4. The soldiers stole into the city that day like men shamed by flight in battle.
5. Meanwhile the king covered his face and cried out in a loud voice, “My son Absalom! Absalom! My son, my son!”
6. So Joab went to the king’s residence and said: “Though they saved your life and your sons’ and daughters’ lives, and the lives of your wives and your concubines, you have put all your servants to shame today
7. by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you. For you have announced today that officers and servants are nothing to you. Indeed I am now certain that if Absalom were alive today and all of us dead, that would be fine with you.
8. Now then, get up! Go out and speak kindly to your servants. I swear by the Lord that if you do not go out, not a single man will remain with you overnight, and this will be a far greater disaster for you than any that has come upon you from your youth until now.”
9. So the king got up and sat at the gate. When all the people were told, “The king is sitting at the gate,” they came into his presence. Now the Israelites had fled to their separate tents,
10. but throughout the tribes of Israel all the people were arguing among themselves, saying to one another: “The king delivered us from the grasp of our enemies, and it was he who rescued us from the grasp of the Philistines. Now, he has fled the country before Absalom,
11. but Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Why, then, should you remain silent about restoring the king to his palace?” When the talk of all Israel reached the king,
12. David sent word to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “Say to the elders of Judah: ‘Why should you be last to restore the king to his palace?
13. You are my brothers, you are my bone and flesh. Why should you be last to restore the king?’
14. Also say to Amasa: ‘Are you not my bone and flesh? May God do thus to me, and more, if you do not become commander of my army permanently in place of Joab.’”
15. He won the hearts of the Judahites all together, and so they sent a message to the king: “Return, with all your servants.”
16. So the king returned, and when he reached the Jordan, Judah had come to Gilgal to meet him and to bring him across the Jordan.
17. Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the Judahites to meet King David,
18. accompanied by a thousand men from Benjamin. Ziba, too, the servant of the house of Saul, accompanied by his fifteen sons and twenty servants, hastened to the Jordan before the king.