1 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.
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.
1 有人告诉约押： "看哪！ 王正在为押沙龙悲哀哭泣。"（本节在《马索拉抄本》为19:2）
2 那一天， 众人胜利的欢乐变成了悲哀， 因为他们听说王为他的儿子伤痛。
3 那一天， 众人偷偷进城， 就像军人从战场上逃跑， 羞愧地偷偷回来一样。
4 王蒙着脸， 大声哀哭， 说： "我儿押沙龙啊！ 押沙龙， 我儿， 我儿啊！ "
5 约押进了屋子去见王， 说： "你所有的臣仆今天救了你的性命， 和你儿女妻室的性命， 你今天却使他们满面羞愧；
6 你爱那些恨你的， 恨那些爱你的。因为你今天表明了你不重视将帅和臣仆； 我今天才明白， 如果押沙龙活着， 我们大家都死去， 你就欢喜了。
7 现在请你起来， 出去， 说些安慰你仆人们的话。我指着耶和华起誓， 如果你不出去， 今夜就必没有一人留下来与你在一起。这祸患就比你从幼年到现在所遭受的一切祸患更厉害了。"
8 于是王起来， 坐在城门口。有人告诉众民说： "看哪！ 王坐在城门口。"于是众人都来到王的面前。以色列人已经逃跑， 各回自己的家去了。
9 以色列众支派的人都纷纷议论， 说： "王曾经拯救我们脱离仇敌的手， 又救了我们脱离非利士人的手， 现在他却躲避押沙龙， 离开这地逃走了。
10 我们所膏立统治我们的押沙龙， 已经在战场上死了。现在你们为什么不出声请王回来呢？"
11 大卫王派人去见撒督祭司和亚比亚他， 说： "你们要对犹大的众长老说： ‘你们为什么在请王回宫的事上落在人后头呢？全以色列请王回宫的话已经传到王和王宫那里去了。
12 你们是我的兄弟， 我的骨肉至亲， 为什么在请王回来的事上， 倒落在人后头呢？’
13 你们又要对亚玛撒说： ‘你不是我的骨肉至亲吗？我若不立你代替约押， 在我面前作军队的元帅， 愿 神重重地惩罚我， 并且加倍严厉地惩罚我。’"
14 这样， 大卫挽回了犹大众人的心， 好像一人的心。于是他们差派人去见王， 说： "请你和你的众臣仆都回来！ "
15 王就回来， 到了约旦河。犹大人也来到吉甲， 要去迎接王， 接王过约旦河。
16 巴户琳的便雅悯人， 基拉的儿子示每， 急忙与犹大人一同下去迎接大卫王。
17 与示每同来的有一千便雅悯人， 还有扫罗家的仆人洗巴， 和他的十五个儿子， 以及二十个仆人。他们都冲过约旦河去迎接王。
18 有人渡过渡口， 把王的家眷接过去， 并且照着王的心意去作。大卫过约旦河的时候， 基拉的儿子示每俯伏在王面前，
19 对王说： "我主我王从耶路撒冷出来的那一天， 你仆人所犯的错， 现在求我主不要归罪于我， 求你不要记念， 求王也不要放在心上。
20 因为你的仆人知道自己犯了罪， 所以你看， 在约瑟全家之中， 今天我是第一个下来迎接我主我王的。"
21 洗鲁雅的儿子亚比筛回答说： "示每咒骂了耶和华的受膏者， 岂不该因此把他处死吗？"
22 大卫说： "洗鲁雅的儿子们啊， 我与你们有什么关系呢？今天你们竟与我作对！ 今天在以色列中， 岂可有人被处死呢？难道我不知道今天我作以色列的王吗？"
23 于是王对示每说： "你一定不会被处死！ "王又向他起誓。
24 扫罗的孙子米非波设也下去迎接王。他自从王出走那天， 直到王平平安安回来的日子， 都没有修脚， 没有刮胡子， 也没有洗衣服。
25 他从耶路撒冷来迎接王的时候， 王问他： "米非波设啊， 你为什么没有与我一同离开呢？"
26 他回答： "我主我王， 你仆人是瘸腿的； 那天， 我心里想我要预备驴子， 可以骑上， 与王一同离开， 但是我的仆人却欺骗了我，
27 又在我主我王面前毁谤你仆人。但我主我王像 神的使者一样， 现在， 你看怎样好， 就怎样行吧！
28 因为我祖父全家的人， 在我主我王面前都算不得什么， 都不过是该死的人； 你却使仆人在你席上与你一同吃饭。我还有什么权利再向王哀求什么呢？"
29 王就对他说： "你为什么再提你的事呢？我已经决定， 你与洗巴要均分那地。"
30 米非波设对王说： "我主我王既然已平平安安回宫， 所有的一切就都任凭洗巴拿去好了。"
31 基列人巴西莱也从罗基琳下来， 与王一同过约旦河， 要在约旦河边给王送行。
32 巴西莱年纪非常老迈， 已经八十岁。王住在巴户琳的时候， 是他供养王的， 因为他是一个很富有的人。
33 王对巴西莱说： "你与我一同过河去， 在耶路撒冷与我同住， 我要供养你。"
34 巴西莱对王说： "我活着的年日还能有多少， 可使我与王一同上耶路撒冷呢？
35 我现在已经八十岁了， 还能分别美丑吗？你仆人还能尝出吃喝的味道吗？我还能细听男女歌手的声音吗？你仆人为什么要负累我主我王呢？
36 你仆人只不过与王一同过约旦河， 王为什么要这样赏赐我呢？
37 请让你仆人回去， 好死在我自己的城里， 埋葬在我父母的坟墓旁。看哪， 你仆人金罕在这里， 请让他与我主我王一同过河； 你看怎么好， 就怎么待他吧！ "
38 王说： "金罕可以与我一同过河。你看怎么好， 我就怎么待他。你向我所要求的， 我都必为你成全。"
39 于是众人都渡过约旦河， 王也渡过了。王与巴西莱亲嘴， 为他祝福， 巴西莱就回自己的地方去了。
40 王过了河， 到了吉甲， 金罕也与王一同渡河。所有的犹大人和半数以色列人， 也都与王一同渡河。
41 以色列众人都来见王， 问王说： "我们的兄弟犹大人为什么把你偷去了， 把王和王的家眷接过约旦河呢？属大卫的人不都一样是他的人民吗？"
42 犹大众人回答以色列人说： "因为王与我们的关系亲密。你们为什么因这事而生气呢？我们从王那里得到什么吃的呢？或是他给了我们什么礼物呢？"
43 以色列人回答犹大人说： "在王的事上， 我们有十分的投入。在大卫身上， 我们也与大卫比你们更有情分。你们为什么轻视我们呢？先说要请我们的王回来的， 不是我们吗？"但是犹大人的话比以色列人的话更强硬。