2 Samuel 16

¹ And when David was a little past the top of the mountain, behold Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.

² And the king said to Ziba, What do you mean by these? And Ziba said, The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.

³ And the king said, And where is your master’s son? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.

⁴ Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours. And Ziba said, I prostrate before you, that I may find favor in your eyes, my lord, O king!

⁵ And when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came.

⁶ And he pelted David and all the servants of King David with stones. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

⁷ Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: Get out! Get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!

⁸ Jehovah has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and Jehovah has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a man of blood!

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!

¹⁰ But the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because Jehovah has said to him, Curse David. Who then shall say, Why have you done so?

¹¹ And David said to Abishai and all his servants, See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life; so, why not this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for thus Jehovah has commanded him.

¹² It may be that Jehovah will look on my affliction, and that Jehovah will repay me with good for his cursing this day.

¹³ And as David and his men went along the way, Shimei went along the hillside across from him and cursed as he went, pelted him with stones and kicked up dust.

¹⁴ And the king and all the people with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.

¹⁵ Meanwhile Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel with him.

¹⁶ And so it was, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, Long live the king! Long live the king!

¹⁷ And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why have you not gone with your friend?

¹⁸ And Hushai said to Absalom, No, but whom Jehovah and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I shall be, and with him I shall remain.

¹⁹ Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve before his son? As I have served before your father, so shall I be before your face.

²⁰ And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give counsel as to what we shall do.

²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you have become odious to your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.

²² So they spread out a tent for Absalom on the housetop, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines before the eyes of all Israel.

²³ Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one had inquired at the Word of God. So was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.