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.
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 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.”
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 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.”
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 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.”
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 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.
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 Then he threw stones at David and his officials, even though the officials and David’s bodyguards surrounded David.
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 Shimei cursed David and said to him, “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!
And thus said Shimei in his reviling, 'Go out, go out, O man of blood, and man of worthlessness!
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]!”
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 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!”
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 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]’”
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 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.
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 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.”
it may be Jehovah doth look on mine affliction, and Jehovah hath turned back to me good for his reviling this day.'
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.
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 When David and those who were with him arrived at the Jordan [River], they were very tired. So they rested there.
And the king cometh in, and all the people who [are] with him, wearied, and they are refreshed there.
15 While that was happening, Absalom and all the Israeli people who were with him had arrived in Jerusalem. Ahithophel had also arrived there.
And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel 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!”
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 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]?”
And Absalom saith unto Hushai, 'This thy kindness with thy friend! why hast thou not gone with thy friend?'
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.
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 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.”
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 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “What do you advise that we should do?”
And Absalom saith unto Ahithophel, 'Give for you counsel what we 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.”
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 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].
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 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.
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.
