Chapter 16

And when David was a little past¹ the top [of the hill], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met² him, with a couple of asses saddled,⁷ 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 the king said⁴ unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said,⁴ The asses [be] for the king's household to ride on;² and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat;² and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.²

And the king said,⁴ And where [is] thy master's son? And Ziba said⁴ unto the king, Behold, he abideth⁶ at Jerusalem: for he said,¹ To day shall the house of Israel restore⁵⁵ me the kingdom of my father.

Then said⁴ the king to Ziba, Behold, thine [are] all that [pertained] unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said,⁴ I humbly beseech⁹⁸ thee [that] I may find⁴ grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

And when king David came¹ to Bahurim, behold, thence came out⁶ a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth,⁶ and cursed¹⁸ still as he came.²

And he cast¹⁷ 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 thus said¹ Shimei when he cursed,¹⁵ Come out,³ come out,³ thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

The LORD hath returned⁵² upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned;¹ and the LORD hath delivered⁴ the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief, because thou [art] a bloody man.

Then said⁴ Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead⁵ dog curse¹⁷ my lord the king? let me go over,⁴ I pray thee, and take off⁵⁵ his head.

And the king said,⁴ What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse,¹⁷ because the LORD hath said¹ unto him, Curse¹⁶ David. Who shall then say,⁴ Wherefore hast thou done¹ so?

And David said⁴ to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth¹ of my bowels, seeketh¹⁸ my life: how much more now [may this] Benjamite [do it]? let him alone,⁵⁴ and let him curse;¹⁷ for the LORD hath bidden¹ him.

It may be that the LORD will look⁴ on mine affliction, ⁶⁰⁴⁰ and that the LORD will requite⁵² me good for his cursing this day.

And as David and his men went⁴ by the way, Shimei went along⁶ on the hill's side over against him, and cursed¹⁷ as he went,² and threw¹⁷ stones at him, and cast¹⁴ dust.

And the king, and all the people that [were] with him, came⁴ weary, and refreshed¹¹ themselves there.

And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came¹ to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come¹ unto Absalom, that Hushai said⁴ unto Absalom, God save⁴ the king, God save⁴ the king.

And Absalom said⁴ to Hushai, [Is] this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest¹ thou not with thy friend?

And Hushai said⁴ unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose,¹ his will I be, and with him will I abide.⁴

And again, whom should I serve?⁴ [should I] not [serve] in the presence of his son? as I have served¹ in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.

Then said⁴ Absalom to Ahithophel, Give³ counsel among you what we shall do.⁴

And Ahithophel said⁴ unto Absalom, Go in³ unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left⁵² to keep² the house; and all Israel shall hear¹ that thou art abhorred⁸ of thy father: then shall the hands of all that [are] with thee be strong.¹

So they spread⁵⁵ Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in⁴ unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled¹ in those days, [was] as if a man had enquired⁴ at the oracle of God: so [was] all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.