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 asses 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.
2. And the king said * unto Ziba,What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said * , The asses be 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 be faint in the wilderness may drink * .
3. And the king said * , And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said * unto the king, Behold, he abideth * at Jerusalem: for he said * , To day shall the house of Israel restore * me the kingdom of my father.
4. Then said * the king to Ziba,Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said * , I humbly * beseech thee that I may find * grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
5. And when king David came * to Bahurim, behold, thence 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 * still as he came * .
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.
7. And thus said * Shimei when he cursed * , Come out * , come out * , thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
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.
9. Then said * Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead * dog curse * my lord the king? let me go over * , I pray thee, 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 * unto him, Curse * David. Who shall then say * , Wherefore hast thou done so * ?
11. And David said * to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth * of my bowels, 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.
12. It may be that the LORD will look * on mine affliction * , and that the LORD will requite * 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 over against him, and cursed * as he went * , and threw * stones at him, and cast * dust.
14. And the king, and all the people that were with him, came * weary, and refreshed * themselves there.
15. And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came * to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16. And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite,David's friend, was come * unto Absalom, that Hushai said * unto Absalom, God save * the king, God save * the king.
17. And Absalom said * to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest * thou not with thy friend?
18. And Hushai said * unto 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 * .
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.
20. Then said * Absalom to Ahithophel,Give * counsel among you what we shall do * .
21. And Ahithophel said * unto Absalom,Go in * unto thy father's concubines,which he hath left * to keep * the house; and all Israel shall hear * that thou art abhorred * of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong * .
22. So they spread * Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in * unto 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.
