| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1And Joab was told, “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 it said that day, “The king is grieved 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 back into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away 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. |
| 4But the king covered his face, and the king cried out 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, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of 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! |
| 6in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. | 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 comfort to your servants. For I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen 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 sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, “There is the king, sitting in the gate.” So all the people came before the king. For everyone of Israel had fled to his tent. | 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. |
| 9Now all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us from the hand of our enemies, he delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled from the land because of 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, has died in battle. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?” | 10"The very same Absalom we anointed to rule just died in battle…!" "Now then, why remain silent about bringing the king back…?" |
| 11So King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the words of all Israel have come to the king, to his very house? | 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 brethren, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you 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 the army before me continually 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.' |
| 14So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: “Return, 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!" |
| 15Then the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to escort the king across 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, a Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hurried and came 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. |
| 17There 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 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 |
| 18Then a ferryboat went across to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed 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 |
| 19Then he said to the king, “Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should 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 I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go 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." |
| 21But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, “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!" |
| 22And David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am 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?" |
| 23Therefore the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore to him. | 23Then the king addressed Shimei, "You won't die!" affirming his promise with an oath. |
| 24Now Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. And he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace. | 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. |
| 25So it was, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that 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?" |
| 26And he answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,’ because 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 |
| 27And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes. | 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 dead men before my lord the king. Yet you set your servant among those who eat at your own table. Therefore what right have I still to cry out anymore 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?" |
| 29So the king said to him, “Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, ‘You and Ziba 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." |
| 30Then Mephibosheth said to the king, “Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.” | 30But Mephibosheth told the king, "Let him take all of it, now that your majesty the king has returned safely to his palace." |
| 31And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across 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. |
| 32Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich 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 across with me, and I will provide for you while you are 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 long have I 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 today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further 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 across the Jordan with the king. And 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 turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave 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 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 cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Now whatever you request 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 when the king had crossed over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place. | 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. |
| 40Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel. | 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. |
| 41Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king, his household, and all David’s men with him across the Jordan?” | 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?" |
| 42So all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten 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, and said, “We have ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us—were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?” Yet 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
|
