1
And when David[H1732] was a little[H4592]past[H5674] the top[H7218] of the hill, behold, Ziba[H6717] the servant[H5288] of Mephibosheth[H4648]met[H7125] him, with a couple[H6776] of asses[H2543]saddled[H2280], and upon them two hundred[H3967] loaves of bread[H3899], and an hundred[H3967] bunches of raisins[H6778], and an hundred[H3967] of summer fruits[H7019], and a bottle[H5035] of wine[H3196].
2
And the king[H4428]said[H559] unto Ziba[H6717], What meanest thou by these? And Ziba[H6717]said[H559], The asses[H2543] be for the king[H4428]'s household[H1004] to ride on[H7392]; and the bread[H3899] and summer fruit[H7019] for the young men[H5288] to eat[H398]; and the wine[H3196], that such as be faint[H3287] in the wilderness[H4057] may drink[H8354].
3
And the king[H4428]said[H559], And where is thy master's son?[H1121] And Ziba[H6717]said[H559] unto the king[H4428], Behold, he abideth[H3427] at Jerusalem[H3389]: for he said[H559], To day[H3117] shall the house[H1004] of Israel[H3478]restore[H7725] me the kingdom[H4468] of my father[H1].
4
Then said[H559] the king[H4428] to Ziba[H6717], Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth[H4648]. And Ziba[H6717]said[H559], I humbly[H7812] beseech thee that I may find[H4672]grace[H2580] in thy sight[H5869], my lord[H113], O king[H4428].
5
And when king[H4428]David[H1732]came[H935] to Bahurim[H980], behold, thence came[H3318]out[H3318] a man[H376] of the family[H4940] of the house[H1004] of Saul[H7586], whose name[H8034] was Shimei[H8096], the son[H1121] of Gera[H1617]: he came[H3318]forth[H3318], and cursed[H7043] still as he came[H3318].
6
And he cast[H5619]stones[H68] at David[H1732], and at all the servants[H5650] of king[H4428]David[H1732]: and all the people[H5971] and all the mighty men[H1368] were on his right hand[H3225] and on his left[H8040].
7
And thus said[H559]Shimei[H8096] when he cursed[H7043], Come out[H3318], come out[H3318], thou bloody[H1818]man[H376], and thou man[H376] of Belial[H1100]:
8
The LORD[H3068] hath returned[H7725] upon thee all the blood[H1818] of the house[H1004] of Saul[H7586], in whose stead thou hast reigned[H4427]; and the LORD[H3068] hath delivered[H5414] the kingdom[H4410] into the hand[H3027] of Absalom[H53] thy son[H1121]: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief[H7451], because thou art a bloody[H1818]man[H376].
9
Then said[H559]Abishai[H52] the son[H1121] of Zeruiah[H6870] unto the king[H4428], Why should this dead[H4191]dog[H3611]curse[H7043] my lord[H113] the king?[H4428] let me go over[H5674], I pray thee, and take off[H5493] his head[H7218].
10
And the king[H4428]said[H559], What have I to do with you, ye sons[H1121] of Zeruiah?[H6870]so[H6213] let him curse[H7043], because the LORD[H3068] hath said[H559] unto him, Curse[H7043]David[H1732]. Who shall then say[H559], Wherefore hast thou done so?[H6213]
11
And David[H1732]said[H559] to Abishai[H52], and to all his servants[H5650], Behold, my son[H1121], which came forth[H3318] of my bowels[H4578], seeketh[H1245] my life[H5315]: how much more now may this Benjamite[H1145] do it? let him alone[H3240], and let him curse[H7043]; for the LORD[H3068] hath bidden[H559] him.
12
It may be that the LORD[H3068] will look[H7200] on mine affliction[H5869], and that the LORD[H3068] will requite[H7725] me good[H2896] for his cursing[H7045] this day[H3117].
13
And as David[H1732] and his men[H582]went[H3212] by the way[H1870], Shimei[H8096]went[H1980]along[H1980] on the hill's side[H6763] over against[H5980] him, and cursed[H7043] as he went[H1980], and threw[H5619]stones[H68]at[H5980] him, and cast[H6080]dust[H6083].
14
And the king[H4428], and all the people[H5971] that were with him, came[H935]weary[H5889], and refreshed[H5314] themselves there.
15
And Absalom[H53], and all the people[H5971] the men[H376] of Israel[H3478], came[H935] to Jerusalem[H3389], and Ahithophel[H302] with him.
16
And it came to pass, when Hushai[H2365] the Archite[H757], David's friend[H7463], was come[H935] unto Absalom[H53], that Hushai[H2365]said[H559] unto Absalom[H53], God save[H2421] the king[H4428], God save[H2421] the king[H4428].
17
And Absalom[H53]said[H559] to Hushai[H2365], Is this thy kindness[H2617] to thy friend?[H7453] why wentest[H1980] thou not with thy friend?[H7453]
18
And Hushai[H2365]said[H559] unto Absalom[H53], Nay; but whom the LORD[H3068], and this people[H5971], and all the men[H376] of Israel[H3478], choose[H977], his will I be, and with him will I abide[H3427].
19
And again[H8145], whom should I serve?[H5647] should I not serve[H5647] in the presence[H6440] of his son?[H1121] as I have served[H5647] in thy father's presence[H6440], so will I be in thy presence[H6440].
20
Then said[H559]Absalom[H53] to Ahithophel[H302], Give[H3051]counsel[H6098] among you what we shall do[H6213].
21
And Ahithophel[H302]said[H559] unto Absalom[H53], Go in[H935] unto thy father[H1]'s concubines[H6370], which he hath left[H3240] to keep[H8104] the house[H1004]; and all Israel[H3478] shall hear[H8085] that thou art abhorred[H887] of thy father[H1]: then shall the hands[H3027] of all that are with thee be strong[H2388].
22
So they spread[H5186]Absalom[H53] a tent[H168] upon the top of the house[H1406]; and Absalom[H53] went in[H935] unto his father's concubines[H6370]in[H935] the sight[H5869] of all Israel[H3478].
23
And the counsel[H6098] of Ahithophel[H302], which he counselled[H3289] in those days[H3117], was as if a man[H376] had enquired[H7592] at the oracle[H1697] of God[H430]: so was all the counsel[H6098] of Ahithophel[H302] both with David[H1732] and with Absalom[H53].