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.

And when David was passed a little beyond the top [of the mount], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth came toward him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred [cakes] of dried figs, and a bottle 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.

And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou with these? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and the dried figs for the young men to eat; and the wine to drink for such as may be faint 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.

And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he remaineth at Jerusalem; for he said, Today will the house of Israel restore unto me the kingdom of my father.

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!

Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine shall be all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I prostrate myself; let me but find grace in thy eyes, my Lord, O king.

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.

And when King David came as far as Bachurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shim'i, the son of Gera, coming forth, and cursing.

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.

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 and on his left.

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

And thus said Shim'i as he cursed, Away, away, thou man of blood, and thou worthless man!

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 hath brought back upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou didst reign; and the Lord hath placed the kingdom into the hand of Abshalom thy son; and, behold, thou art now in thy misfortune, because a man of blood art thou.

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.

Then said Abishai the son of Zeruyah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and remove 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?

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

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.

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who hath come forth out of my own body, seeketh my life: how much more now this Benjamite? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath said it to him.

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 look on my affliction, and the Lord will requite me good instead of his cursing this day.

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.

And David and his men went [thus] on the way. And Shim'i went on the side of the mount opposite to him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones toward him, and cast dust.

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

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

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

And Abshalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Achithophel [also] with him.

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

And it came to pass, when Chushai the Arkite, David's friend, was come unto Abshalom, that Chushai said unto Abshalom, 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?

And Abshalom said to Chushai, Is this thy kindness for thy friend? why art thou not gone with thy 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.

And Chushai said unto Abshalom, No; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I remain.

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.

And secondly, who is it whom I shall serve? is it not 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 your opinion now, what are we to do?

Then said Abshalom to Achithophel, Hold counsel among yourselves as to what we shall 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.

And Achithophel said unto Abshalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, whom he hath left to guard the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art in bad odor with thy father: and then will the hands of all that are with thee become strong.

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 spread for Abshalom a tent upon the roof; and Abshalom went in unto his father's concubines before the eyes of all Israel.

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.

And the counsel of Achithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if a man had asked advice of the word of God: so was all the counsel of Achithophel both with David and with Abshalom.