7 Ioáb encourageth the King. 8 Dauid is reſtored 23 Shimei is pardoned 24 Mephibóſheth meteth the King. 39 Barzillái departeth. 41 Iſraél ſtriueth with Iudah.

1.ANd it was tolde Ioáb, Beholde, the King wepeth and mourneth for Ab-ſalóm.

2.Therefore the ^" victorie of that day was turned into mourning to all the people: for the people heard ſay that day, The King ſorroweth for his ſonne.

3.And the people wẽt that day into the ci-tie ^" ſecretly, as people confounded hide them ſelues when they flee in battel.

4.So the King ^a hid his face, and the King cryed with ^a lowde voyce, My ſonne Ab-ſalóm, Abſalóm my ſonne, my ſonne.

5.¶ Then Ioáb came into ^b the houſe to the King & ſaid, Thou haſt ſhamed this day the faces of all thy ſeruãts, which this day haue ſaued thy life, and the liues of thy ſonnes and of thy daughters, and the liues of thy wiues, and the liues of thy con-cubines,

6.In that thou loueſt thine enemies, & ha-teſt thy friendes: for thou haſt declared this day, that thou regardeſt nether thy ^" princes nor ſeruants: therefore this day I perceiue, that if Abſalóm had liued, and we all had dyed this day, that thẽ it wolde haue ^" pleaſed thee wel.

7.Now therefore vp, come out, and ſpeake ^" cõfortably vnto thy ſeruãts: for I ſweare by the Lord, except thou come out, there wil not tary one man with thee this night: and that wil be worſe vnto thee, then all y^e euil that fel on thee from thy youthe he-therto.

8.Then the King aroſe, & ſate in the ^c gate: and they tolde vnto all the people, ſaying, Beholde, the King doeth ſit in the gate: & all the people came before the King: for Iſraél had fled euerie man to his tent.

9.¶ Then all the people were at ^d ſtrife throughout all the tribes of Iſraél, ſay-ing, The King ſaued vs out of the hãd of our enemies, & he deliuered vs out of the hand of the Philiſtíms, and now he is fled out of the land for Abſalóm.

10.And Abſalóm, whome we anoĩted ouer vs, is dead in battel: therefore why are ye ſo ſlowe to bring the King againe?

11.But King Dauid ſent to Zadók and to Abiathár the ^e Prieſts, ſaying, Speake vn-to the Elders of Iudáh and ſay, Why are ye behind to bring y^e King againe to his houſe, (for the ſaying of all Iſraél is come vnto the King, euen to his houſe)

12.Ye are my brethren: my bones and my fleſh are ye: wherefore then are ye the laſt that bring the King againe?

13.Alſo ſay ye to Amaſá, Art thou not my bone and my fleſh? God do ſo to me and more alſo, if thou be not captaine of the hoſte to me for euer in y^e ^f roume of Ioáb.

14.So he bowed the heartes of all the men of Iudáh, as of one man: therefore they ſent to the King, ſaying, Returne thou with all thy ſeruants.

15.¶ So the King returned, & came to Ior-dén. And Iudáh came to Gilgál, for to go to meete the King, & to conduct him ouer Iordén.

16.¶ And ^g Shimeí y^e ſonne of Gerá, the ſonne of Ieminí, which was of Bahurím, haſted & came downe with the men of Iudáh to meete King Dauid,

17.And a thouſand men of Beniamín with him, and ^* Zibá the ſeruant of the houſe of Saúl, and his fiftene ſonnes and twentie ſeruants with him: and they wẽt ouer Ior-dén before y^e King.

18.And there wẽt ouer a bote to carie ouer the Kings houſholde, and to do him plea-ſure. Then Shimeí the ſonne of Gerá fel before the King, when he was come ouer Iordén,

19.And ſaid vnto y^e King, Let not my lord impute ^* wickednes vnto me, nor remember the thing that thy ſeruant did ^h wickedly when my lord the King departed out of Ieruſalém, that y^e King ſhulde take it to his heart.

20.For thy ſeruãt doeth knowe, that I haue done amiſſe: therefore beholde, I am the firſt this day of all the houſe of ⁱ Ioſéph, that am come to go downe to meete my lord the King.

21.But Abiſhái the ſonne of Zeruiáh anſwered, and ſaid, Shal not Shimeí dye for this, becauſe he curſed the Lords anointed?

