JPS - II Samuel - 16

16:1  And when David was a little past the top, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

16:2  And the king said unto Ziba: 'What meanest thou by these?' And Ziba said: 'The asses are 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 are faint in the wilderness may drink.'

16:3  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 will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.'

16:4  Then said the king to Ziba: 'Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth.' And Ziba said: 'I prostrate myself; let me find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.'

16:5  And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and kept on cursing as he came.

16:6  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.

16:7  And thus said Shimei when he cursed: 'Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow;

16:8  HaShem hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and HaShem hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; and, behold, thou art taken in thine own mischief, because thou art a man of blood.'

16:9  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.'

16:10  And the king said: 'What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because HaShem hath said unto him: Curse David; who then shall say: Wherefore hast thou done so?'

16:11  And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants: 'Behold, my son, who came forth of my body, seeketh my life; how much more this Benjamite now? let him alone, and let him curse; for HaShem hath bidden him.

16:12  It may be that HaShem will look on mine eye, and that HaShem will requite me good for his cursing of me this day.'

16:13  So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

16:14  And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.

16:15  And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

16:16  And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom: 'Long live the king, long live the king.'

16:17  And Absalom said to Hushai: 'Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?'

16:18  And Hushai said unto Absalom: 'Nay; but whom HaShem, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

16:19  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.'

16:20  Then said Absalom to Ahithophel: 'Give your counsel what we shall do.'

16:21  And Ahithophel said unto Absalom: 'Go in unto thy father's concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; then will the hands of all that are with thee be strong.'

16:22  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.--

16:23  Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man inquired of the word of G-d; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.