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The Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 19
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1 |
And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and
mourneth for Absalom.
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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.
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3 |
And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as
people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
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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!
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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;
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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12 |
Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then
are ye the last to bring back the king?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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;
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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Therefore the king said
unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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?
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29 |
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any
more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
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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.
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31 |
And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went
over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
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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.
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And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I
will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
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34 |
And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that
I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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