14 So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, ajust as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants!”
15 Then the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to aGilgal, to go to meet the king, to escort the king bacross the Jordan.
16 And aShimei 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 aBenjamin with him, and bZiba 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.
David’s Mercy to Shimei
19 Then he said to the king, a“Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what bwrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should ctake it to heart.
20 For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all athe 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, abecause he bcursed the Lord’s anointed?”
22 And David said, a“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? bShall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?”
23 Therefore athe king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore to him.
David and Mephibosheth Meet
24 Now aMephibosheth 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, a“Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Book Notes:
Barnes' Book Notes
Introduction to 2 Samuel
See the Introduction to Samuel in the notes on First Samuel
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