Holy Bible
(King James Version)
Second
Samuel: Chapter 19
1. AND it was told Joab,
Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Ab-sa-lom.
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 Ab-sa-lom, 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 Ab-sa-lom 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 Ab-sa-lom.
10. And Ab-sa-lom, 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 A-bi-a-thar 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 A-ma-sa, 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 Shim-e-i the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Ba-hu-rim,
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 Shim-e-i 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 Ab-i-shai the son of Zer-u-i-ah answered and said, Shall not
Shim-e-i 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 Zer-u-i-ah,
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 Shim-e-i, Thou shalt not die. And
the king sware unto him.
24. And Me-phib-o-sheth 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, Me-phib-o-sheth?
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 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 Me-phib-o-sheth 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 Bar-zil-la-i the Gil-e-ad-ite came down from Ro-ge-lim, and went
over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
32. Now Bar-zil-la-i was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and
he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Ma-ha-na-im; for
he was a very great man.
33. And the king said unto Bar-zil-la-i, Come thou over with me, and I
will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
34. And Bar-zil-la-i 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 Bar-zil-la-i, 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 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.
Apr. 24 Daily reading
schedule.. go to chapter 20
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Art by: Penny Parker. Visit her site HERE
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