1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Absalom.2 And the victory that day was {turned} into mourning for all the people; for the people heard say that day, The king is grieved for his son.3 And the people stole away that day into the city, as people steal away when ashamed of fleeing in battle.4 And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast put to shame this day the faces of all thy servants who have this day 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 them that hate thee, and hatest those that love thee. For thou hast declared this day, that neither princes nor servants are anything to thee: for to-day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died to-day, then it would have been right in thine eyes.7 But now arise, go forth, and speak consolingly to thy servants; for I swear by Jehovah, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night; and that would be worse to thee than all the evil that has befallen thee from thy youth until now.8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.9 And all the people were at strife throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land because of Absalom.10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle; and now why are ye silent as to bringing the king back?11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to 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, to his house.12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone and my flesh; and why will ye be the last to bring back the king?13 And say to Amasa, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually instead of Joab.14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah as of one man; and they sent to the king, Return, thou and all thy servants.15 And the king returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan.16 And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, who was of Bahurim, 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 forded the Jordan before the king.18 And a ferry boat passed to and fro 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 {just} crossing over the Jordan.19 And he said to the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity to 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 heart.20 For thy servant knows that I have sinned; and behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.21 And Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah's anointed?22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries to me? Should 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 And the king said to Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king swore to him.24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. Now he had neither washed 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 as soon as Jerusalem came to meet the king, the king said to him, Why didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth?26 And he said, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy servant said, I will saddle me the ass, and ride thereon, and go with the king; for thy servant is lame.27 And he has slandered thy servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God; do therefore what is good in thy sight.28 For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king; and thou didst set thy servant among them that eat at thine own table. What further right therefore have I? and for what should I cry any more to the king?29 And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, Let him even take all, since my lord the king is come again in peace to his own house.31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over the Jordan with the king, to conduct him over the Jordan.32 And Barzillai was very aged, eighty years old; and it was he that had maintained the king while he abode at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.33 And the king said to Barzillai, Pass thou over with me, and I will maintain thee with me in Jerusalem.34 And Barzillai said to the king, How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?35 I am this day eighty years old: can I discern between good and bad? can thy servant taste what I eat and what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? and why should thy servant be yet a burden to my lord the king?36 Thy servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king; and why should the king recompense it to me with this reward?37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, 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 seems good to thee.38 And the king said, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which seems good to thee; and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.39 And all the people went over the Jordan; and the king went over; and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.40 And 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 to 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 the Jordan?42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to me; and why then are ye angry for this matter? have we eaten anything which came from the king, or has he given us any present?43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, I have ten parts in the king and I have also more right in David than thou; and why didst thou slight me? and was not my advice the first, to bring back my king? And the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.

1 En aan Joab is meegedeel: Kyk, die koning ween en bedryf rou oor Absalom.2 En daardie dag het die oorwinning vir die hele volk 'n roubedryf geword, omdat die volk die dag hoor sê het: Die koning is bedroef oor sy seun.3 Daarom het die volk die dag stilletjies die stad ingekom, net soos mense wat skaam is, wegsluip as hulle in die geveg gevlug het.4 En die koning het sy gesig toegemaak, en die koning het hardop uitgeroep: My seun Absalom! Absalom, my seun, my seun!5 Toe kom Joab by die koning in die huis en sê: U het vandag die aangesig van al u dienaars beskaamd gemaak, wat vandag u lewe en die lewe van u seuns en dogters en die lewe van u vroue en die lewe van u byvroue gered het,6 deur lief te hê diegene wat u haat, en te haat diegene wat u liefhet; want u gee vandag te kenne dat owerstes en onderdane vir u niks is nie, want ek merk vandag dat, as Absalom lewendig en ons almal vandag dood was, dit dan in u oë reg sou gewees het.7 Staan dan nou op, gaan uit en spreek na die hart van u dienaars, want ek sweer by die HERE -- as u nie uitgaan nie, sal sekerlik vannag geen man by u bly