1 And when David|strong="H1732" was a little|strong="H4592" past|strong="H5674" the top|strong="H7218" of the hill, behold, Ziba|strong="H6717" the servant|strong="H5288" of Mephibosheth|strong="H4648" met|strong="H7125" him, with a couple|strong="H6776" of asses|strong="H2543" saddled|strong="H2280", and upon them two hundred|strong="H3967" loaves of bread|strong="H3899", and an hundred|strong="H3967" bunches of raisins|strong="H6778", and an hundred|strong="H3967" of summer fruits|strong="H7019", and a bottle|strong="H5035" of wine|strong="H3196".
2 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559" unto Ziba|strong="H6717", What meanest thou by these? And Ziba|strong="H6717" said|strong="H0559", The asses|strong="H2543" be for the king’s|strong="H4428" household|strong="H1004" to ride on|strong="H7392"; and the bread|strong="H3899" and summer fruit|strong="H7019" for the young men|strong="H5288" to eat|strong="H0398"; and the wine|strong="H3196", that such as be faint|strong="H3287" in the wilderness|strong="H4057" may drink|strong="H8354".
3 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559", And where is thy master’s|strong="H0113" son|strong="H1121"? And Ziba|strong="H6717" said|strong="H0559" unto the king|strong="H4428", Behold, he abideth|strong="H3427" at Jerusalem|strong="H3389": for he said|strong="H0559", To day|strong="H3117" shall the house|strong="H1004" of Israel|strong="H3478" restore|strong="H7725" me the kingdom|strong="H4468" of my father|strong="H0001".
4 Then said|strong="H0559" the king|strong="H4428" to Ziba|strong="H6717", Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth|strong="H4648". And Ziba|strong="H6717" said|strong="H0559", I humbly|strong="H7812" beseech thee that I may find|strong="H4672" grace|strong="H2580" in thy sight|strong="H5869", my lord|strong="H0113", O king|strong="H4428".
5 And when king|strong="H4428" David|strong="H1732" came|strong="H0935" to Bahurim|strong="H0980", behold, thence came out|strong="H3318" a man|strong="H0376" of the family|strong="H4940" of the house|strong="H1004" of Saul|strong="H7586", whose name|strong="H8034" was Shimei|strong="H8096", the son|strong="H1121" of Gera|strong="H1617": he came forth|strong="H3318", and cursed|strong="H7043" still as he came|strong="H3318".
6 And he cast|strong="H5619" stones|strong="H0068" at David|strong="H1732", and at all the servants|strong="H5650" of king|strong="H4428" David|strong="H1732": and all the people|strong="H5971" and all the mighty men|strong="H1368" were on his right hand|strong="H3225" and on his left|strong="H8040".
7 And thus said|strong="H0559" Shimei|strong="H8096" when he cursed|strong="H7043", Come out|strong="H3318", come out|strong="H3318", thou bloody|strong="H1818" man|strong="H0376", and thou man|strong="H0376" of Belial|strong="H1100":
8 The \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* hath returned|strong="H7725" upon thee all the blood|strong="H1818" of the house|strong="H1004" of Saul|strong="H7586", in whose stead thou hast reigned|strong="H4427"; and the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* hath delivered|strong="H5414" the kingdom|strong="H4410" into the hand|strong="H3027" of Absalom|strong="H0053" thy son|strong="H1121": and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief|strong="H7451", because thou art a bloody|strong="H1818" man|strong="H0376".
9 Then said|strong="H0559" Abishai|strong="H0052" the son|strong="H1121" of Zeruiah|strong="H6870" unto the king|strong="H4428", Why should this dead|strong="H4191" dog|strong="H3611" curse|strong="H7043" my lord|strong="H0113" the king|strong="H4428"? let me go over|strong="H5674", I pray thee, and take off|strong="H5493" his head|strong="H7218".
10 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559", What have I to do with you, ye sons|strong="H1121" of Zeruiah|strong="H6870"? so let him curse|strong="H7043", because the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* hath said|strong="H0559" unto him, Curse|strong="H7043" David|strong="H1732". Who shall then say|strong="H0559", Wherefore hast thou done so|strong="H6213"?
