| 1 And when David was a little past the top of the ascent,
behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses
saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of
raisins, and a 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 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 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 will the
house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 4 Then said the king
to Ziba, Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba
said, I do obeisance; let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, O king.
5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man
of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera;
he came out, 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, Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow: 8 Jehovah hath
returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou
hast reigned; and Jehovah hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom
thy son; and, behold, thou art taken in thine own mischief, because
thou art a man of blood.
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? Because he curseth, and because Jehovah hath said unto him, Curse
David; who then shall say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said
to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my
bowels, seeketh my life: how much more may this Benjamite now do
it? let him alone, and let him curse; for Jehovah hath bidden him.
12 It may be that Jehovah will look on the wrong done unto me, and that
Jehovah 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 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary;
and he refreshed himself 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,
Long live the king, Long live 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 Jehovah, and
this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, 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 your counsel what we shall do.
21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines,
that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art
abhorred of thy father: then will 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 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.
Genesis - Public
Domain
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