2S 16:1And when David was a little past the summit, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s attendant, came to meet him with a pair of saddled asses and upon them two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred clusters of raisins and a hundred summer fruit and a skin of wine.
2S 16:2And the king said to Ziba, Why do you have these? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king’s household to ride on, and the bread and the summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.
2S 16:3And the king said, And where is your master’s son? And Ziba said to the king, He is now dwelling in Jerusalem, for he said, Today the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my father.
2S 16:4And the king said to Ziba, Now all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours. And Ziba said, I bow myself to you. May I find favor in your sight, O my lord the king.
2S 16:5And when King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul came forth from there, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came forth, cursing as he came forth.
2S 16:6And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right and on his left.
2S 16:7And Shimei spoke thus in his cursing, Go away, go away, you man of bloodshed and worthless fellow.
2S 16:8Jehovah 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; and now you have been taken in your own mischief, for you are a man of bloodshed.
2S 16:9Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.
2S 16:10But the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if Jehovah has told him to curse David, who then can say, Why have you done so?
2S 16:11And David said to Abishai and all his servants, Now my son, who came forth from my body, seeks my life; how much more then this Benjaminite will do so. Leave him alone and let him curse, for Jehovah has told him to do so.
2S 16:12It may be that Jehovah will look on the wrong done to me and that Jehovah will repay me with good for his cursing on this day.
2S 16:13And David and his men went on their way. And Shimei went along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went; and he threw stones at him and cast dust upon him.
2S 16:14And the king and all the people who were with him arrived weary, and he refreshed himself there.
2S 16:15Meanwhile Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was with him.
2S 16:16And when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, Long live the king! Long live the king!
2S 16:17And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?
2S 16:18And Hushai said to Absalom, No; but the one whom Jehovah and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him will I dwell.
2S 16:19Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should it not be in the presence of his son? As I served in the presence of your father, so will I be in your presence.
2S 16:20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your counsel as to what we should do.
2S 16:21And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in unto your father’s concubines whom he left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself abhorrent to your father; then the hands of all those who are with you will be strong.
2S 16:22So they spread a tent for Absalom upon the roof, and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
2S 16:23Now the counsel of Ahithophel that he gave in those days was as if one inquired of the oracle of God; all the counsel of Ahithophel was thus, both with David and with Absalom.
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