2 Samuel 16

¹ When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Meribbaal's retainer, Ziba, met him with a pair ofdonkeys, saddled and laden with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of theseason's fruits, and a skin of wine.

² The king said to Ziba, 'What are you going to do with that?' 'The donkeys', Ziba replied, 'are for theking's family to ride, the bread and the fruit for the soldiers to eat, the wine is for drinking by those who getexhausted in the desert.'

³ The king asked 'And where is your master's son?' Ziba replied to the king, 'Why, he has stayed inJerusalem because, he says, "Today, the House of Israel wil give me back my father's kingdom." '

⁴ Then the king said to Ziba, 'Everything owned by Meribbaal is yours.' Ziba said, 'I prostrate myself!May I be worthy of your favour, my lord king!'

⁵ As David was reaching Bahurim, out came a man of the same clan as Saul's family. His name wasShimei son of Gera and, as he came, he uttered curse after curse

⁶ and threw stones at David and at al King David's retinue, even though the whole army and al thechampions formed an escort round the king on either side.

⁷ The words of his curse were these, 'Off with you, off with you, man of blood, scoundrel!

⁸ Yahweh has paid you back for all the spilt blood of the House of Saul whose sovereignty you haveusurped; and Yahweh has transferred the sovereign power to Absalom your son. Now your wickedness hasovertaken you, man of blood that you are.'

⁹ Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, 'Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me goover and cut his head off.'

¹⁰ But the king replied, 'What concern is my business to you, sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse! If Yahwehhas said to him, "Curse David!" what right has anyone to say, "Why have you done so?" '

¹¹ David said to Abishai and al his retinue, 'Why, the son sprung from my own body is now seeking mylife; al the more reason for this Benjaminite to do so! Let him curse on, if Yahweh has told him to!

¹² Perhaps Yahweh wil look on my wretchedness and wil repay me with good for his curses today.'

¹³ So David and his men went on their way, and Shimei kept pace with him along the oppositemountainside, cursing as he went, throwing stones and flinging dust.

¹⁴ The king and al the people who were with him arrived exhausted at . . . . . . and there they drewbreath.

¹⁵ Absalom entered Jerusalem with al the men of Israel; with him was Ahithophel.

¹⁶ When Hushai the Archite, David's friend, reached Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, 'Long live theking! Long live the king!'

¹⁷ Absalom said to Hushai, 'Is this your faithful love for your friend? Why didn't you go away with yourfriend?'

¹⁸ Hushai replied to Absalom, 'No, the man whom Yahweh and this people and al the men of Israelhave chosen, he is the man for me, and with him wil I stay!

¹⁹ Besides, whom should I serve, if not his son? As I served your father, so shal I serve you.'

²⁰ Absalom said to Ahithophel, 'Think careful y. What shal we do?'

²¹ Ahithophel replied to Absalom, 'Go to your father's concubines whom he left to look after the palace;then al Israel wil hear that you have thoroughly antagonised your father, and the resolution of all yoursupporters wil be strengthened.'

²² So a tent was pitched for Absalom on the flat roof and, with al Israel watching, Absalom went to hisfather's concubines.

²³ At the time, whatever advice Ahithophel gave was treated like a decision obtained from God; as byDavid, so by Absalom, was al Ahithophel's advice regarded.