2 Samuel 16

1 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.

And David has passed on a little from the top, and behold, Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth, [is there] to meet him, and a couple of donkeys [are] saddled, and on them [are] two hundred loaves, and one hundred bunches of raisins, and one hundred of summer-fruit, and a bottle of wine.

2 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.

And the king says to Ziba, “What [are] these to you?” And Ziba says, “The donkeys for the household of the king to ride on, and the bread and the summer-fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for the wearied to drink in the wilderness.”

3 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.

And the king says, “And where [is] the son of your lord?” And Ziba says to the king, “Behold, he is abiding in Jerusalem, for he said, Today the house of Israel gives back the kingdom of my father to me.”

4 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.

And the king says to Ziba, “Behold, all that Mephibosheth has [is] for you”; and Ziba says, “I have bowed myself—I find grace in your eyes, my lord, O king.”

5 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.

And King David has come to Bahurim, and behold, a man there is coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, and his name [is] Shimei, son of Gera, he comes out, coming out and reviling;

6 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.

and he stones David with stones, and all the servants of King David, and all the people, and all the mighty men on his right and on his left.

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

And thus said Shimei in his reviling: “Go out, go out, O man of blood, and man of worthlessness!

8 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.

YHWH has turned back on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you have reigned, and YHWH gives the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom; and behold, you [are] in your evil, for you [are] a man of blood.”

9 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.

And Abishai son of Zeruiah says to the king, “Why does this dead dog revile my lord the king? Please let me pass over and I turn aside his head.”

10 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?

And the king says, “And what do I [have to do] with you, O sons of Zeruiah? For let him revile; even because YHWH has said to him, Revile David; and who says, Why have You done so?”

11 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.

And David says to Abishai, and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out of my bowels is seeking my life, and also surely now the Benjamite; leave him alone, and let him revile, for YHWH has commanded [so] to him;

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

it may be YHWH looks on my affliction, and YHWH has turned back good to me for his reviling this day.”

13 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.

And David goes with his men in the way, and Shimei is going at the side of the hill opposite him, going on, and he reviles, and stones with stones close by him, and has dusted with dust.

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

And the king comes in, and all the people who [are] with him, wearied, and they are refreshed there.

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

And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, have come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him,

16 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!

and it comes to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, has come to Absalom, that Hushai says to Absalom, “Let the king live! Let the king live!”

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

And Absalom says to Hushai, “[Is] this your kindness with your friend? Why have you not gone with your friend?”

18 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.

And Hushai says to Absalom, “No, for he whom YHWH has chosen, and this people, even all the men of Israel, I am his, and I abide with him;

19 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.

and secondly, for whom do I labor? Is it not before his son? As I served before your father, so I am before you.”

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

And Absalom says to Ahithophel, “Give counsel for yourself [for] what we do.”

21 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.

And Ahithophel says to Absalom, “Go in to the concubines of your father, whom he left to keep the house, and all Israel has heard that you have been abhorred by your father, and the hands of all who [are] with you have been strong.”

22 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.

And they spread out the tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom goes in to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.

23 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.

And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counseled in those days [is] as [when] one inquires at the word of God; so [is] all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to Absalom.