2 Samuel 16
1 When Dauid was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the seruant of Mephibosheth mette him with a couple of asses sadled, and vpon them two hundreth cakes of bread, and an hundreth bunches of raisins, and an hundreth of dryed figges, and a bottel of wine.
When David [and the others] had gone a little way past the top of the hill, Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba met him. He had with him two donkeys that were carrying 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches/clusters of raisins, 100 bunches of fresh fruit, and a leather bag full of wine.
2 And the King said vnto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, They be asses for the kings housholde to ride on, and bread and dryed figges for the yong men to eate, and wine, that the faint may drinke in the wildernesse.
The king said to Ziba, “What are these for?” Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for your family to ride on, the bread and the fruit are for your soldiers to eat, and the wine is for them to drink when they become exhausted in the desert.”
3 And the king sayde, But where is thy masters sonne? Then Ziba answered the King, Beholde, he remayneth in Ierusalem: for he sayde, This day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdome of my father.
The king said, “Where is Mephibosheth, the grandson of your [former] master [Saul]?” Ziba [deceived David by] saying, “He stayed in Jerusalem, because he thinks that now the Israeli people will allow him to rule the kingdom that his grandfather Saul ruled.”
4 Then said the King to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that perteined vnto Mephibosheth. And Ziba saide, I beseech thee, let me finde grace in thy sight, my lord, O King.
The king said to Ziba, “Okay, everything that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” Ziba replied, “Your Majesty, I will humbly serve you; and I desire/hope that you will always be pleased with me.”
5 And when king Dauid came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the familie of the house of Saul, named Shimei the sonne of Gera: and he came out, and cursed.
When King David [and those with him] arrived at Bahurim [town], a man named Shimei met him. Shimei, whose father was Gera, was one of Saul’s relatives. Shimei was cursing David as he approached.
6 And he cast stones at Dauid, and at all the seruants of King Dauid: and all the people, and all the men of warre were on his right hande, and on his left.
Then he threw stones at David and his officials, even though the officials and David’s bodyguards surrounded David.
7 And thus sayde Shimei when hee cursed, Come forth, come foorth thou murtherer, and wicked man.
Shimei cursed David and said to him, “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!
8 The Lord hath brought vpon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned: and the Lord hath deliuered thy kingdome into the hand of Absalom thy sonne: and beholde, thou art taken in thy wickednesse, because thou art a murtherer.
Yahweh is (getting revenge on/punishing) you all for murdering [MTY] many people in Saul’s family. And now he is giving Saul’s kingdom to your son Absalom. You murderer, you are being paid back for the many people that you have killed/murdered [MTY]!”
9 Then saide Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah vnto the King, Why doeth this dead dog curse my lord the King? let me goe, I pray thee, and take away his head.
Then Abishai said to the king, “Your Majesty, this man is [as worthless as] [MET] a dead dog! (Why should he be allowed to curse you?/He should not be allowed to curse you.) [RHQ] Allow me to go over there and cut off his head!”
10 But the King saide, What haue I to doe with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah? for he curseth, eue because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid: who dare then say, Wherfore hast thou done so?
But the king replied, “You two sons of Zeruiah, (do not tell me what to do/this does not concern you) [RHQ]. If he is cursing me because Yahweh told him to do that, certainly no one should say ‘(Why are you doing that?/You should not be doing that.) [RHQ]’”
11 And Dauid sayd to Abishai, and to all his seruants, Beholde, my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels, seeketh my life: then howe much more now may this sonne of Iemini? Suffer him to curse: for the Lord hath bidden him.
Then David said to Abishai and to all his officials, “You know that my own son is trying to kill me. So [it is not surprising that] this man from the tribe of Benjamin is also trying to kill me. So ignore him, and allow him to curse me, because [perhaps he thinks that] Yahweh told him to do that.
12 It may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and doe me good for his cursing this day.
Perhaps Yahweh will see that I am having all this trouble, and [some day he will repay me by] (blessing/doing good things for) me in return for this man cursing me today.”
13 And as Dauid and his men went by the way, Shimei went by the side of the mountaine ouer against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones against him, and cast dust.
Then David and those who were with him walked along the road, and Shimei continued walking along the hillside near him. While he walked along, he cursed David and threw stones and dirt at him.
14 Then came the King and all the people that were with him wearie, and refreshed them selues there.
When David and those who were with him arrived at the Jordan [River], they were very tired. So they rested there.
15 And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Ierusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
While that was happening, Absalom and all the Israeli people who were with him had arrived in Jerusalem. Ahithophel had also arrived there.
16 And when Hushai the Archite Dauids friend was come vnto Absalom, Hushai said vnto Absalom, God saue the King, God saue the King.
When David’s friend Hushai came to Absalom, he said to Absalom, “I desire/hope that the king will live a long time! May you live for many years!”
17 Then Absalom sayd to Hushai, Is this thy kindenes to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with thy friend?
Absalom said to Hushai, “You have been loyal [RHQ] to your friend [David for a long time]. So why did you not go with him [instead of coming to me]?”
18 Hushai then answered vnto Absalom, Nay, but whome the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel chuse, his will I be, and with him will I dwell.
Hushai replied, “I will serve the one whom Yahweh and these people and all the other people of Israel have chosen [to be their king]. So I will stay with you.
19 And moreouer vnto whome shall I doe seruice? not to his sonne? as I serued before thy father, so will I before thee.
You are my master [King David’s] son; if I do not serve you, what other man should I serve [RHQ]? I will serve you as I served your father.”
20 Then spake Absalom to Ahithophel, Giue counsell what we shall doe.
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “What do you advise that we should do?”
21 And Ahithophel said vnto Absalom, Goe in to thy fathers concubines, which he hath left to keepe the house: and when all Israel shall heare, that thou art abhorred of thy father, the hands of all that are with thee, shall be strong.
Ahithophel replied, “Your father left some of his slave wives in the palace to take care of it. Have sex [EUP] with them. When everyone in Israel hears that you have done that, they will realize that you are acting very contemptuously toward your father. Then all those who are with you will be very encouraged.”
22 So they spread Absalom a tent vpon the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel.
So they set up a tent for Absalom on the roof [of the palace]. And Absalom went into the tent and had sex [EUP] with his father’s slave wives, [one by one, ] and everyone [HYP] could see [him going into the tent].
23 And the counsell of Ahithophel which he counseled in those dayes, was like as one had asked counsell at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with Dauid and with Absalom.
In those days, people accepted what Ahithophel recommended as though he were speaking the words of God. So just as David had always accepted what Ahithophel said, now Absalom did also.
