| English Standard Version | International Standard Version |
| 1It was told Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” | 1 Someone informed Joab, "The king is weeping bitterly, mourning for Absalom." |
| 2So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.” | 2The victory had become an occasion for the army to mourn, because on that very day the troops heard the announcement, "The king is grieving for his son!" |
| 3And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. | 3So men snuck into the city that day like men do who are ashamed after they've run away from a battle. |
| 4The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” | 4Meanwhile, the king veiled his face and kept on crying loudly, "My son Absalom! Absalom my son, my son!" |
| 5Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, | 5Joab went up to the palace and rebuked the king: "Today you've humiliated your entire army who just saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and mistresses! |
| 6because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. | 6You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! You've made it abundantly clear today that your officers and the men under them mean nothing to you! I've learned today that you would rather have Absalom alive today and all the rest of us dead! |
| 7Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.” | 7Now get up and restore the morale of your army. I swear by the LORD that if you don't get out there, you won't have a single man left in your army by nightfall! You'll be in more trouble today than all the disasters you've been through from your boyhood until now!" |
| 8Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his own home. | 8So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the army was informed, "The king is sitting in the gateway!" they all gathered together in his presence. Meanwhile, the Israelis had run away back to their own homes. |
| 9And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. | 9Throughout the tribes of Israel, everyone was quarreling with one another: "The king delivered us from the domination of our enemies…." "He's the one who rescued us from Philistine control…." "Now he's fleeing the country because of Absalom…!" |
| 10But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?” | 10"The very same Absalom we anointed to rule just died in battle…!" "Now then, why remain silent about bringing the king back…?" |
| 11And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? | 11So King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: "Ask the elders of Judah, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace, considering that what's being reported throughout all of Israel has come to the king at his palace? |
| 12You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’ | 12You're my relatives! You're my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last to bring back the king?' |
| 13And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’” | 13Then ask Amasa, 'Aren't you my own flesh and blood? So may God deal with me, no matter how severely, if from this day forward you don't take Joab's place as commander of my army.' |
| 14And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, “Return, both you and all your servants.” | 14By doing things like this, he persuaded all the men of Judah to unite in support of him. They sent the king this message: "Come on back, you and all of your army!" |
| 15So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan. | 15So the king returned to Israel as far as the Jordan River. The men of Judah went out as far as Gilgal to greet the king and escort him across the Jordan River |
| 16And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David. | 16while Gera's son Shimei, a descendant of Benjamin from Bahurim, accompanied them to meet King David. |
| 17And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king, | 17Ziba, the steward in charge of Saul's household, and 1,000 descendants of Benjamin accompanied him, along with Ziba's fifteen sons and 20 servants. They rushed toward the Jordan River ahead of the king |
| 18and they crossed the ford to bring over the king’s household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan, | 18and forded it to assist the king at the crossing so he could do whatever he wished. Just as the king was about to ford the Jordan River, Gera's son Shimei fell down in front of the king |
| 19and said to the king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart. | 19and addressed him, "May your majesty not hold me guilty. Don't remember how your servant did wrong the day your majesty the king left Jerusalem. May the king not let it burden his heart, |
| 20For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” | 20because your servant knows that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first one from the entire house of Joseph to meet your majesty the king." |
| 21Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?” | 21But Zeruiah's son Abishai asked, "Why shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this? After all, he cursed the LORD's anointed!" |
| 22But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” | 22David replied, "What do you sons of Zeruiah have in common with me? You've become my enemies today! Should anyone be executed in Israel today? Don't you know that I've been reinstated as king over Israel today?" |
| 23And the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath. | 23Then the king addressed Shimei, "You won't die!" affirming his promise with an oath. |
| 24And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. | 24Meanwhile, Saul's grandson Mephibosheth also went out to greet the king. He had not taken care of his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. |
| 25And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” | 25When he arrived from Jerusalem to greet the king, the king asked him, "So why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?" |
| 26He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. | 26He replied, "Well, your majesty, since your servant is lame, I told myself, 'I'll have my donkey saddled and I'll ride on it so I can leave with the king.' But my servant Ziba deceived me |
| 27He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. | 27by slandering your servant to your majesty. But your majesty the king is like an angel from God: so do what you think is best. |
| 28For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” | 28Everyone from my grandfather's household deserved nothing but death from your majesty the king, but you provided a place for your servant among those who have been eating from your table. So what right do I have to ask for anything more from the king?" |
| 29And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” | 29In response, the king told him, "What's the point of us talking anymore? My decision is that you and Ziba divide the fields." |
| 30And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.” | 30But Mephibosheth told the king, "Let him take all of it, now that your majesty the king has returned safely to his palace." |
| 31Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. | 31Barzillai the Gileadite also had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan River with the king and to see him on his way from there. |
| 32Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. | 32Now Barzillai was a very old man at the age of 80 years. A very wealthy man, Barzillai had provided for king David during his sojourn in Mahanaim. |
| 33And the king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.” | 33So the king invited Barzillai, "Cross the Jordan River with me, live with me in Jerusalem, and I'll provide for you there." |
| 34But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? | 34"How many more years do I have to live," Barzillai replied to the king, "that I should move to Jerusalem with the king? |
| 35I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? | 35I'm now 80 years old! I can hardly tell the difference between what tastes good or bad! I can't tell what I eat or drink! I can't hear the voice of men and women when they sing! So why should your servant be an added burden to your majesty the king? |
| 36Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? | 36Your servant will cross the Jordan River with the king for a short distance, but why should the king offer me this reward? |
| 37Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” | 37Please let your servant return so I can die in my own home town near the grave of my father and mother. Meanwhile, here is your servant Chimham! Let him accompany your majesty the king. Please do for him whatever seems best to you." |
| 38And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” | 38So the king answered, "Chimham will accompany me, and I'll do for him whatever seems best to you! I'll do anything for you that you want!" |
| 39Then 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 home. | 39Then all the people crossed the Jordan River, followed by the king. The king embraced Barzillai, blessed him, and then Barzillai returned to his home. |
| 40The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way. | 40As the king crossed over the Jordan River to Gilgal, Chimham accompanied him, as did all the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel. |
| 41Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?” | 41Not long afterward, all the men of Israel started coming to the king, complaining to him, "Why did our relatives in Judah's army sneak you away, taking the king and his household over the Jordan River, along with David's army?" |
| 42All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?” | 42Everybody from Judah shouted to the men from Israel, "We did this because the king is closely related to us. So why are you angry about this? Have we lived off the king's expense? Have we appropriated anything for ourselves?" |
| 43And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. | 43But the men from Israel answered the men from Judah: "We represent ten of the tribes of Israel! So we have more right to David than you do! Why haven't you taken us seriously? Weren't we the first to talk about bringing back our king?" But what the people of Judah had to say was harsher than what the people of Israel were saying. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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