Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their own homes. ⁹All over the country they started quarrelling among themselves. “King David saved us from our enemies,” they said to one another. “He rescued us from the Philistines, but now he has fled from Absalom and left the country. ¹⁰We anointed Absalom as our king, but he has been killed in battle. So why doesn’t somebody try to bring King David back?”

¹¹The news of what the Israelites were saying reached King David.^b So he sent the priests Zadok and Abiathar to ask the leaders of Judah, “Why should you be the last to help bring the king back to his palace? ¹²You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood; why should you be the last to bring me back?” ¹³David also told them to say to Amasa, “You are my relative. From now on I am putting you in charge of the army in place of Joab. May God strike me dead if I don’t!” ¹⁴David’s words won the complete loyalty of all the men of Judah, and they sent him word to return with all his officials.

¹⁵On his way back the king was met at the River Jordan by the men of Judah, who had come to Gilgal to escort him across the river.

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Footnotes

bSome ancient translations The news … David; Hebrew The news … David, to his palace, and places this sentence at the end of the verse.