2 Samuel 16

1 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.

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 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.”

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 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.”

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 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.”

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 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;

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 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.

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

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

8 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.”

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 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.”

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 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?”

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 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;

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

16 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!”

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

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

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

18 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;

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 and secondly, for whom do I labor? Is it not before his son? As I served before your father, so I am before 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 And Absalom says to Ahithophel, “Give counsel for yourself [for] what we do.”

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

21 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.”

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 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.

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 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.

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.