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2 Samuel 19
( 2 Samuel 18:33 KJV) "And the king was much moved, and went up to
the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my
son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O
Absalom, my son, my son!"
(2 Samuel 19 KJV) "And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and
mourneth for Absalom. {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 Absalom, 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 Absalom 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 Absalom. {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? {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. {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 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. {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 Shimei
the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which 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 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 Shimei
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 Abishai the son of
Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei 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 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? {23}
Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king
sware unto him. {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. {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, Mephibosheth? {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 as 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
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. {31}
And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan
with the king, to conduct him over Jordan. {32} 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. {33} And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over
with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem. {34} And Barzillai
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 Barzillai, and blessed him; and he
returned unto his own place.
This is one of my favorite passages in the Old Testament. An example of
great friendship. The courtliness of these two old friends is a great
example of generosity and mutual trust. Perhaps the blessing is the one
found in Psalm 20.
{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 of 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."
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