2 Samuel 16
1 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.
When David had gone a short distance over the summit of the hill, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys; on them were two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, and one hundred bunches of figs, and a skin of wine.
2 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.”
The king said to Ziba, “Why did you bring these things?” Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and fig cakes are for your men to eat, and the wine is for anyone who is faint in the wilderness to drink.”
3 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.”
The king said, “Then where is your master's grandson?” Ziba replied to the king, “Look, he has stayed behind in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore my father's kingdom to me.'”
4 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.”
Then the king said to Ziba, “Look, all that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you.” Ziba answered, “I bow in humility to you, my master, king. Let me find favor in your eyes.”
5 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.
When King David approached Bahurim, there came out from there a man from the clan of Saul, whose name was Shimei son of Gera. He came out cursing as he walked.
6 Then he threw stones at David and his officials, even though the officials and David’s bodyguards surrounded David.
He threw stones at David and at all of the king's officials, in spite of the army and bodyguards who were on the king's right and left.
7 Shimei cursed David and said to him, “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!
Shimei called out in cursing, “Go away, get out of here, you villain, you man of blood!
8 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]!”
Yahweh has repaid all of you for the blood you shed within the family of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. Yahweh has given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood.”
9 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!”
Then Abishai son of Zeruiah, said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my master the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.”
10 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]’”
But the king said, “What have I to do with you, sons of Zeruiah? Perhaps he is cursing me because Yahweh has said to him, 'Curse David.' Who then could say to him, 'Why are you cursing the king?'”
11 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.
So David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Look, my son, who was born from my body, wants to take my life. How much more may this Benjamite now desire my ruin? Leave him alone and let him curse, for Yahweh has commanded him to do it.
12 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.”
Perhaps Yahweh will look at the misery unleashed on me, and repay me with good for his cursing me today.”
13 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.
So David and his men traveled on the road, while Shimei went beside him up on the hillside, cursing and throwing dust and stones at him as he went.
14 When David and those who were with him arrived at the Jordan [River], they were very tired. So they rested there.
Then the king and all the people who were with him became weary, and he rested when they stopped for the night.
15 While that was happening, Absalom and all the Israeli people who were with him had arrived in Jerusalem. Ahithophel had also arrived there.
As for Absalom and all the men of Israel who were with him, they came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.
16 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!”
It came about when Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, had come to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 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]?”
Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with him?”
18 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.
Hushai said to Absalom, “No! Instead, the one whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, that is the man to whom I will belong, and I will stay with him.
19 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.”
Also, what man should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father's presence, I will serve in your presence.”
20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “What do you advise that we should do?”
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice about what we should do.”
21 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.”
Ahithophel answered Absalom, “Go sleep with your father's slave wives whom he has left to keep the palace, and all Israel will hear that you have become a stench to your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.”
22 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].
So they spread for Absalom a tent on the top of the palace, and Absalom slept with his father's slave wives in the sight of all Israel.
23 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.
Now the advice of Ahithophel that he gave in those days was as if a man heard from the mouth of God himself. That was how all of Ahithophel's advice was viewed by both David and Absalom.
