1 When David was a little past the top of the ascent,
behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys
saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and one hundred clusters of
raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 2 The king
said to Ziba, What do you mean by these? 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.
3 The king said, Where is your master’s son? Ziba said to the king,
Behold, he abides at Jerusalem; for he said, Today will the house of Israel
restore me the kingdom of my father. 4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold,
all that pertains to Mephibosheth is yours. Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me
find favor in your sight, my lord, O king. 5 When king David came to
Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out, whose
name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out, and cursed still as he came.
6 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 Thus said Shimei when he cursed, Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and
base fellow: 8 Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the house of
Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and Yahweh has delivered the kingdom
into the hand of Absalom your son; and, behold, you are taken in your
own mischief, because you are a man of blood. 9 Then said Abishai the son
of Zeruiah to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Please let me go over and take off his head.” 10 The king said, What have
I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because
Yahweh has said to him, Curse David; who then shall say, Why have you done
so? 11 David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who
came forth from my bowels, seeks my life: how much more may this
Benjamite now do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for Yahweh has
invited him. 12 It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me,
and that Yahweh will requite me good for his cursing of me this day.
13 So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the
hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him,
and cast dust. 14 The king, and all the people who were with him, came
weary; and he refreshed himself there. 15 Absalom, and all the people, the
men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 It happened,
when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, was come to Absalom, that Hushai
said to Absalom, Long live the king, Long live the king.
17 Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness to your friend? Why
didn’t you go with your friend? 18 Hushai said to Absalom, No; but whom
Yahweh, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I
be, and with him will I abide. 19 Again, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I
serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in your father’s presence,
so will I be in your presence. 20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give
your counsel what we shall do. 21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to
your father’s concubines, that he has left to keep the house; and all Israel
will hear that you are abhorred of your father: then will the hands of all
who are with you be strong. 22 So they spread Absalom a tent on the top of
the house; and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all
Israel. 23 The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as
if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel
both with David and with Absalom.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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