David Pardons His Enemies

2 Samuel 19

16 And s Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 There were a thousand men of t Benjamin with him, and u Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over the Jordan before the king. 18 Then a ferryboat went across to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good.
Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. 19 Then he said to the king, v "Do not let my lord 1 impute iniquity to me, or remember what w wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should x take it to heart. 20 "For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all y 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, z because he a cursed the LORD's anointed?" 22 And David said, b "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? c Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?" 23 Therefore d the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king swore to him.

24 Now e Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. And he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace. 25 So it was, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, f "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?" 26 And he answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,' because your servant is lame. 27 "And g he has slandered your servant to my lord the king, h but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes. 28 "For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king. i Yet you set your servant among those who eat at your own table. Therefore what right have I still to 2 cry out anymore to the king?" 29 So the king said to him, "Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, 'You and Ziba divide the land.' " 30 Then Mephibosheth said to the king, "Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house."

31 And j Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. 32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And k he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. 33 And the king said to Barzillai, "Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem." 34 But Barzillai said to the king, "How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 "I am today l eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king? 36 "Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37 "Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant m Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you." 38 And the king answered, "Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Now whatever you request of me, I will do for you." 39 Then all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had crossed over, the king n kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place. 40 Now the king went on to Gilgal, and 3 Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel.

41 Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, "Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and o brought the king, his household, and all David's men with him across the Jordan?" 42 So all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is p a close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?" 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, "We have q ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us - were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?" Yet r the words of the men of Judah were 4 fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

  1. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:22
    So David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By morning light not one of them was left who had not gone over the Jordan.
  2. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:5
    Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came.
    1 Kings 2:8
    "And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'
  3. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:19
    And Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin. Then Abner also went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and the whole house of Benjamin.
    1 Kings 12:21
    And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
  4. Cross References
    2 Samuel 9:2
    And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, " Are you Ziba?" He said, "At your service!
    2 Samuel 9:10
    You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master's son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's son shall eat bread at my table always." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
    2 Samuel 16:1
    When David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
    2 Samuel 16:2
    And the king said to Ziba, "What do you mean to do with these?" So Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:15
    "Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much."
  6. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:5
    Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came.
    2 Samuel 16:6
    And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
  7. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:33
    "Now therefore, let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead. For only Amnon is dead."
  8. Cross References
    Judges 1:22
    And the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
    1 Kings 11:28
    The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.
  9. Cross References
    Exodus 22:28
    You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 26:9
    But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?
  11. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:39
    "And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness."
    2 Samuel 16:10
    But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, 'Curse David.' Who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?'
  12. Cross References
    1 Samuel 11:13
    But Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has accomplished salvation in Israel.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:8
    "And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'
    1 Kings 2:9
    "Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood."
    1 Kings 2:37
    "For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head."
    1 Kings 2:46
    So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
  14. Cross References
    2 Samuel 9:6
    Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, "Mephibosheth?" And he answered, "Here is your servant!
    2 Samuel 21:7
    But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
  15. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:17
    So Absalom said to Hushai, " Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:3
    Then the king said, "And where is your master's son?" And Ziba said to the king, "Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.'
    2 Samuel 16:4
    So the king said to Ziba, "Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours." And Ziba said, "I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!
  17. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:17
    "Your maidservant said, 'The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.'"
    2 Samuel 14:20
    "To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth."
  18. Cross References
    2 Samuel 9:7 - 13
    So David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.
  19. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:27 - 29
    Now it happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.
    1 Kings 2:7
    But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
  20. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:27 - 29
    Now it happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.
  21. Cross References
    Psalms 90:10
    The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
  22. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:40
    Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
    Jeremiah 41:17
    And they departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, as they went on their way to Egypt.
  23. Cross References
    Genesis 31:55
    And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.
    Ruth 1:14
    Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
    2 Samuel 14:33
    So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom.
  24. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:15
    Then the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to escort the king across the Jordan.
  25. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:12
    'You are my brethren, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?'
  26. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:30
    Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.
    1 Kings 11:31
    And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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