11 And David|strong="H1732" said|strong="H0559" to Abishai|strong="H0052", and to all his servants|strong="H5650", Behold, my son|strong="H1121", which came forth|strong="H3318" of my bowels|strong="H4578", seeketh|strong="H1245" my life|strong="H5315": how much more now may this Benjamite|strong="H1145" do it? let him alone|strong="H3240", and let him curse|strong="H7043"; for the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* hath bidden|strong="H0559" him.
12 It may be that the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* will look|strong="H7200" on mine affliction|strong="H5869", and that the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* will requite|strong="H7725" me good|strong="H2896" for his cursing|strong="H7045" this day|strong="H3117".
13 And as David|strong="H1732" and his men|strong="H0582" went|strong="H3212" by the way|strong="H1870", Shimei|strong="H8096" went along|strong="H1980" on the hill’s|strong="H2022" side|strong="H6763" over against|strong="H5980" him, and cursed|strong="H7043" as he went|strong="H1980", and threw|strong="H5619" stones|strong="H0068" at|strong="H5980" him, and cast|strong="H6080" dust|strong="H6083".
14 And the king|strong="H4428", and all the people|strong="H5971" that were with him, came|strong="H0935" weary|strong="H5889", and refreshed|strong="H5314" themselves there.
15 And Absalom|strong="H0053", and all the people|strong="H5971" the men|strong="H0376" of Israel|strong="H3478", came|strong="H0935" to Jerusalem|strong="H3389", and Ahithophel|strong="H0302" with him.
16 And it came to pass, when Hushai|strong="H2365" the Archite|strong="H0757", David’s|strong="H1732" friend|strong="H7463", was come|strong="H0935" unto Absalom|strong="H0053", that Hushai|strong="H2365" said|strong="H0559" unto Absalom|strong="H0053", God save|strong="H2421" the king|strong="H4428", God save|strong="H2421" the king|strong="H4428".
17 And Absalom|strong="H0053" said|strong="H0559" to Hushai|strong="H2365", Is this thy kindness|strong="H2617" to thy friend|strong="H7453"? why wentest|strong="H1980" thou not with thy friend|strong="H7453"?
18 And Hushai|strong="H2365" said|strong="H0559" unto Absalom|strong="H0053", Nay; but whom the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w*, and this people|strong="H5971", and all the men|strong="H0376" of Israel|strong="H3478", choose|strong="H0977", his will I be, and with him will I abide|strong="H3427".
19 And again|strong="H8145", whom should I serve|strong="H5647"? should I not serve in the presence|strong="H6440" of his son|strong="H1121"? as I have served|strong="H5647" in thy father’s|strong="H0001" presence|strong="H6440", so will I be in thy presence|strong="H6440".
20 Then said|strong="H0559" Absalom|strong="H0053" to Ahithophel|strong="H0302", Give|strong="H3051" counsel|strong="H6098" among you what we shall do|strong="H6213".
21 And Ahithophel|strong="H0302" said|strong="H0559" unto Absalom|strong="H0053", Go in|strong="H0935" unto thy father’s|strong="H0001" concubines|strong="H6370", which he hath left|strong="H3240" to keep|strong="H8104" the house|strong="H1004"; and all Israel|strong="H3478" shall hear|strong="H8085" that thou art abhorred|strong="H0887" of thy father|strong="H0001": then shall the hands|strong="H3027" of all that are with thee be strong|strong="H2388".
22 So they spread|strong="H5186" Absalom|strong="H0053" a tent|strong="H0168" upon the top of the house|strong="H1406"; and Absalom|strong="H0053" went in|strong="H0935" unto his father’s|strong="H0001" concubines|strong="H6370" in the sight|strong="H5869" of all Israel|strong="H3478".
23 And the counsel|strong="H6098" of Ahithophel|strong="H0302", which he counselled|strong="H3289" in those days|strong="H3117", was as if a man|strong="H0376" had enquired|strong="H7592" at the oracle|strong="H1697" of God|strong="H0430": so was all the counsel|strong="H6098" of Ahithophel|strong="H0302" both with David|strong="H1732" and with Absalom|strong="H0053".