II Samuel 16

¹And when David had gone a little way past the top of the slope, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, came to him, with two asses on which were two hundred cakes of bread and a hundred stems of dry grapes and a hundred summer fruits and a skin of wine.

²And David said to Ziba, What is your reason for this? And Ziba said, The asses are for the use of the king's people, and the bread and the fruit are food for the young men; and the wine is for drink for those who are overcome by weariness in the waste land.

³And the king said, And where is your master's son? And Ziba said, He is still at Jerusalem: for he said, Today Israel will give back to me the kingdom of my father.

⁴Then the king said to Ziba, Truly everything which was Mephibosheth's is yours. And Ziba said, I give honour to my lord, may I have grace in your eyes, my lord, O king!

⁵And when King David came to Bahurim, a man of Saul's family named Shimei, the son of Gera, came out from there, calling curses after him.

⁶And he sent stones at David and at all the king's servants and at all the people and at all the men of war by his side, on the right hand and on the left.

⁷And Shimei said, with curses, Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, you good-for-nothing:

⁸The Lord has sent punishment on you for all the blood of the family of Saul, whose kingdom you have taken; and the Lord has given the kingdom to Absalom, your son: now you yourself are taken in your evil, because you are a man of blood.

⁹Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, Is this dead dog to go on cursing my lord the king? let me go over and take off his head.

¹⁰And the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Let him go on cursing, for the Lord has said, Put a curse on David, and who then may say, Why have you done so?

¹¹And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, You see how my son, the offspring of my body, has made designs against my life: how much more then may this Benjamite do so? Let him be, and let him go on cursing; for the Lord has given him orders.

¹²It may be that the Lord will take note of my wrongs, and give me back good in answer to his cursing of me today.

¹³So David and his men went on their way: and Shimei went by the hillside parallel with them, cursing and sending stones and dust at him.

¹⁴And the king and his people came tired to Jordan, and took their rest there.

¹⁵And Absalom and the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.

¹⁶Then Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom and said, Long life to the king, long life to the king!

¹⁷And Absalom said, Is this your love for your friend? why did you not go with your friend?

¹⁸And Hushai said to Absalom, Not so; I am for that man whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have taken as king, and I will take my place with him.

¹⁹And more than this! where is my place as a servant? is it not before his son? as I have been your father's servant, so will I be yours.

²⁰Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your opinion now, what are we to do?

²¹And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's women who are here looking after his house; then all Israel will have the news that you are hated by your father, and the hands of your supporters will be strong.

²²So they put up the tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's women before the eyes of all Israel.

²³In those days the opinions of Ahithophel were valued as highly as if through him a man might get direction from God; so were they valued by David as much as by Absalom.

II Samuel 16

¹When David was a little past the top, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

²The king said to Ziba, "What do you mean by these?" Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink."

³The king said, "Where is your master's son?" Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem; for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore me the kingdom of my father.'"

⁴Then the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that pertains to Mephibosheth is yours." Ziba said, "I do obeisance. Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, O king."

⁵When king David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out, and cursed still as he came.

⁶He cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

⁷Shimei said when he cursed, "Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and base fellow!

⁸The Lord has returned on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned! The Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son! Behold, you are caught by your own mischief, because you are a man of blood!"

⁹Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head."

¹⁰The king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because the Lord has said to him, 'Curse David;' who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?'"

¹¹David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, "Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeks my life. How much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has invited him.

¹²It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me good for the cursing of me today."

¹³So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him, and cursed as he went, threw stones at him, and threw dust.

¹⁴The king, and all the people who were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.

¹⁵Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

¹⁶It happened, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, had come to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"

¹⁷Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your kindness to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?"

¹⁸Hushai said to Absalom, "No; but whomever the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him I will stay.

¹⁹Again, whom should I serve? Shouldn't I serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father's presence, so will I be in your presence."

²⁰Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your counsel what we shall do."

²¹Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, that he has left to keep the house. Then all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong."

²²So they spread Absalom a tent on the top of the house; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

²³The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.