2 Samuel 15 - 19 — Legacy Standard Bible

Absalom’s Conspiracy

15Now it happened afterwards, that ^aAbsalom prepared for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him. ²And Absalom used to rise early and ^astand beside the way to the gate; and when any man had a case to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” ³Then Absalom would say to him, “See, ^ayour words are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king.” ⁴Then Absalom would say, “^aOh that one would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has any case or judgment could come to me and I would justify him.” ⁵And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would send forth his hand and take hold of him and ^akiss him. ⁶In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; ^aso Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷Now it happened at the end of ¹forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to Yahweh, in ^aHebron. ⁸“For your servant ^avowed a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘^bIf Yahweh shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve Yahweh.’” ⁹And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. ¹⁰Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘^aAbsalom is king in Hebron.’” ¹¹Now two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, ^awho were invited and ^bwent ¹innocently, and they did not know anything. ¹²And Absalom sent for ^aAhithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city ^bGiloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for ^cthe people increased continually with Absalom.

David Flees Jerusalem

¹³Then an informant came to David, saying, “^aThe hearts of the men of Israel ¹have followed Absalom.” ¹⁴So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “^aArise and let us flee, for otherwise there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go in haste, lest he overtake us hastily and drive calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” ¹⁵Then the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.” ¹⁶So the king went out and all his household ¹with him. But ^athe king left ten concubines to keep the house. ¹⁷And the king went out and all the people ¹with him, and they stopped at the last house. ¹⁸Now all his servants passed on beside him, ^aall the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, ^bsix hundred men who had come ¹with him from Gath, passed on before the king.

¹⁹Then the king said to ^aIttai the Gittite, “Why will you also go with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile; return to your own place. ²⁰“You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us, going about, while ^aI go where I go? Return and cause your brothers to return; ^blovingkindness and ¹truth be with you.” ²¹But Ittai answered the king and said, “As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely ^awherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.” ²²So David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. ²³While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passed over. The king also passed over ^athe brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward ^bthe way of the wilderness.

²⁴Now behold, ^aZadok also came, and all the Levites with him ^bcarrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and ^cAbiathar came up until all the people had finished passing from the city. ²⁵Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of Yahweh, then ^aHe will cause me to return and show me both it and ^bHis habitation. ²⁶“But if He should say thus, ‘^aI have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, ^blet Him do to me as seems good in His sight.” ²⁷The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not ^aa seer? Return to the city in peace and your ^btwo sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. ²⁸“See, I am going to wait ^aat the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” ²⁹So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.

³⁰But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and ^ahis head was covered and he was walking ^bbarefoot. And all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went. ³¹Now David informed them, saying, “^aAhithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Yahweh, I pray, ^bmake the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.”

³²Then it happened that as David was coming to the summit, where he used to worship God, that behold, Hushai the ^aArchite met him with his ¹coat torn and ²dust on his head. ³³And David said to him, “If you pass over with me, then you will be ^aa burden to me. ³⁴“But if you return to the city, and ^asay to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,’ then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me. ³⁵“Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that ^awhatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall inform Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶“Behold, ^atheir two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and ^bby their hand you shall send me everything that you hear.” ³⁷So Hushai, ^aDavid’s friend, came into the city, and ^bAbsalom came into Jerusalem.

Ziba Meets David

16Now David had passed ^aa little beyond the summit, and behold, ^bZiba the young man of Mephibosheth met him ^cwith a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine. ²And the king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “^aThe donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, ^bfor whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink.” ³Then the king said, “And where is ^ayour master’s son?” And ^bZiba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will return the kingdom of my father to me.’” ⁴So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!”

Shimei Curses David

⁵And King David came to ^aBahurim, and behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul ^bwhose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out ^ccursing continually as he came. ⁶He also threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. ⁷And thus Shimei said when he cursed, “Get out, get out, ^ayou man of bloodshed, and vile fellow! ⁸“^aYahweh has returned upon you all ^bthe bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and Yahweh has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!”

⁹Then ^aAbishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should ^bthis dead dog ^ccurse my lord the king? Let me pass over now and remove his head.” ¹⁰But the king said, “^aWhat have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? ^bIf he curses, and if Yahweh has told him, ‘Curse David,’ ^cthen who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” ¹¹Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, ^amy son who came forth from my body seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, ^bfor Yahweh has told him. ¹²“Perhaps Yahweh will look on my affliction and ¹^,^areturn good to me instead of his cursing this day.” ¹³So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him. ¹⁴Then the king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there.

Absalom Enters Jerusalem

¹⁵^aNow Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁶And it happened that when ^aHushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that ^bHushai said to Absalom, “^cLong live the king! Long live the king!” ¹⁷And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your lovingkindness to your friend? ^aWhy did you not go with your friend?” ¹⁸Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whom Yahweh, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹“Besides, ^awhom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.”

