2 Samuel 16

1 And when David was a little past the top [of the hill], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred [loaves] of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold Siba the servant of Miphiboseth came to meet him with two asses, laden with two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs, and a vessel of wine.

2 And the king said to Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses [are] for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink.

And the king said to Siba: What mean these things? And Siba answered: The asses are for the king’s household to sit on: and the loaves and the figs for thy servants to eat, and the wine to drink if any man be faint in the desert.

3 And the king said, And where [is] thy master's son? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To-day shall the house of Israel restore to me the kingdom of my father.

And the king said: Where is thy master’s son? And Siba answered the king: He remained in Jerusalem, saying: Today will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine [are] all that [pertained] to Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee [that] I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

And the king said to Siba: I give thee all that belonged to Miphiboseth. And Siba said: I beseech thee let me find grace before thee, my lord, O king.

5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.

And king David came as far as Bahurim: and behold there came out from thence a man of the kindred of the house of Saul named Semei, the son of Gera, and coming out he cursed as he went on,

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 hand and on his left.

And he threw stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people, and all the warriors walked on the right, and on the left side of the king.

7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

And thus said Semei when he cursed the king: Come out, come out, thou man of blood, and thou man of Belial.

8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief, because thou [art] a bloody man.

The Lord hath repaid thee for all the blood of the house of Saul: because thou hast usurped the kingdom in his stead, and the Lord hath given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and behold thy evils press upon thee, because thou art a man of blood.

9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

And Abisai the son of Sarvia said to the king: Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? I will go, and cut off his head.

10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said to him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Why hast thou done so?

And the king said: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Sarvia? Let him alone and let him curse: for the Lord hath bid him curse David: and who is he that shall dare say, why hath he done so?

11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now [may this] Benjaminite [do it]? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.

And the king said to Abisai, and to all his servants: Behold my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now a son of Jemini? let him alone that he may curse as the Lord hath bidden him.

12 It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

Perhaps the Lord may look upon my affliction, and the Lord may render me good for the cursing of this day.

13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

And David and his men with him went by the way. And Semei by the hill’s side went over against him, cursing, and casting stones at him, and scattering earth.

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

And the king and all the people with him came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

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

But Absalom and all his people came into Jerusalem, and Achitophel was with him.

16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, had come to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.

And when Chusai the Arachite, David’s friend, was come to Absalom, he said to him: God save thee, O king, God save thee, O king.

17 And Absalom said to Hushai, [Is] this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?

And Absalom said to him: Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with thy friend?

18 And Hushai said to Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

And Chusai answered Absalom: Nay: for I will be his, whom the Lord hath chosen, and all this people, and all Israel, and with him will I abide.

19 And again, whom should I serve? [should I] not [serve] in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.

Besides this, whom shall I serve? is it not the king’s son? as I have served thy father, so will I serve thee also.

20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

And Absalom said to Achitophel: Consult what we are to do.

21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred by thy father: then shall the hands of all that [are] with thee be strong.

And Achitophel said to Absalom: Go in to the concubines of thy father, whom he hath left to keep the house: that when all Israel shall hear that thou hast disgraced thy father, their hands may be strengthened with thee.

22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and he went in to his father’s concubines before all Israel.

23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, [was] as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so [was] all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

Now the counsel of Achitophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man should consult God: so was all the counsel of Achitophel, both when he was with David, and when he was with Absalom.