17. There were a thousand men from Benjamin with him, along with Ziba the servant of Saul’s household, and with him his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurriedly crossed the Jordan within sight of the king.
18. They crossed at the ford in order to help the king’s household cross and to do whatever he thought appropriate.Now after he had crossed the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera threw himself down before the king.
19. He said to the king, “Don’t think badly of me, my lord, and don’t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left Jerusalem! Please don’t call it to mind!
20. For I, your servant, know that I sinned, and I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
21. Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!”
22. But David said, “What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t you realize that today I am king over Israel?”
23. The king said to Shimei, “You won’t die.” The king vowed an oath concerning this.
24. Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely returned, Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet nor trimmed his mustache nor washed his clothes.
25. When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”
26. He replied, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I am lame.
27. But my servant has slandered me to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you.
28. After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table! What further claim do I have to ask the king for anything?”
29. Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.”
30. Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely to his house!”
31. Now when Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, he crossed the Jordan with the king so he could send him on his way from there.
32. But Barzillai was very old – eighty years old, in fact – and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.
33. So the king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will take care of you while you are with me in Jerusalem.”
34. Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days do I have left to my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?