2 Samuel 19:1-6

19:1 (19:2) Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.” 19:2 So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.” 19:3 That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle. 19:4 The king covered his face and cried out loudly, ¹  “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

19:5 So Joab visited ²  the king at his home. He said, “Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 19:6 You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now ³  that if ⁴  Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, ⁵  it would be all right with you.

[19:4]  ¹ tn Heb “with a great voice.”

[19:5]  ² tn Heb “came to.”

[19:6]  ³ tn Heb “today.”

[19:6]  ⁴ tc The translation follows the Qere, 4QSam^a, and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading לוּ (lu, “if”) rather than MT לֹא (lo’, “not”).

[19:6]  ⁵ tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack “today.”