2 Samuel 16

1 And 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.

After David had gone a little way past the top of the mountain, there was Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, waiting to meet him. He had two donkeys already saddled with him carrying two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.

2 And 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.

“What did you bring these for?” David asked Ziba. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king's family to ride on, the bread and summer fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who get worn out in the wilderness.”

3 And 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.

“Where is your master's grandson?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He decided to stay in Jerusalem. He's saying, ‘Today the people of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.’”

4 Then 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!

The king told Ziba, “I give you everything that belongs to Mephibosheth!” “I bow before you,” Ziba replied. “May you approve of me, Your Majesty.”

5 And 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.

As King David arrived at the town of Bahurim, a man from Saul's family was just leaving. His name was Shimei, son of Gera, and he was shouting out curses as he came.

6 And 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.

He threw stones at David and all the king's officers, even though the king's men and all his bodyguards surrounded David.

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

“Get out of here, just get out, you murderer, you wicked man!” Shimei said as he cursed.

8 The 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.

“The Lord has paid you back for all of Saul's family that you killed, and for stealing Saul's throne. The Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Look how you've ended up in disaster because you're a murderer!”

9 Then 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.

Abishai, son of Zeruiah, asked the king, “Why should this dead dog curse Your Majesty? Let me go and cut off his head!”

10 And 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?

“What's that got to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?” the king replied. “If he's cursing me because the Lord told him to, then who can question what he's doing?”

11 And 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.

David said to Abishai and to all his officers, “Look, if my very own son is trying to kill me, why shouldn't this Benjamite want to even more! Leave him alone; let him curse me, for the Lord told him to.

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

Perhaps the Lord will see how I'm suffering and will pay me back with good for his curses today.”

13 So 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.

David and his men continued down the road, with Shimei keeping up with them on the hillside opposite. He went on cursing as he went along, throwing stones and dirt at David.

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

The king and everyone with him were tired out when they arrived at the Jordan. David rested there.

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

In the meantime Absalom and all the Israelites with him arrived in Jerusalem, along with Ahithophel.

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

Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, went to see Absalom and declared, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

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

“Is this how you show loyalty to your friend?” Absalom asked. “Why didn't you leave with your friend?”

18 And 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.

“Certainly not!” Hushai replied. “I'm on the side of the one chosen by the Lord, by the army, and by all the people of Israel. I will remain loyal to him.

19 And 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.

In any case, why shouldn't I serve his son? In the same way I served your father I will serve you.”

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

Then Absalom asked Ahithophel, “Give me your advice. What shall we do?”

21 And 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.

Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father's concubines—the ones he left here to look after the palace. Then everyone in Israel will realize that you have so offended your father there's no turning back, which will encourage all your supporters.”

22 So 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.

So they put up a tent on the palace roof and Absalom went in and had sex with his father's concubines in the full view of everyone.

23 In 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.

At that time Ahithophel's advice was like receiving messages from God himself. This was how both David and Absalom viewed Ahithophel's advice.