| Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1It was reported to Joab, "The king is weeping. He's mourning over Absalom." | 1Then it was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.” |
| 2That day's victory was turned into mourning for all the troops because on that day the troops heard, "The king is grieving over his son." | 2And that day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the people, because on that day they were told, “The king is grieving over his son.” |
| 3So they returned to the city quietly that day like troops come in when they are humiliated after fleeing in battle. | 3So they returned to the city quietly that day, as people steal away in humiliation after fleeing a battle. |
| 4But the king covered his face and cried loudly, "My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!" | 4But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!” |
| 5Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, "Today you have shamed all your soldiers--those who saved your life as well as your sons, your wives, and your concubines-- | 5Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines. |
| 6by loving your enemies and hating those who love you! Today you have made it clear that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. In fact, today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would be fine with you! | 6You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you! |
| 7"Now get up! Go out and encourage your soldiers, for I swear by the LORD that if you don't go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the trouble that has come to you from your youth until now!" | 7Now therefore get up! Go out and speak comfort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!” |
| 8So the king got up and sat in the city gate, and all the people were told: "Look, the king is sitting in the city gate." Then they all came into the king's presence. Meanwhile, each Israelite had fled to his tent. | 8So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” So they all came before the king. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled, each man to his home. |
| 9People throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves, saying, "The king rescued us from the grasp of our enemies, and he saved us from the grasp of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. | 9And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled the land because of Absalom. |
| 10But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?" | 10But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?” |
| 11King David sent word to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: "Say to the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace? The talk of all Israel has reached the king at his house. | 11Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters? |
| 12You are my brothers, my flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?' | 12You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’ |
| 13And tell Amasa, 'Aren't you my flesh and blood? May God punish me and do so severely if you don't become commander of my army from now on instead of Joab!'" | 13And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’ ” |
| 14So he won over all the men of Judah, and they unanimously sent word to the king: "Come back, you and all your servants." | 14So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man, and they sent word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants.” |
| 15Then the king returned. When he arrived at the Jordan, Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and escort him across the Jordan. | 15So the king returned, and when he arrived at the Jordan, the men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the Jordan. |
| 16Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. | 16Then Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David, |
| 17There were a thousand men from Benjamin with him. Ziba, an attendant from the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants also rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king. | 17along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king |
| 18They forded the Jordan to bring the king's household across and do whatever the king desired. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell facedown before the king | 18and crossed at the ford to carry over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king |
| 19and said to him, "My lord, don't hold me guilty, and don't remember your servant's wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart. | 19and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart. |
| 20For your servant knows that I have sinned. But look! Today I am the first one of the entire house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king." | 20For your servant knows that I have sinned, so here I am today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” |
| 21Abishai son of Zeruiah asked, "Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?" | 21But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?” |
| 22David answered, "Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything? Have you become my adversary today? Should any man be killed in Israel today? Am I not aware that today I'm king over Israel?" | 22And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed aware that today I am king over Israel?” |
| 23So the king said to Shimei, "You will not die." Then the king gave him his oath. | 23So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore an oath to him. |
| 24Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, also went down to meet 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. | 24Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely. |
| 25When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, "Mephibosheth, why didn't you come with me?" | 25And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?” |
| 26"My lord the king," he replied, "my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said: 'I'll saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride it and go with the king'--for your servant is lame. | 26“My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me, |
| 27Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do whatever you think best. | 27and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes. |
| 28For my grandfather's entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king?" | 28For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?” |
| 29The king said to him, "Why keep on speaking about these matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land." | 29The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.” |
| 30Mephibosheth said to the king, "Instead, since my lord the king has come to his palace safely, let Ziba take it all!" | 30And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!” |
| 31Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim and accompanied the king to the Jordan River to see him off at the Jordan. | 31Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there. |
| 32Barzillai was a very old man--eighty years old--and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the needs of the king while he stayed in Mahanaim. | 32Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim. |
| 33The king said to Barzillai, "Cross over with me, and I'll provide for you at my side in Jerusalem." | 33The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.” |
| 34Barzillai replied to the king, "How many years of my life are left that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? | 34But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? |
| 35I'm now eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? | 35I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? |
| 36Since your servant is only going with the king a little way across the Jordan, why should the king repay me with such a reward? | 36Your servant could go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward? |
| 37Please let your servant return so that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham: let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him what seems good to you." | 37Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.” |
| 38The king replied, "Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you, and whatever you desire from me I will do for you." | 38The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good in your sight, and I will do for you whatever you desire of me.” |
| 39So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned to his home. | 39So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned home. |
| 40The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. All the troops of Judah and half of Israel's escorted the king. | 40Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed over with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king. |
| 41Suddenly, all the men of Israel came to the king. They asked him, "Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and transport the king and his household across the Jordan, along with all of David's men?" | 41Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, together with all of David’s men?” |
| 42All the men of Judah responded to the men of Israel, "Because the king is our relative. Why does this make you angry? Have we ever eaten anything of the king's or been honored at all?" | 42And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?” |
| 43The men of Israel answered the men of Judah: "We have ten shares in the king, so we have a greater claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Weren't we the first to speak of restoring our king?" But the words of the men of Judah were harsher than those of the men of Israel. | 43“We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel. |
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