16:1 Now when David had gone on a little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a team of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine.
16:2 And the king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is weary in the wilderness to drink.”
16:3 Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ”
16:4 So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; may I find favor in your sight, my lord, the king!”
16:5 When King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man was coming out from there from the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he was coming out, cursing as he came.
16:6 He also threw stones at David and all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the warriors were on his right and on his left.
16:7 This is what Shimei said when he cursed: “Go away, go away, you man of bloodshed and worthless man!
16:8 The LORD has brought back upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have become king; and the LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. And behold, you are caught in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!”
16:9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Now let me go over and ①cut off his head.”
▷ ①Lit take off
16:10 But the king said, “ ①What business of mine is yours, you sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the LORD has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who should say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
▷ ①Lit What to me and to you, an ancient idiom
16:11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out of my own body seeks my life; how much more now this Benjaminite? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him.
16:12 Perhaps the LORD will look on my ①misery and ②return good to me instead of his cursing this day.”
▷ ①As in ancient versions; MT wrongdoing ②Lit the LORD will return
16:13 So David and his men went on the road; and Shimei kept going on the hillside close beside him, and as he went he cursed and threw stones and dirt at him.
16:14 And the king and all the people who were with him arrived exhausted, and he refreshed himself there.
16:15 Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16:16 Now it came about, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
16:17 But Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your ①loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?”
▷ ①Or faithfulness
16:18 So Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whomever the LORD, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I shall be, and with him I shall remain.
16:19 Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? Just as I have served in your father’s presence, so I shall be in your presence.”
16:20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What should we do?”
16:21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Have relations with your father’s concubines, whom he has left behind to take care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.”
16:22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom had relations with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
16:23 Now the advice of Ahithophel, which he ①gave in those days, was taken as though one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.
▷ ①Lit advised