1And it was tolde Ioab, Behold, the King weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 2Therefore the victorie of that day was turned into mourning to all the people: for the people heard say that day, The King soroweth for his sonne. 3And the people went that day into the citie secretly, as people confounded hide them selues when they flee in battell. 4But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! 5And 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; 6In that thou louest thine enemies, and hatest thy friendes: for thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither thy princes nor seruants: therefore this day I perceiue, that if Absalom had liued, and we all had dyed this day, that then it would haue pleased thee well. 7Nowe therefore vp, come out, and speake comfortably vnto thy seruants: for I sweare by the Lorde, except thou come out, there will not tarie one man with thee this night: and that wil be worse vnto thee, then all the euill that fell on thee from thy youth hitherto. 8Then 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. 9And 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. 10And Absalom, whome we anoynted ouer vs, is dead in battel: therefore why are ye so slow to bring the King againe? 11And 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. 12Ye are my brethren: my bones and my flesh are ye: wherefore then are ye the last that bring the King againe? 13And 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. 14So he bowed the heartes of all the men of Iudah, as of one man: therefore they sent to the King, saying, Returne thou with all thy seruants. 15So the King returned, and came to Iorden; Iudah came to Gilgal, for to goe to meete the King, and to conduct him ouer Iorde. 16And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which [was] of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. 17And a thousande men of Beniamin with him, and Ziba the seruant of the house of Saul, and his fifteene sonnes and twentie seruants with him: and they went ouer Iorden before ye king. 18And there went ouer a boate to carie ouer the Kings houshold, and to do him pleasure. Then Shimei the sonne of Gera fell before the King, when he was come ouer Iorden, 19And 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. 20For 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. 21But Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah answered, and said, Shal not Shimei die for this, because he cursed the Lordes anoynted? 22And Dauid saide, What haue I to do with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah, that this day ye should be aduersaries vnto me? Shall there any man die this day in Israel? For doe not I know that I am this day King ouer Israel? 23Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him. 24And Mephibosheth the sonne of Saul came downe to meete the king, and had neither washed his feete, nor dressed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the time the king departed, vntill he returned in peace. 25And 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? 26And he answered, My lorde the king, my seruant deceiued me: for thy seruant said, I would haue mine asse sadled to ride thereon, for to goe with the king, because thy seruant is lame. 27And 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. 28For 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? 29And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. 30And Mephibosheth saide vnto the king, Yea, let him take all, seeing my lorde the king is come home in peace. 31Then Barzillai the Gileadite came downe from Rogelim, & went ouer Iorden with the king, to conduct him ouer Iorden. 32Nowe Barzillai was a very aged man, euen fourescore yeere olde, and he had prouided the king of sustenance, while he lay at Mahanaim: for he was a man of very great substance. 33And the king said vnto Barzillai, Come ouer with me, and I will feede thee with me in Ierusalem. 34And Barzillai said vnto the king, Howe long haue I to liue, that I should goe vp with the king to Ierusalem? 35I [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? 36Thy seruant will goe a litle way ouer Iorden with the King, and why wil the king recompence it me with such a rewarde? 37Let 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. 38And the king answered, Chimham shal go with me, and I will do to him that thou shalt be content with: and whatsoeuer thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee. 39So all the people went ouer Iorden: and the King passed ouer: and the King kissed Barzillai, and blessed him, and hee returned vnto his owne place. 40Then 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. 41And, 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? 42And all the men of Iudah answered the men of Israel, Because the King is neere of kin to vs: and wherefore now be ye angry for this matter? Haue we eaten of the Kings cost, or haue wee taken any bribes? 43And the men of Israel answered the men of Iudah, and saide, Wee haue ten partes in the King, and haue also more right to Dauid then ye: Why then did ye despise vs, that our aduise should not bee first had in restoring our King? And the wordes of the men of Iudah were fiercer then the wordes of the men of Israel.