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.
16:2 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.
16:3 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.
16:4 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.
16:5 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.
16:6 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.
16:7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody
man, and thou man of Belial:
16:8 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.
16:9 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.
16:10 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?
16:11 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.
16:12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD
will requite me good for his cursing this day.
16:13 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.
16:14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and
refreshed themselves there.
16:15 And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem,
and Ahithophel with him.
16:16 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.
16:17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why
wentest thou not with thy friend?
16:18 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.
16:19 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.
16:20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall
do.
16:21 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.
16:22 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.
16:23 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.
