<p class="bodytext">He<n id="1" /> won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. Then they sent word to the king saying, &#8220;Return, you and all your servants as well.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, &#8220;For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s anointed!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Then the king replied to him, &#8220;Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.&#8221;

Mephibosheth said to the king, &#8220;Let him have<n id="1" /> the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely<n id="2" /> to his house!&#8221;p>

But Barzillai was very old &#8211; eighty years old, in fact &#8211; and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich<n id="1" /> man.

<p class="bodytext">Barzillai replied to the king, &#8220;How many days do I have left to my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

<p class="bodytext">The king replied, &#8220;Kimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever I deem appropriate. And whatever you choose, I will do for you.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home.<n id="1" />

When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham<n id="1" /> crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers<n id="2" /> of Judah along with half of the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the king said to Amasa, &#8220;Call the men of Judah together for me in three days,<n id="1" /> and you be present here with them too.&#8221;

David said to the Gibeonites, &#8220;What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will bless<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s inheritance?&#8221;p>

Now Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha,<n id="1" /> had a spear<n id="2" /> that weighed three hundred bronze shekels,<n id="3" /> and he was armed with a new weapon.<n id="4" /> He had said that he would kill David.

<p class="bodytext">Later there was another battle with the Philistines, this time in Gob. On that occasion Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of Rapha.

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">David sang<n id="2" /> to the <sc>Lordsc> the words of this song when<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> rescued him from the power<n id="4" /> of all his enemies, including Saul.<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at<n id="1" /> the wadi of Gad, near Jazer.

<p class="bodytext">When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching him, he<n id="1" /> went out and bowed to the king with his face<n id="2" /> to the ground.

They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, saying to the king, &#8220;Look! The head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life! The <sc>Lordsc> has granted vengeance to my lord the king this day against<n id="1" /> Saul and his descendants!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Jonadab, the son of David&#8217;s brother Shimeah, said, &#8220;My lord should not say, &#8216;They have killed all the young men who are the king&#8217;s sons.&#8217; For only Amnon is dead. This is what Absalom has talked about<n id="1" /> from the day that Amnon<n id="2" /> humiliated his sister Tamar.

The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, &#8220;We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want<n id="1" /> to curse us? Weren&#8217;t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?&#8221; But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.p>

he<n id="1" /> went and took the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan<n id="2" /> from the leaders<n id="3" /> of Jabesh Gilead. (They had secretly taken<n id="4" /> them from the plaza at Beth Shan. It was there that Philistines<n id="5" /> publicly exposed their corpses<n id="6" /> after<n id="7" /> they<n id="8" /> had killed Saul at Gilboa.)