1   And it was told Ioab, that the king wept, and mourned for his sonne:

2   And the victorie was turned into mourning that day to al the people: for the people heard it sayd in that day: The king soroweth vpon his sonne.

3   And the people shunned that day to enter into the citie, as a people turned, & fleing out of battel is wont to shrinke aside.

4   Moreouer the king couered his head, and cried with a lowd voice: O my sonne Absalom, o Absal&obar; my sonne, o my sonne.

5   Ioab therfore entring in to the king, into his house, sayd: Thou hast co&obar;founded this day the countenances of al thy seruantes, that haue saued thy life, and the life of thy sonnes, and thy daughters, and the life of thy wiues, and the life of thy concubines.

6   Thou louest them that hate thee, and thou hatest them that loue thee: and thou hast shewed this day that thou carest not for thy nobles, and for thy seruantes: and in deede I knowe now, that if Absalom liued, and al we had beene slayne, then it would please thee.

7   Now therfore arise, and come forth, and speaking vnto them satisfie thy seruantes: for I sweare to thee by our Lord, that if thou wilt not goe forth, not one verely wil remayne with thee this night: and this shal be worse for thee, then al the euils, which haue come vpon thee from thy youth vntil this present.

8   The king

Dauid. therfore arose and sate in the gate: and it was told al the people that the king sate in the gate: and al the multitude came forth before the king, but Israel fled into their tabernacles.

9   Al the people also stroue in al the tribes of Israel, saying: The king hath deliuered vs out of the hand of our enemies, he hath saued vs from the head of the Philistianes: and now he fled out of the land for Absalom.

10   But Absalom whom we annoynted ouer vs, is dead in the battel: how long are you stil, and reduce not the king?

11   But king Dauid sent to Sadoc, and Abiathar the priestes, saying: Speake to the Ancientes of Iuda, saying: Why come you last to bring backe the king into his house? (And the saying of al Israel was come to the king in his house.)

12   You are my brethren, you my bone, and my flesh, why do you last bring backe the king?

13   And say ye to Amasa: Art not thou my bone, and my flesh? These thinges do God to me, and these adde he, if thou be not the chiefe captayne of warfare before me alwayes for Ioab.

14   And he inclined the hart of al the men of Iuda, as it were of one man: and they sent to the king, saying: Returne thou, and al thy seruantes.

15   And the king returned, and came as far as Iordan, and al Iuda came as far as Galgal to meete the king, and to bring him ouer Iordan.

16   And Semei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini of Bahurim made hast, and went downe with the men of Iuda to meete king Dauid

17   with a thousand men of Benjamin, and Siba the seruant of the house of Saul: and his fiftene sonnes, and twentie seruantes were with him: and rushing into Iordan,

18   passed the fordes before the king, that they might helpe ouer the kinges houshould, and doe according to his commandement. And Semei the sonne of Gera prostrate before the king, when he had now passed Iordan,

19   sayd to him: Impute not to me my lord the iniquitie, nor remember the iniuries of thy seruant in the day that thou my lord king wentest out of Ierusalem, nor put it in thy hart o king.

20   For I thy seruant acknowledge my sinne: and therefore this day I am first come of al ^note the house of Ioseph, and am descended to meete my lord the king.

21   But Abisai the sonne of Saruia answering, sayd: What shal Semei for these wordes not be slayne, because he reuiled the annoynted of our Lord?

22   And Dauid sayd: What is to me and you ye sonnes of Saruia? Why are you made this day as satan to me? Shal there a man be

Dauid. killed in Israel to day? Doe I not know that this day I am made king ouer Israel?

23   And the king sayd to Semei: Thou shalt not die. And he sware to him.

24   Miphiboseth also the sonne of Saul came downe to meete the king, his feete vnwashed, and his beard not pouled: and he had not washed his garmentes from the day that the king went forth, vntil the day of his returne in peace.

25   And when he had mette the king at Ierusalem, the king sayd to him: Why camest thou not with me Miphiboseth?

26   And he answering, sayd: My lord king, my seruant contemned me: and I thy seruant spake to him that he should fadle me an asse, that getting on I might goe with the king: for I thy seruant am lame.

27   Moreouer he hath also accused me thy seruant to thee my lord king: but thou my lord king art as an Angel of God, doe what pleaseth thee.

28   For neither was my fathers house ought els, but guiltie of death to my lord king: and thou hast put me thy seruant among the guestes of thy table? What iust complaynt therfore haue I? or what can I further crie out to the king?

29   The king therfore sayd to him: What speakest thou any more? That is determined which I haue spoken: Thou, and Siba diuide the possessions.

30   And Miphiboseth answered the the king: Yea let him take al, for so much as my lord king is returned peaceably into his house.

31   Berzellai also the Galaadite, coming downe from Rogelim, brought the king ouer Iordan, being readie also to attend on him beyond the riuer.

32   And Berzellai the Galaadite was verie old, that is to say, of foure score yeares, and he gaue the king victuals, when he abode in the Fild: for he was an exceding rich man.

33   The king therfore sayd to Berzellai: Come with me, that thou mayst rest secure with me in Ierusalem.

34   And Berzellai sayd to the king: How manie are the daies of the yeares of my life, that I should goe vp with the king into Ierusalem?

35   I am this day foure score yeares old, are my senses quicke to discerne sweete, or sowre? or can meate or drinke delight thy seruant? or can I heare more the voyce of singing men and singing wemen? Why should thy seruant be a burden to my lord the king?

36   I thy seruant wil goe forward a litle from Iordan with thee: I neede not this recompense,

37   but I besech thee that I thy seruant may returne, and die in my citie, and be buried by the sepulchre of my father, and my mother. But there is thy seruant Chamaam, let him goe with thee, my lord

Dauid. king, and doe to him whatsoeuer semeth good to thee.

38   The king therfore sayd to him: Let Chamaam passe on with me, and I wil doe for him whatsoeuer shal please thee, and al, that thou shalt aske of me, thou shalt obtayne.

39   And when al the people and the king had passed Iordan, the king kissed Berzellai, and blessed him: and he returned into his place.

40   The king therfore passed into Galgal, and Chamaam with him, and al the people of Iuda had brought ouer the king, and the halfe part onlie of the people of Israel were present.

41   Therfore al the men of Israel concurring to the king, sayd to him: Why haue our brethren the men of Iuda stolen thee, and brought the king and his houshould ouer Iordan, and al the men of Dauid with him?

42   And euerie man of Iuda answered the men of Israel. Because the king is neerer to me: why art thou angrie for this matter? haue we eaten any thing of the kinges, or were there giftes geuen vs?

43   And a certayne man of Israel answered the men of Iuda, and sayd: I am greater by ten partes with the king, & to me pertayneth Dauid more then to thee: Why hast thou done me wrong, and it was not told me first, that I might bring backe my king? And the men of Iuda answered more sharply then the men of Israel.

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