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Chapter 16 |
| 1 | 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 | 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 | 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 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 | 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 |
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, Come out, come out,
thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: |
|
8 | 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.
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| 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? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David.
Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? |
| 11 | 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 | 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 | 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 | And the
king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed
themselves 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, God save the king, God save 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
the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, 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 counsel among you what we shall do. |
| 21 | 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 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 counseled in those days, was as if a man had
inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with
David and with Absalom. |
