ei ego famulus tuus ut sterneret mihi asinum
et ascendens abirem cum rege
claudus enim sum servus tuus
27 insuper et accusavit me servum tuum ad te dominum meum regem
tu autem domine mi rex sicut angelus Dei
fac quod placitum est tibi
28 neque enim fuit domus patris mei
nisi morti obnoxia domino meo regi
tu autem posuisti me servum tuum inter convivas mensae tuae
quid igitur habeo iustae querellae
aut quid possum ultra vociferari ad regem
29 ait ergo ei rex quid ultra loqueris fixum est quod locutus sum
tu et Siba dividite possessiones
30 responditque Mifiboseth regi etiam cuncta accipiat
postquam reversus est dominus meus rex pacifice in domum suam
31 Berzellai quoque Galaadites descendens de Rogelim
transduxit regem Iordanem
paratus etiam ultra fluvium prosequi eum
32 erat autem Berzellai Galaadites senex valde id est octogenarius
et ipse praebuit alimenta regi cum moraretur in Castris
fuit quippe vir dives nimis
33 dixit itaque rex ad Berzellai
veni mecum ut requiescas secure mecum in Hierusalem
34 et ait Berzellai ad regem
quot sunt dies annorum vitae meae
ut ascendam cum rege Hierusalem
35 octogenarius sum hodie
numquid vigent sensus mei ad discernendum suave aut amarum
aut delectare potest servum tuum cibus et potus
vel audire ultra possum vocem cantorum atque
cantricum
quare servus tuus fit oneri domino meo regi
36 paululum procedam famulus tuus ab Iordane tecum
nec indigeo hac vicissitudine
37 sed obsecro ut revertar servus tuus et moriar in civitate mea
iuxta sepulchrum patris mei et matris meae
est autem servus tuus Chamaam ipse vadat tecum domine mi rex
et fac ei quod tibi bonum videtur
38 dixitque rex mecum transeat Chamaam
et ego faciam ei quicquid tibi placuerit
et omne quod petieris a me inpetrabis
39 cumque transisset universus populus et rex Iordanem
osculatus est rex Berzellai et benedixit ei
et ille reversus est in locum suum
40 transivit ergo rex in Galgalam et Chamaam cum eo
omnis autem populus Iuda transduxerat regem
et media tantum pars adfuerat de populo Israhel
41 itaque omnes viri Israhel concurrentes ad regem dixerunt ei
quare te furati sunt fratres nostri viri Iuda
et transduxerunt regem et domum eius Iordanem
omnesque viros David cum eo
42 et respondit omnis vir Iuda ad viros Israhel
quia propior mihi est rex
cur irasceris super hac re
numquid comedimus aliquid ex rege aut munera nobis data sunt
43 et respondit vir Israhel ad viros Iuda et ait
decem partibus maior ego sum apud regem
magisque ad me pertinet David quam ad te
cur mihi fecisti iniuriam
et non mihi nuntiatum est priori ut reducerem regem meum
durius autem responderunt viri Iuda viris Israhel