12. You are my kinsmen; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?
13. And say to Amasa, Are you not of my bone and of my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of my army hereafter in place of Joab.
14. He inclined the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so they sent word to [him], Return, you and all your servants.
15. So [David] returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king, to conduct him over the Jordan.
16. And Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, hastily came down with the men of Judah to meet King David,
17. And 1,000 men of Benjamin with him. And Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him, rushed to the Jordan and pressed quickly into the king's presence.
18. And there went over a ferryboat to bring over the king's household and to do what he thought good. And Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king as David came to the Jordan,
19. And said to the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity to me and hold me guilty, nor remember what your servant did the day my lord went out of Jerusalem [when Shimei grossly insulted David]; may the king not take it to heart.
20. For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, behold, I am today the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.
21. But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed?
22. David said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? Shall anyone be put to death today in Israel? For do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?
23. Therefore the king said to Shimei, You shall not die [at my hand]. And the king gave him his oath. [I Kings 2:44-46.]
24. Mephibosheth the son [grandson] of Saul came down to meet the king, and had not dressed his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until he returned in peace and safety.
25. And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, David said to him, Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?
26. He said, My lord O king, my servant [Ziba] deceived me; for I said, Saddle me the donkey that I may ride on it and go to the king, for your servant is lame [but he took the donkey and left without me].
27. He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But the king is as an angel of God; so do what is good in your eyes.