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.
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 the king said to Siba, What meanest you 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.
“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] the son of your 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.
“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 And the king said to Siba, Behold, all Memphibosthe's property [is] your. And Siba did obeisance and said, My lord, O king, let me find grace in your eyes.
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 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,
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 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.
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 thus Semei said when he cursed him, Go out, go out, you bloody man, and man of sin.
“Get out of here, just get out, you murderer, you wicked man!” Shimei said as he cursed.
8 The Lord has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, because you have reigned in his stead; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Abessalom your son: and, behold, you [are taken] in your mischief, because you [are] a bloody man.
“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 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.
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 Saruia? even let him alone, and so let him curse, for the Lord has told him to curse David: and who shall say, Why have you done thus?
“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 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.
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 If by any means the Lord may look on my affliction, thus shall he return me good for his cursing this day.
Perhaps the Lord will see how I'm suffering and will pay me back with good for his curses today.”
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.
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 all the people with him, came away and refreshed themselves there.
The king and everyone with him were tired out when they arrived at the Jordan. David rested there.
15 And Abessalom and all the men of Israel went into Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him.
In the meantime Absalom and all the Israelites with him arrived in Jerusalem, along with Ahithophel.
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.
Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, went to see Absalom and declared, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 And Abessalom said to Chusi, [Is] this your kindness to your friend? why went you not forth with your friend?
“Is this how you show loyalty to your friend?” Absalom asked. “Why didn't you leave with your 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.
“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 again, whom shall I serve? should I not in the presence of his son? As I served in the sight of your father, so will I be in your presence.
In any case, why shouldn't I serve his son? In the same way I served your father I will serve you.”
20 And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should do.
Then Absalom asked Ahithophel, “Give me your advice. What shall we do?”
21 And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Go in to your father's concubines, whom he left to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that you have dishonored your father; and the hands of all that are with you shall be strengthened.
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 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 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 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.
At that time Ahithophel's advice was like receiving messages from God himself. This was how both David and Absalom viewed Ahithophel's advice.
