Part 192 (1/2)
18:28. And Achimaas crying out, said to the king: G.o.d save thee, O king.
And falling down before the king with his face to the ground, he said: Blessed be the Lord thy G.o.d, who hath shut up the men that have lifted up their hands against the lord my king.
18:29. And the king said: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Achimaas said: I saw a great tumult, O king, when thy servant Joab sent me thy servant: I know nothing else.
18:30. And the king said to him: Pa.s.s, and stand here.
18:31. And when he had pa.s.sed, and stood still, Chusai appeared and coming up he said: I bring good tidings, my lord, the king, for the Lord hath judged for thee this day from the hand of all that have risen up against thee.
18:32. And the king said to Chusai: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Chusai answering him, said: Let the enemies of my lord, the king, and all that rise against him unto evil, be as the young man is.
18:33. The king therefore being much moved, went up to the high chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went he spoke in this manner: My son Absalom, Absalom my son: would to G.o.d that I might die for thee, Absalom my son, my son Absalom.
Would to G.o.d... David lamented the death of Absalom, because of the wretched state in which he died: and therefore would have been glad to have saved his life, even by dying for him. In which he was a figure of Christ weeping, praying and dying for his rebellious children, and even for them that crucified him.
2 Kings Chapter 19
David, at the remonstrances of Joab, ceaseth his mourning. He is invited back and met by Semei and Miphiboseth: a strife between the men of Juda and the men of Israel.
19:1. And it was told Joab, that the king wept and mourned for his son:
19:2. And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day: The king grieveth for his son.
19:3. And the people shunned the going into the city that day as a people would do that hath turned their backs, and fled away from the battle.
19:4. And the king covered his head, and cried with a loud voice: O my son Absalom, O Absalom my son, O my son.
19:5. Then Joab going into the house to the king, said: Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, that have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines.
19:6. Thou lovest them that hate thee, and thou hatest them that love thee: and thou hast shewn this day that thou carest not for thy n.o.bles, nor for thy servants: and I now plainly perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all we had been slain, then it would have pleased thee.
19:7. Now therefore arise, and go out, and speak to the satisfaction of thy servants: for I swear to thee by the Lord, that if thou wilt not go forth, there will not tarry with thee so much as one this night: and that will be worse to thee, than all the evils that have befallen thee from thy youth until now.
19:8. Then the king arose and sat in the gate: and it was told to all the people that the king sat in the gate: and all the people came before the king, but Israel fled to their own dwellings.
19:9. And all the people were at strife in all the tribes of Israel, saying: The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines: and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
19:10. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in the battle: how long are you silent, and bring not back the king?
19:11. And king David sent to Sadoc, and Abiathar the priests, saying: Speak to the ancients of Juda, saying: Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? (For the talk of all Israel was come to the king in his house.)
19:12. You are my brethren, you are my bone, and my flesh, why are you the last to bring back the king?
19:13. And say ye to Amasa: Art not thou my bone, and my flesh? So do G.o.d to me and add more, if thou be not the chief captain of the army before me always in the place of Joab.
19:14. And he inclined the heart of all the men of Juda, as it were of one man: and they sent to the king, saying: Return thou, and all thy servants.
19:15. And the king returned and came as far as the Jordan, and all Juda came as far as Galgal to meet the king, and to bring him over the Jordan.
19:16. And Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, made haste and went down with the men of Juda to meet king David,