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 donkeys saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of 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 And the king said to Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And 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 you 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 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, And where [is] the son of your 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 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, Behold, all Memphibosthe's property [is] your. And Siba did obeisance and said, My lord, O king, let me find grace in your eyes.

5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, from there 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 continually 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 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 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 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou worthless fellow:

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

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 has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, because you have reigned in his stead; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Abessalom your son: and, behold, you [are taken] in your mischief, because you [are] a bloody man.

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 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 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, you 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 have you done thus?

11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my own body, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden 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 that the LORD will repay me good for his cursing this day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And Abessalom said to Chusi, [Is] this your kindness to your friend? why went you not forth with your 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 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 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.

And again, whom shall I serve? should I not in the presence of his son? As I served in the sight of your father, so will I be in your presence.

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

And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate amongst yourselves concerning what we should 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 Abessalom, Go in to your father's concubines, whom he left to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that you have dishonoured your father; and the hands of all that are with you shall be strengthened.

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.

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 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired 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.