2 Samuel 16

1 When David was a little past the top, look, Ziba the servant of Mippibaal met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

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.

2 The king said to Ziba, "What do you mean by these?" Ziba said, "The donkeys 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 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.

3 The king said, "Where is your master's son?" Ziba said to the king, "Look, he is staying in Jerusalem; for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore me the kingdom of my father.'"

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.

4 Then the king said to Ziba, "Look, all that pertains to Mippibaal is yours." Ziba said, "I do obeisance. Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, O king."

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.

5 When king David came to Bahurim, look, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out, and cursed still as he came.

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,

6 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 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.

7 Shimei said when he cursed, "Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and base fellow.

And thus Semei said when he cursed him, Go out, go out, thou bloody man, and man of sin.

8 The LORD has returned on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you are caught by your own mischief, because you are a man of blood."

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.

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

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.

10 The king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because the LORD has said to him, 'Curse David;' who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?'"

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?

11 David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, "Look, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeks my life. How much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD has invited him.

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.

12 It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me for his cursing today."

If by any means the Lord may look on my affliction, thus shall he return me good for his cursing this day.

13 So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him, and cursed as he went, threw stones at his flank, and threw dirt.

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.

14 The king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan, and he refreshed himself there.

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

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

And Abessalom and all the men of Israel went into Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him.

16 It happened, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, had come to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king. Long live the king."

And it came to pass when Chusi the chief friend of David came to Abessalom, that Chusi said to Abessalom, Let the king live.

17 Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your kindness to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?"

And Abessalom said to Chusi, [Is] this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not forth with thy friend?

18 Hushai said to Absalom, "No; but whomever the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him I will stay.

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.

19 Again, whom should I serve? Shouldn't I serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father's presence, so will I be in your presence."

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.

20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your counsel what we shall do."

And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should do.

21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's secondary wives, that he has left to keep the house. Then all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong."

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.

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

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.

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

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.