²⁰Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” ²¹And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “^aGo in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” ²²So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, ^aand Absalom went in to his father’s concubines ^bin the sight of all Israel. ²³^aNow the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if one asked of the word of God; ^bso was all the counsel of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

Absalom Calls for Hushai’s Counsel

17Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. ²“^aAnd I will come upon him while he is weary with his hands falling limp and throw him into utter fright, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then ^bI will strike down the king alone, ³and I will cause all the people to return to you. ¹The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at ^apeace.” ⁴And the word was right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

⁵Then Absalom said, “Call now ^aHushai the Archite also, and let us hear what is also in his mouth.” ⁶Then Hushai came to Absalom. And Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken ¹thus. Shall we ²carry out his word? If not, you speak.” ⁷And Hushai said to Absalom, “^aThis time the counsel that Ahithophel has counseled is not good.” ⁸Then Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are bitter of soul, ^alike a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not spend the night with the people. ⁹“Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the ¹caves or in another place; and it will be ²when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ ¹⁰“And even the one who is a man of valor, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, ^awill utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are men of valor. ¹¹“But I counsel that all Israel be utterly gathered to you, ^afrom Dan even to Beersheba, ^bas the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that ¹you personally go into battle. ¹²“So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will set down on him ^aas the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. ¹³“If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall carry ropes to that city, and we will ^adrag it into the ¹valley until not even a small stone is found there.” ¹⁴Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For ^aYahweh had ¹ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Yahweh might bring calamity on Absalom.

Hushai Informs David

¹⁵Then ^aHushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “¹This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and ²this is what I have counseled. ¹⁶“So now, send quickly and inform David, saying, ‘^aDo not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’” ¹⁷^aNow Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at ^bEn-rogel, and a servant-woman would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. ¹⁸But a boy did see them and informed Absalom; so the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man ^ain Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down ¹into it. ¹⁹And ^athe woman ¹took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered crushed grain on it, so that nothing was known. ²⁰Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And ^athe woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹Now it happened after they went away, that they came up out of the well and went and informed King David; and they said to David, “^aArise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.” ²²Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by ¹dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.

²³Now Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not ¹followed. So he ²saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to ^ahis city, and ³^,^bset his house in order, and ^cstrangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.

²⁴Now David came to ^aMahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. ²⁵And Absalom set ^aAmasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was ¹Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of ^bNahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. ²⁶And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷Now it happened that when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi ^athe son of Nahash from ^bRabbah of the sons of Ammon, ^cMachir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and ^dBarzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, ²⁸brought ^abeds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds, ²⁹honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, ^ato eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”

Joab Puts Absalom to Death

18Then David ¹numbered the people who were with him and ^aset over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ²And David sent the people out, ^aone-third under the hand of Joab, one-third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one-third under the hand of ^bIttai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you also.” ³But the people said, “^aYou should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not set their heart on us; even if half of us die, they will not set their heart on us. But now ¹you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.” ⁴Then the king said to them, “Whatever is good in your sight I will do.” So ^athe king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. ⁵Then the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And ^aall the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders concerning Absalom.

⁶Then the people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle took place in ^athe forest of Ephraim. ⁷And the people of Israel were ¹defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. ⁸And the battle there was scattered over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹Then Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Now Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And ^ahis head caught fast in the oak, so he was ¹left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him passed onward. ¹⁰Then a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” ¹¹Then Joab said to the man who had told him, “Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” ¹²So the man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive one thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not send forth my hand against the king’s son; for ^ain our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘¹Keep for me the young man Absalom!’ ¹³“Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and ^athere is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” ¹⁴Then Joab said, “I will not wait around here before you.” ^aSo he took three ¹spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the ²midst of the oak. ¹⁵And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and put him to death.

¹⁶Then ^aJoab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. ¹⁷And they took Absalom and cast him into ¹a deep pit in the forest and ^aset over him a very great heap of stones. And ^ball Israel fled, each to his tent. ¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and ^aset up for himself a pillar which is in ^bthe King’s Valley, for he had said, “^cI have no son ¹to preserve my name.” So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

David Weeps Over Absalom

¹⁹Then ^aAhimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and proclaim the good news to the king ^bthat Yahweh has judged to save him from the hand of his enemies.” ²⁰But Joab said to him, “You are not the man for the good news this day, but you shall proclaim the good news another day; however, you shall not proclaim the good news today because the king’s son has died.” ²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. ²²Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why would you run, my son, since ^ayou will have no reward for going?” ²³“But whatever happens,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed the Cushite.

