Kings II 16

1 And David passed on a little way from Ros; and, behold, Siba the servant of Memphibosthe [came] to meet him; and he had a couple of asses laden, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred [bunches of] raisins, and a hundred [cakes of] dates, and bottle of wine.

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

2 And the king said to Siba, What meanest thou by these? and Siba, said, The asses [are] for the household of the king to sit upon, and the loaves and the dates [are] for the young men to eat, and the wine [is] for them that are faint in the wilderness to drink.

And the king said unto Ziba: 'What meanest thou by these?' And Ziba said: 'The asses 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 And the king said, And where [is] the son of thy master? and Siba said to the king, Behold, he remains in Jerusalem; for he said, To-day shall the house of Israel restore 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 abideth at Jerusalem; for he said: To-day will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.'

4 And the king said to Siba, Behold, all Memphibosthe's property [is] thine. And Siba did obeisance and said, My lord, O king, let me find grace in thine eyes.

Then said the king to Ziba: 'Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth.' And Ziba said: 'I prostrate myself; let me find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.'

5 And king David came to Baurim; and, behold, there came out from thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, and his name [was] Semei the son of Gera. He came forth and cursed as he went,

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and kept on cursing as he came.

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

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 thus Semei said when he cursed him, Go out, go out, thou bloody man, and man of sin.

And thus said Shimei when he cursed: 'Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow;

8 The Lord has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, because thou hast reigned in his stead; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Abessalom thy son: and, behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief, because thou [art] a bloody man.

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 thine own mischief, because thou art a man of blood.'

9 And Abessa the son of Saruia said to the king, Why does this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over now and take off his head.

Then 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.'

10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Saruia? even let him alone, and so let him curse, for the Lord has told him to curse David: and who shall say, Why hast thou done thus?

And 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 then shall say: Wherefore hast thou done so?'

11 And David said to Abessa and to all his servants, Behold, my son who came forth out of my bowels seeks my life; still more now may the son of Benjamin: let him curse, because the Lord has told him.

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

12 If by any means the Lord may look on my affliction, thus shall he return me good for his cursing this day.

It may be that the LORD will look on mine eye, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing of me this day.'

13 And David and all the men with him went on the way: and Semei went by the side of the hill next to him, cursing as he went, and casting stones at him, and sprinkling him with dirt.

So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

14 And the king, and all the people with him, came away and refreshed themselves there.

And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.

15 And Abessalom and all the men of Israel went into Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him.

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

16 And it came to pass when Chusi the chief friend of David came to Abessalom, that Chusi said to Abessalom, Let the king live.

And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom: 'Long live the king, long live the king.'

17 And Abessalom said to Chusi, [Is] this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not forth with thy friend?

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

18 And Chusi said to Abessalom, Nay, but following whom the Lord, and this people, and all Israel have chosen, —his will I be, and with him I will dwell.

And Hushai said unto Absalom: 'Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

19 And again, whom shall I serve? should I not in the presence of his son? As I served in the sight of thy father, so will I be in thy presence.

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 And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should do.

Then said Absalom to Ahithophel: 'Give your counsel what we shall do.'

21 And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Go in to thy father's concubines, whom he left to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that thou hast dishonoured thy father; and the hands of all that are with thee shall be strengthened.

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

22 And they pitched a tent for Abessalom on the roof, and Abessalom went in to 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 unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. —

23 And the counsel of Achitophel, which he counselled in former days, [was] as if one should enquire of the word of God: so [was] all the counsel of Achitophel both to David and also to Abessalom.

Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man inquired of the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.