2 Samuel 16

1 When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.

And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys 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.

2 “Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”

And the king said to Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And 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.

3 “Where is your master’s grandson?” asked the king. And Ziba answered, “Indeed, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my grandfather.’”

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

4 So the king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I humbly bow before you,” said Ziba. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king!”

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

5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he approached, he kept yelling out curses.

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, from there 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 continually as he came.

6 He threw stones at David and at all the servants of the king, though the troops and all the mighty men were on David’s right and left.

And 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.

7 And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed!

And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou worthless fellow:

8 The LORD has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, you have come to ruin because you are a man of bloodshed!”

The 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.

9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”

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

10 But the king replied, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses me because the LORD told him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why did you do this?’”

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

11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son, my own flesh and blood, seeks my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone and let him curse me, for the LORD has told him so.

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my own body, 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.

12 Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.”

It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me good for his cursing this day.

13 So David and his men proceeded along the road as Shimei went along the ridge of the hill opposite him. As Shimei went, he yelled curses, threw stones, and flung dust at David.

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

14 Finally, the king and all the people with him arrived, exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.

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

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

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

16 And David’s friend Hushai the Archite went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

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

17 “Is this the loyalty you show your friend?” Absalom replied. “Why did you not go with your friend?”

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

18 “Not at all,” Hushai answered. “For the one chosen by the LORD, by the people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and with him I will remain.

And Hushai said to 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.

19 Furthermore, whom should I serve if not the son? As I served in your father’s presence, so also I will serve in yours.”

And 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.

20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me counsel. What should we do?”

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

21 Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”

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

22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

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

23 Now in those days the advice of Ahithophel was like the consultation of the word of God. Such was the regard that both David and Absalom had for Ahithophel’s advice.

And 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.