²⁴Now ^aDavid was sitting between the two gates; and ^bthe watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. ²⁵And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer. ²⁶Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” ²⁷And the watchman said, “I see that the running of the first one ^ais like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “^bThis is a good man and comes with good news.”

²⁸And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “Peace!” And ^ahe prostrated himself before the king with his ¹face to the ground. And he said, “^bBlessed is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” ²⁹Then the king said, “^aIs there peace with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but ^bI did not know what it was.” ³⁰Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for ^aYahweh has judged to save you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” ³²Then the king said to the Cushite, “^aIs there peace with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “^bLet the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!”

³³¹Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “^aO my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! ^bWould I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Joab Tells David to Speak to His Servants

19Then it was told to Joab, “Behold, ^athe king is weeping and mourns for Absalom.” ²And the salvation that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” ³So the people stole away to enter into the city that day, as people who are dishonored steal away when they flee in battle. ⁴But as for the king, he ^awrapped his face up. Then the king cried out with a loud voice, “^bO my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” ⁵Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have shamed the faces of all your servants, who today have provided escape for your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines, ⁶by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have informed all of us today that ¹princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, surely then it would be right in your eyes. ⁷“So now, arise, go out and speak to the heart of your servants, for I swear by Yahweh, if you do not go out, surely ^anot a man will pass the night with you, and this will be of greater evil for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”

David Returns to Jerusalem

⁸So the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, “Behold, the king is ^asitting in the gate.” Then all the people came before the king. Now ^bIsrael had fled, each to his tent. ⁹And it happened that all the people were disputing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “^aThe king delivered us from the ¹hand of our enemies and ^bprovided us escape from the ²hand of the Philistines, but now ^che has fled out of the land from Absalom. ¹⁰“However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So now, why are you silent about having the king return?”

¹¹Now King David had sent to ^aZadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to have the king return to his house, while the word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house? ¹²‘You are my brothers; ^ayou are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to have the king return?’ ¹³“And say to ^aAmasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? ^bMay God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be ^ccommander of the army before me continually ^din place of Joab.’” ¹⁴Thus he inclined the hearts of all the men of Judah ^aas one man, so they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.” ¹⁵The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to ^aGilgal in order to go to meet the king, to cause the king to pass over across the Jordan.

¹⁶Then ^aShimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷Now there were one thousand men of Benjamin with him, with ^aZiba the young man of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king. ¹⁸Then they kept passing over the ford to cause the king’s household to pass over, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to pass over the Jordan. ¹⁹So he said to the king, “^aLet not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, so that the king would ¹take it to heart. ²⁰“For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore behold, I have come today, ^athe first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” ²¹But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, “^aShould not Shimei be put to death for this, ^bbecause he cursed the anointed of Yahweh?” ²²David then said, “^aWhat have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be an adversary to me? ^bShould any man be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?” ²³And the king said to Shimei, “^aYou shall not die.” Thus the king swore to him.

²⁴Now ^aMephibosheth the ¹son of Saul had come down to meet the king; and ^bhe had not done anything for his feet, nor done anything for his mustache, nor ^cwashed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. ²⁵Now it happened when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “^aWhy did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” ²⁶So he answered, “O my lord, the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ ^abecause your servant is lame. ²⁷“Moreover, ^ahe has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is ^blike the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight. ²⁸“For ^aall my father’s household was nothing but men worthy of death before my lord the king; ^byet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should ¹complain anymore to the king?” ²⁹So the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have ¹decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’” ³⁰And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come in peace to his own house.”

³¹Now ^aBarzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; and he passed over the Jordan with the king in order to send him off over the Jordan. ³²Now Barzillai was very old, being eighty years old; and he had ¹^,^asustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. ³³And the king said to Barzillai, “You pass over with me and I will ¹sustain you in Jerusalem with me.” ³⁴But Barzillai said to the king, “^aHow long ¹have I yet to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵“I am ¹now ^aeighty years old. Can I know between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I hear anymore ^bthe voice of singing men and women? ^cWhy then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? ³⁶“Your servant would merely pass over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king compensate me with this reward? ³⁷“Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. However, here is your servant ^aChimham, let him pass over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.” ³⁸So the king answered, “Chimham shall pass over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight; and whatever you ¹require of me, I will do for you.” ³⁹Then all the people passed over the Jordan and the king passed over too. The king then ^akissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place.

⁴⁰Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also ^ahalf the people of Israel ¹accompanied the king. ⁴¹And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “^aWhy had our brothers ^bthe men of Judah stolen you away, and caused the king and his household and all David’s men with him to pass over the Jordan?” ⁴²Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because ^athe king is a close relative to ¹us. Why then ²are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense, or has ³anything been taken for us?” ⁴³But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, “¹^,^aWe have ten parts in the king, therefore ²we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not ³our word first to have ⁴our king return?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.