2 Samuel 16

1 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.

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.

2 “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.”

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.

3 “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.’”

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.

4 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.”

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!

5 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

8 “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!”

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.

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

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.

10 “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?”

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?

11 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.

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.

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

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.

13 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 “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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

21 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.”

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.

22 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.

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.

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

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.