2 Samuel 16

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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.

3 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.

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.

4 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!

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.

5 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.

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.

6 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.

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.

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

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

8 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.

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.

9 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.

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.

10 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?

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?

11 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.

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.

12 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.

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

13 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

18 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.

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.

19 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.

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.

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

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

21 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.

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.

22 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.

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.

23 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.

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.