1 When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him. He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred cakes of summer fruit, and a wineskin full of wine.

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.

2 The king asked Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those who become weary in the wilderness to drink."

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.

3 The king then asked, "Where is your master’s grandson?" Ziba replied to the king, "He is staying in Jerusalem because he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.'"

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.

4 Then the king declared to Ziba, "Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." Ziba said, "I humbly bow before you. May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king."

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.

5 When King David reached Bahurim, a man from the family of Saul’s household came out, cursing as he approached. His name was Shimei, son of Gera.

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.

6 He threw stones at David and all the servants of King David, even though all the people and the mighty warriors surrounded him on his right and left.

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 As he cursed, Shimei shouted, "Get out! Get out, you man of bloodshed, you worthless man!

And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

8 The Lord has repaid you for all the bloodshed in the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. You are now caught in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed."

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.

9 Then Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!"

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 But the king replied, "What does this have to do with you, sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord told him to curse David, who can ask, 'Why did you do this?'"

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?

11 David then said to Abishai and all his servants, "Look, my own son who came from my own body is trying to take my life. How much more now this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.

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.

12 Perhaps the Lord will look upon my affliction and repay me with good for the curses I am receiving today.

It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

13 So David and his men continued along the road, while Shimei kept pace with him on the hillside opposite, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at him.

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.

14 The king and all the people with him arrived exhausted, and he refreshed himself there.

And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.

And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

16 When Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, came to Absalom, he said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"

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.

17 Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this the loyalty you show your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?"

And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?

18 Hushai said to Absalom, "No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and all the men of Israel—him I will serve, and with him I will remain.

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.

19 Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve his son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you."

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 Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?"

Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

21 Ahithophel answered, "Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he left to care for the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened."

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.

22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

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 Now the advice Ahithophel gave in those days was like someone inquiring of God. Such was all of Ahithophel’s advice to both David and Absalom.

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.