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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
And thus said Shimei
when he cursed
, Come out
, come out
, thou bloody
man
, and thou man
of Belial
:
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
.
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
.
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
?
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.
It may be that the LORD will look
on mine affliction
, and that the LORD
will requite
me good
for his cursing
this day
.
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
.
And the king, and all the people
that were with him, came
weary
, and refreshed
themselves there.
And Absalom, and all the people
the men
of Israel
, came
to Jerusalem
, and Ahithophel
with him.
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
.
And Absalom said
to Hushai
, Is this thy kindness
to thy friend
? why wentest
thou not with thy friend
?
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
.
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
.
Then said Absalom
to Ahithophel
, Give
counsel
among you what we shall do
.
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
.
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
.
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
.