II Samuel 16

¹When Dauid was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the seruant of Mephibosheth mette him with a couple of asses sadled, and vpon them two hundreth cakes of bread, and an hundreth bunches of raisins, and an hundreth of dryed figges, and a bottel of wine.

²And the King said vnto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, They be asses for the kings housholde to ride on, and bread and dryed figges for the yong men to eate, and wine, that the faint may drinke in the wildernesse.

³And the king sayde, But where is thy masters sonne? Then Ziba answered the King, Beholde, he remayneth in Ierusalem: for he sayde, This day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdome of my father.

⁴Then said the King to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that perteined vnto Mephibosheth. And Ziba saide, I beseech thee, let me finde grace in thy sight, my lord, O King.

⁵And when king Dauid came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the familie of the house of Saul, named Shimei the sonne of Gera: and he came out, and cursed.

⁶And he cast stones at Dauid, and at all the seruants of King Dauid: and all the people, and all the men of warre were on his right hande, and on his left.

⁷And thus sayde Shimei when hee cursed, Come forth, come foorth thou murtherer, and wicked man.

⁸The Lord hath brought vpon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned: and the Lord hath deliuered thy kingdome into the hand of Absalom thy sonne: and beholde, thou art taken in thy wickednesse, because thou art a murtherer.

⁹Then saide Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah vnto the King, Why doeth this dead dog curse my lord the King? let me goe, I pray thee, and take away his head.

¹⁰But the King saide, What haue I to doe with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah? for he curseth, eue because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid: who dare then say, Wherfore hast thou done so?

¹¹And Dauid sayd to Abishai, and to all his seruants, Beholde, my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels, seeketh my life: then howe much more now may this sonne of Iemini? Suffer him to curse: for the Lord hath bidden him.

¹²It may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and doe me good for his cursing this day.

¹³And as Dauid and his men went by the way, Shimei went by the side of the mountaine ouer against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones against him, and cast dust.

¹⁴Then came the King and all the people that were with him wearie, and refreshed them selues there.

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

¹⁶And when Hushai the Archite Dauids friend was come vnto Absalom, Hushai said vnto Absalom, God saue the King, God saue the King.

¹⁷Then Absalom sayd to Hushai, Is this thy kindenes to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with thy friend?

¹⁸Hushai then answered vnto Absalom, Nay, but whome the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel chuse, his will I be, and with him will I dwell.

¹⁹And moreouer vnto whome shall I doe seruice? not to his sonne? as I serued before thy father, so will I before thee.

²⁰Then spake Absalom to Ahithophel, Giue counsell what we shall doe.

²¹And Ahithophel said vnto Absalom, Goe in to thy fathers concubines, which he hath left to keepe the house: and when all Israel shall heare, that thou art abhorred of thy father, the hands of all that are with thee, shall be strong.

²²So they spread Absalom a tent vpon the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel.

²³And the counsell of Ahithophel which he counseled in those dayes, was like as one had asked counsell at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with Dauid and with Absalom.

II Samuel 16

¹And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

²And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be 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 be faint in the wilderness may drink.

³And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

⁴Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

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

⁶And he 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.

⁷And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

⁸The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.

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

¹⁰And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

¹¹And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him.

¹²It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.

¹³And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

¹⁴And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

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

¹⁶And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.

¹⁷And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?

¹⁸And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

¹⁹And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.

²⁰Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

²¹And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

²²So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

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