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1 And HaMelech was much moved, and went up to the aliyyat hasha'ar (upper room over the gate) and wept; and as he went, thus he said, O beni (my son) Avshalom, beni, beni Avshalom! If only I had died tachteicha (in place of, instead of) thee, O Avshalom, beni, beni! 2 And it was told Yoav, Hinei, HaMelech weepeth and mourneth for Avshalom. 3 And the teshu'ah (salvation, deliverance) on that day was turned into evel (mourning) unto kol HaAm; for the people heard say that day how HaMelech was grieved for bno Avshalom. 4 And the people stole that day into the Ir* as people being ashamed steal in when they flee in milchamah. 5 But HaMelech covered his face, and HaMelech cried with a kol gadol, O beni Avshalom, O Avshalom, beni, beni! 6 And Yoav came into the bais to HaMelech, and said, Thou hast disgraced this day the faces of all thy avadim, which this day have saved thy nefesh, and the nefesh of thy banim and of thy banot, and the nefesh of thy nashim, and the nefesh of thy pilagshim (concubines); 7 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou hast no regard for sarim nor avadim; for this day I perceive, that if Avshalom had lived, and this day all we were mesim (dead ones), then it would have been yashar in thy sight. 8 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak to the lev unto thy avadim; for I swear by Hashem, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one ish with thee halailah (this night); and that will be worse unto thee than kol hara'ah that befell thee from thy youth until now. 9 Then HaMelech arose, and sat in the sha'ar. And they told unto kol haAm, saying, Hinei, HaMelech doth sit in the sha'ar. And kol haAm came before HaMelech: for Yisroel had fled every ish to his ohel.
10 And kol haAm were having dissension throughout kol Shivtei Yisroel saying, HaMelech saved us out of the palm of oyveinu (our enemies) and he delivered us out of the palm of the Pelishtim; and now he is fled from HaAretz because of Avshalom. 11 And Avshalom, whom mashachnu (we anointed) over us, is dead in milchamah. Now therefore why are ye not speaking of bringing back HaMelech?
12 And Dovid HaMelech sent to Tzadok and to Evyatar the kohanim, saying, Speak unto the Ziknei Yehudah, saying, Why are ye the last ones to bring HaMelech back to his Bais? Seeing the talk of kol Yisroel is come to HaMelech, even to his Bais. 13 Ye are my brethren, ye are my atzmot and my basar; why then are ye the last ones to bring back HaMelech? 14 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my etzem, and of my basar? Elohim do so to me, and more also, if thou be not sar tzava before me continually in place of Yoav. 15 And he swayed the levav kol Ish Yehudah, even as the lev of one man; so that they sent this word unto HaMelech, Return thou, and all thy avadim.
16 So HaMelech returned, and came to Yarden. And Yehudah came to Gilgal, to go to meet HaMelech, to conduct HaMelech over Yarden. 17 And Shime'i Ben Gera, a Ben-HaYemini, which was of Bachurim, hasted and came down with the Ish Yehudah to meet Dovid HaMelech. 18 And there were an elef ish of Binyamin with him, and Tziva the na'ar of the Bais Sha'ul, and his fifteen banim and his twenty avadim with him; and they went over Yarden before HaMelech. 19 And there went over a ferry to carry over the Bais HaMelech, and to do what he thought good. And Shime'i Ben Gera fell down before HaMelech, as he was come over Yarden; 20 And said unto HaMelech, Let not adoni impute avon (iniquity) unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy eved did perversely the day that adoni HaMelech went out of Yerushalayim, that HaMelech should take it to his lev. 21 For thy eved doth know that I have sinned; therefore, hinei, I am come rishom (first) this day of all the Bais Yosef to go down to meet adoni HaMelech. 22 But Avishai Ben Tzeruyah answered and said, Shall not Shime'i be put to death for this, because he cursed Hashemʼs Moshiach? 23 And Dovid said, What have I to do with you, ye Bnei Tzeruyah, that ye should this day be as satan unto me? Shall there be ish put to death this day in Yisroel? For do not I know that I am this day Melech al Yisroel? 24 Therefore HaMelech said unto Shime'i, Thou shalt not die. And HaMelech swore a shevu'a unto him.
25 And Mephivoshet Ben Sha'ul came down to meet HaMelech, and had neither bathed his regal, nor trimmed his safam (mustache), nor washed his clothes, from the day HaMelech departed until the day he came again in shalom. 26 And it came to pass, when he† was come to Yerushalayim to meet HaMelech, that HaMelech said unto him, why wentest not thou with me, Mephivoshet? 27 And he answered, Adoni, O Melech, avdi deceived me: for thy eved said, I will saddle me a chamor, that I may ride thereon, and go to HaMelech; because thy eved is pise'ach (lame). 28 And he hath slandered thy eved unto adoni HaMelech; but adoni HaMelech is like malach HaElohim; do therefore what is tov in thine eyes. 29 For all of the bais avi were but anshei mavet before adoni HaMelech; yet didst thou set thy eved among them that did eat at thine own shulchan. What tzedakah (right) therefore have I yet to appeal any more unto HaMelech? 30 And HaMelech said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy devarim? I have said, Thou and Tziva divide the sadeh. 31 And Mephivoshet said unto HaMelech, Indeed, let him take all, forasmuch as adoni HaMelech is come again in shalom unto his own bais.
32 And Barzillai the Gil'adi came down from Roglim, and went over Yarden with HaMelech, to conduct him over Yarden. 33 Now Barzillai was zaken me'od, even fourscore shanah; and he had been the support of HaMelech while he dwelt at Machanayim; for he was an ish gadol me'od. 34 HaMelech said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and with me I will be your support in Yerushalayim. 35 And Barzillai said unto HaMelech, How long have I to live, that I should go up with HaMelech to Yerushalayim? 36 I am this day fourscore shanah old; and can I discern between tov and rah? Can thy eved taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any more the voice of sharim (singing men) and sharot (singing women)? Why then should thy eved be yet a massa (burden) unto adoni HaMelech? 37 Thy eved will go a little way over Yarden with HaMelech; and why should HaMelech reward me with such a reward? 38 Let thy eved, now, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried near the kever of avi and of immi. But hinei thy eved Kimham;‡ let him go over with adoni HaMelech; and do to him what shall seem tov unto thee. 39 And HaMelech answered, Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him that which shall seem tov unto thee; and whatsoever thou shalt request of me, that will I do for thee. 40 And kol haAm crossed over Yarden. And when HaMelech was come over, HaMelech kissed Barzillai, and put a bracha on him; and he returned unto his own makom (place, home). 41 Then HaMelech went on to Gilgal, and Kimhan crossed over with him; and kol Am Yehudah conducted HaMelech, and also half Am Yisroel.
42 And, hinei, kol Ish Yisroel came to HaMelech, and said unto HaMelech, Why have acheinu Ish Yehudah stolen thee away, and have brought HaMelech across, and his Bais (household), and kol Anshei Dovid with him, over Yarden? 43 And kol Ish Yehudah answered Ish Yisroel, Because HaMelech is near of kin to us; why then be ye angry for this matter? Have we eaten at all from HaMelech? Or hath he given us anything? 44 And Ish Yisroel answered the Ish Yehudah, and said, We have ten shares as much in HaMelech, and we have also more in Dovid than ye; why then did ye slight us? Were we not the first to give the davar in bringing back my melech? And the devar Ish Yehudah were harsher than the devar Ish Yisroel.
* 19:4 Machanayim † 19:26 Mephivoshet ‡ 19:38 i.e., one of his sons, 1Kgs 2:7