2 Samuel 19:1–15
1 Then it was told Joab, “Behold, athe king is weeping and mourns for Absalom.”
2 The 1victory that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.”
3 So the people went by stealth into the city that day, as people who are humiliated steal away when they flee in battle.
4 The king acovered his face and 1cried out with a loud voice, “bO my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines,
6 by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have shown today that 1princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then 2you would be pleased.
7 “Now therefore arise, go out and speak 1kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, surely anot a man will pass the night with you, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”
8 So the king arose and sat in the gate. When they told all the people, saying, “Behold, the king is asitting in the gate,” then all the people came before the king.
Now bIsrael had fled, each to his tent.
9 All the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “aThe king delivered us from the 1hand of our enemies and bsaved us from the 1hand of the Philistines, but now che has fled out of the land from Absalom.
10 “However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now then, why are you silent about bringing the king back?”
11 Then King David sent to aZadok 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 word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house?
12 ‘You are my brothers; ayou are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’
13 “Say to aAmasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? bMay God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be ccommander of the army before me continually din place of Joab.’ ”
14 Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah aas one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”
15 The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to aGilgal in order to go to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.