nie; en dit sal vir u 'n groter onheil wees as al die onheile wat u oorgekom het van u jeug af tot nou toe.8 En die koning het opgestaan en in die poort gaan sit; en hulle het die hele volk laat weet en gesê: Kyk, die koning sit in die poort. Daarna het die hele volk voor die koning gekom. Maar Israel het gevlug elkeen na sy tente toe.9 En die hele volk onder al die stamme van Israel het onder mekaar getwis en gesê: Die koning het ons verlos uit die hand van ons vyande, en hy het ons gered uit die hand van die Filistyne, en nou moes hy die land uit vlug vir Absalom;10 en Absalom wat ons oor ons gesalf het, het in die geveg gesneuwel: waarom is julle dan nou nalatig om die koning terug te bring?11 Toe het koning Dawid gestuur na Sadok en Abjatar, die priesters, om te sê: Spreek met die oudstes van Juda en vra: Waarom sou julle die laastes wees om die koning terug te bring na sy huis? Die gesegde van die hele Israel het naamlik die koning in sy huis bereik.12 Julle is my broers; my been en my vlees is julle: waarom sou julle dan die laastes wees om die koning terug te bring?13 En vir Am sa moet julle sê: Is jy nie my been en my vlees nie? Mag God so aan my doen en so daaraan toedoen as jy nie al die dae leërowerste voor my in die plek van Joab sal wees nie!14 So het hy dan die hart van al die manne van Juda sonder uitsondering geneig, sodat hulle die koning laat weet het: Kom terug, u met al u dienaars.15 Daarop het die koning teruggegaan en by die Jordaan aangekom; en Juda het na Gilgal gekom om die koning tegemoet te gaan, om die koning oor die Jordaan te bring.16 En S¡me‹, die seun van G,ra, die Benjaminiet, wat uit Bahurim was, het hom gehaas en saam met die manne van Juda afgekom om koning Dawid te ontmoet,17 en duisend man uit Benjamin was saam met hom; verder Siba, die dienaar van Saul se huis, met sy vyftien seuns en sy twintig slawe saam met hom; en hulle het voor die koning al die Jordaan bereik.18 En die pont het heen en weer gevaar om die huis van die koning oor te bring en te doen wat goed was in sy oë. En S¡me‹, die seun van G,ra, het voor die koning neergeval toe hy die Jordaan sou oortrek19 en aan die koning gesê: My heer moet my die skuld nie toereken en daar nie aan dink hoe u dienaar verkeerd gehandel het op die dag dat my heer die koning uit Jerusalem uitgetrek het, deurdat die koning dit ter harte sou neem nie.20 Want u dienaar weet dat ,k gesondig het; maar soos u sien, vandag het ek die eerste van die hele huis van Josef afgekom om my heer die koning tegemoet te gaan.21 Toe het Ab¡sai, die seun van Seruja, geantwoord en gesê: Moet S¡me‹nie hieroor gedood word, dat hy die gesalfde van die HERE gevloek het nie?22 Maar Dawid sê: Wat het ek met julle te doen, seuns van Seruja, dat julle vandag my teëstanders word? Sou iemand vandag in Israel gedood word? Want weet ek dan nie dat ek vandag koning oor Israel is nie?23 Daarop sê die koning aan S¡me‹: Jy sal nie sterf nie. En die koning het vir hom gesweer.24 Mefiboset, die kleinseun van Saul, het ook afgekom die koning tegemoet, en hy het sy voete nie skoongemaak en sy baard nie geskeer en sy klere nie gewas van die dag af dat die koning weggegaan het tot op die dag dat hy behoue teruggekom het nie;25 en toe hy in Jerusalem die koning tegemoetkom, sê die koning vir hom: Waarom het jy nie met my saamgetrek nie, Mefiboset?26 En hy antwoord: My heer die koning, my dienaar het my bedrieg; want u dienaar het gedink: Ek wil vir my die esel laat opsaal, dat ek daarop kan ry en met die koning kan saamtrek, want u dienaar is lam.27 Hy het ewenwel u dienaar by my heer die koning belaster, maar my heer die koning is soos 'n engel van God: doen dan wat goed is in u oë.28 Want my hele familie was by my heer die koning niks anders as manne wat die dood verdien nie; tog het u u dienaar opgeneem onder die wat aan u tafel eet: watter regsaanspraak het ek dan nog meer om my verder op die koning te beroep?29 Toe sê die koning vir hom: Waarom nog meer woorde? Ek sê: Jy en Siba moet die grond verdeel.30 En Mefiboset het die koning geantwoord: Hy kan ook alles neem nadat my heer die koning behoue in sy huis gekom het.31 Bars¡llai, die Gileadiet, het ook afgekom van Rogelim en met die koning oor die Jordaan getrek om hom oor die Jordaan weg te bring.32 En Bars¡llai was baie oud, 'n man van tagtig jaar, en hy het die koning onderhou gedurende sy verblyf in Mahan im, want hy was 'n baie vermoënde man.33 Toe sê die koning vir Bars¡llai: Trek jy saam met my oor, dan sal ek jou by my in Jerusalem onderhou.34 Maar Bars¡llai het die koning geantwoord: Hoeveel sal die dae van my lewensjare dan wees, dat ek saam met die koning moet opgaan na Jerusalem?35 Ek is vandag tagtig jaar oud. Kan ek tussen goed en kwaad onderskei? of sal u dienaar kan proe wat ek eet en wat ek drink? of sal ek nog kan aanhoor die stem van die sangers en die sangeresse? Waarom sal u dienaar my heer die koning dan nog tot 'n las wees?36 U dienaar kan net 'n entjie saam met die koning trek oor die Jordaan. Waarom tog sou die koning hierdie vergelding aan my doen?37 Laat u dienaar tog maar omdraai, dat ek kan sterf in my stad by die graf van my vader en my moeder; maar hier is u dienaar Kimham. Laat hy saam met my heer die koning oortrek, en doen aan hom wat goed is in u oë.38 En die koning sê: Kimham kan saam met my oortrek, dan sal ek aan hom doen wat goed is in jou oë, en alles wat jy verkies om aan my op te dra, sal ek vir jou doen.39 Toe trek die hele volk die Jordaan oor. En nadat die koning ook oorgetrek het, soen die koning Bars¡llai en groet hom; en hy het na sy woonplek teruggegaan.40 Daarop het die koning verder getrek na Gilgal, en Kimham het saam met hom getrek, en die hele volk van Juda en ook die helfte van die volk van Israel het die koning verder gebring.41 Meteens kom toe al die manne van Israel by die koning aan en sê aan die koning: Waarom het ons broers, die manne van Juda, u gesteel en die koning en sy huis en al die manne van Dawid saam met hom oor die Jordaan gebring?42 Daarop antwoord al die manne van Juda die manne van Israel: Omdat die koning aan my verwant is; maar waarom is jy tog kwaad oor hierdie saak? Het ons ooit iets van die koning geëet, of is iets as 'n porsie vir ons weggedra?43 En die manne van Israel het die manne van Juda geantwoord en gesê: Ek het tien aandele aan die koning en ook meer reg op Dawid as jy. Waarom het jy my dan veragtelik behandel? Was my woord dan nie die eerste om my koning terug te bring nie? Maar die woord van die manne van Juda was heftiger as die woord van die manne van Israel.