< 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.
And David hath passed on a little from the top, and lo, Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth — to meet him, and a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred [of] summer-fruit, and a bottle of wine.
2 And the king said to Siba, What meanest thou 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.
And the king saith unto Ziba, 'What — these to thee?' and Ziba saith, 'The asses 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] the son of thy 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.
And the king saith, 'And where [is] the son of thy lord?' and Ziba saith unto the king, 'Lo, he is abiding in Jerusalem, for he said, To-day do the house of Israel give back to me the kingdom of my father.'
4 And the king said to Siba, Behold, all Memphibosthe's property [is] thine. And Siba did obeisance and said, My lord, O king, let me find grace in thine eyes.
And the king saith to Ziba, 'Lo, thine [are] all that Mephibosheth hath;' and Ziba saith, 'I have bowed myself — I find grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king.'
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,
And king David hath come in unto Bahurim, and lo, thence a man is coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, and his name [is] Shimei, son of Gera, he cometh out, coming out and reviling;
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.
and he stoneth 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 Semei said when he cursed him, Go out, go out, thou bloody man, and man of sin.
And thus said Shimei in his reviling, 'Go out, go out, O man of blood, and man of worthlessness!
8 The Lord has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, because thou hast reigned in his stead; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Abessalom thy son: and, behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief, because thou [art] a bloody man.
Jehovah hath turned back on thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and Jehovah doth give the kingdom in to the hand of Absalom thy son; and lo, thou [art] in thine evil, for a man of blood thou [art].'
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.
And Abishai son of Zeruiah saith unto the king, 'Why doth this dead dog revile my lord the king? let me pass over, I pray thee, and I turn aside his head.'
10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye 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 hast thou done thus?
And the king saith, 'What — to me and to you, O sons of Zeruiah? for — let him revile; even because Jehovah hath said to him, Revile David; and who saith, Wherefore hast Thou done so?'
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.
And David saith unto Abishai, and unto all his servants, 'Lo, 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 Jehovah hath said [so] to him;
12 If by any means the Lord may look on my affliction, thus shall he return me good for his cursing this day.
it may be Jehovah doth look on mine affliction, and Jehovah hath turned back to me good for his reviling this day.'
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.
And David goeth with his men in the way, and Shimei is going at the side of the hill over-against him, going on, and he revileth, and stoneth with stones over-against him, and hath dusted with dust.
14 And the king, and all the people with him, came away and refreshed themselves there.
And the king cometh in, and all the people who [are] with him, wearied, and they are refreshed there.
15 And Abessalom and all the men of Israel went into Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him.
And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him,
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.
and it cometh to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, hath come unto Absalom, that Hushai saith unto Absalom, 'Let the king live! let the king live!'
17 And Abessalom said to Chusi, [Is] this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not forth with thy friend?
And Absalom saith unto Hushai, 'This thy kindness with thy friend! why hast thou not gone with thy 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.
And Hushai saith unto Absalom, 'Nay, for he whom Jehovah hath chosen, and this people, even all the men of Israel, his I am, and with him I abide;
19 And again, whom shall I serve? should I not in the presence of his son? As I served in the sight of thy father, so will I be in thy presence.
and secondly, for whom do I labour? is it not before his son? as I served before thy father so am I before thee.'
20 And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should do.
And Absalom saith unto Ahithophel, 'Give for you counsel what we do.'
21 And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Go in to thy father's concubines, whom he left to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that thou hast dishonoured thy father; and the hands of all that are with thee shall be strengthened.
And Ahithophel saith unto Absalom, 'Go in unto the concubines of thy father, whom he left to keep the house, and all Israel hath heard that thou hast been abhorred by thy father, and the hands of all who [are] with thee have been strong.'
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.
And they spread out for Absalom the tent on the roof, and Absalom goeth in unto the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.
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.
And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counselled in those days [is] as [when] one inquireth at the word of God; so [is] all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to Absalom.

< Kings II 16 >