9. Then it happened that all the people were disputing among all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies, and he saved us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.
10. Now Absalom whom we anointed as king over us has died in the battle; so then, why are you taking no action to restore the king?”
11. Then King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah: ‘Why are you last to bring back the king to his house? The talk of all Israel has come to the king in his house.
12. My brothers, you are my bones and you are my flesh. Why should you be the last to bring back the king?’
13. To Amasa you shall say: ‘Are you not my bones and my flesh? May God punish me if you are not the commander of my army before me forever, in place of Joab.’ ”
14. So he turned the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your servants.”
15. Then the king returned and he came to the Jordan; Judah had come to Gilgal to come to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan.
16. Then Shimei the son of Gera, the son of the Benjaminite, who was from Bahurim quickly came down with the men of Judah to meet King David,
17. and a thousand men were with him from Benjamin. Too, Ziba the servant of the household of Saul and fifteen of his sons and twenty of his servants were with him, and they rushed to the Jordan before the king.
18. The crossing took place to bring the household of the king over and to do good in his eyes. Then Shimei the son of Gera fell before the king when he crossed over the Jordan,
19. and he said to the king, “May not my lord hold me guilty, and may you not remember how your servant did wrong on the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, by taking it to heart!
20. For your servant knows that I have sinned; look, I have come this day as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”