3. So that day the troops crept back into the city like soldiers creep back ashamed after they’ve fled from battle.
4. The king covered his face and cried out in a loud voice, "Oh, my son Absalom! Oh, Absalom, my son! My son!"
5. Joab came to the king inside and said, "Today you have humiliated all your servants who have saved your life today, not to mention the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your secondary wives,
6. by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you! Today you have announced that the commanders and their soldiers are nothing to you, because I know that if Absalom were alive today and the rest of us dead, that would be perfectly fine with you!
7. Now get up! Go out and encourage your followers! I swear to the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not one man will stick with you tonight—and that will be more trouble for you than all the trouble that you’ve faced from your youth until now."
8. So the king went and sat down in the city gate. All the troops were told that the king was sitting in the gate, so they came before the king.Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes.
9. Everyone was arguing throughout Israel’s tribes, saying, "The king delivered us from our enemies’ power, and he rescued us from the Philistines’ power, but now he has fled from the land and from controlling his own kingdom.
10. And Absalom, the one we anointed over us, is dead in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?"
11. When the things that all the Israelites were saying reached the king, David sent a message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: "Say the following to the elders of Judah: ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace?
12. You are my relatives! You are my flesh and bones! Why should you be the last to bring the king back?’
13. And tell Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and bones too? May God deal harshly with me and worse still if you don’t become commander of my army from now on instead of Joab!’"
14. So he won over the hearts of everyone in Judah as though they were one person, and they sent word to the king: "Come back—you and all your servants."
15. So the king came back and arrived at the Jordan River. Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and bring him across the Jordan.
16. Gera’s son Shimei, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the people of Judah to meet King David.