22.And Dauid ſaid, What haue I to do with you, ye ſonnes of Zeruiáh, that this day ye ſhulde be aduerſaries vnto me? ſhal there anie man dye this day in Iſrael? for do not I knowe, that I am this day King ouer Iſraél?

23.Therefore the King ſaid vnto Shimeí, Thou ſhalt not dye, and the King ſware vnto him.

24.¶ And Mephibóſheth the ſonne of Saúl came downe to meete the King, and had nether waſhed his feete, nor dreſſed his bearde, nor waſhed his clothes from the time the King departed, vntil he returned in peace.

25.And when ^k he was come to Ieruſalém, & met the King, the King ſaid vnto him, Wherefore wenteſt not thou with me, Mephibóſheth?

26.And he anſwered, My lord the King, my ſeruant diſceiued me: for thy ſeruant ſaid, I wolde haue mine aſſe ſadled to ride thereon for to go with the King, becauſe thy ſeruant is lame.

27.And he hathe ^* accuſed thy ſeruant vnto my lord the King: but my lord y^e King is as an ^l Angel of God: do therefore thy pleaſure.

28.For all my fathers houſe were ^m but dead men before my lord the King, yet dideſt thou ſet thy ſeruant among them y^t did eat at thine owne table: what right therefore haue I yet to crye anie more vnto the King?

29.And the King ſaid vnto him, Why ſpeakeſt thou anie more of thy matters? I haue ſaid, Thou, and Zibá deuide the ⁿ lands.

30.And Mephibóſheth ſaid vnto y^e King, Yea, let him take all, ſeing my lord the King is come home in peace.

31.¶ ^* Then Barzillái the Gileadite came downe from Rogelím, and went ouer Iordén with the King, to cõduct him ouer Iordén.

32.Now Barzillái was a very aged man, euẽ foureſcore yere olde, and he had prouided the King of ſuſtenance, while he lay at Mahanáim: for he was a man of very great ſubſtance.

33.And the King ſaid vnto Barzillái, Come ouer with me, & I wil feede thee with me in Ieruſalém.

34.And Barzillái ſaid vnto y^e King, ^" How long haue I to lyue, that I ſhulde go vp with the King to Ieruſalém?

35.I am this day foureſcore yere olde: and cã I diſcerne betwene good or euil? Hathe thy ſeruant anie taſte in that I eat or in y^t I drinke? Can I heare anie more the voice of ſinging men and women? wherefore then ſhulde thy ſeruant be anie more a ^o burthen vnto my lord the King?

36.Thy ſeruant wil go a litle way ouer Iordén with the King, and why wil the King recompenſe it me with ſuche a rewarde?

37.I pray thee, let thy ſeruant turne backe againe, that I may dye in mine owne citie, and be buryed in the graue of my father and of my mother: but beholde thy ſeruãt ^p Chimhám, let him go with my lord the King, & do to him what ſhal pleaſe thee.

38.And the King anſwered, Chimhám ſhal go with me, and I wil do to him that thou ſhalt be content with: & whatſoeuer thou ſhalt ^" require of me, that wil I do for thee.

39.So all the people went ouer Iordén: and the King paſſed ouer: and the King kiſſed Barzillái, and ^" bleſſed him, and he returned vnto his owne place.

40.¶ Then the King went to ^q Gilgál, and Chimhám went with him, and all the people of Iudáh conducted the King, and alſo halfe the people of ^r Iſraél.

41.And beholde, all the men of Iſraél came to the King, & ſaid vnto the King, Why haue our brethren the men of Iudáh ſtolen thee away, and haue broght the King and his houſholde, and all Dauids men with him ouer [ſ] Iordén?

42.And all the men of Iudáh anſwered the men of Iſraél, Becauſe the King is nere of kin to vs: and wherefore now be ye angry for this matter? haue we eatẽ of the Kings coſt, or haue we taken anie bribes?

43.And the men of Iſraél anſwered the mẽ of Iudáh, and ſaid, We haue ten partes in the King, and haue alſo more right to Dauid then ye, Why then did ye deſpiſe vs, ^" that our auiſe ſhulde not be firſt had in reſtoring our King? And the wordes of the men of Iudáh were fearcer then the wordes of the men of Iſraél.

2 Samuel 19

Notes