¶ And when David was a little past¹ the top of the hill, behold, Ziba² the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple³ of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer⁴ fruits, and a bottle⁵ of wine.

And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest⁶ 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 young⁷ men to eat; and the wine, that such⁸ as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

And the king said, And where is⁹ 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,¹¹ thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee¹² that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

¶ And when king David came to Bahurim¹³, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name¹⁴ was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came¹⁵ 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 man¹⁶, and thou man of Belial¹⁷:

The LORD hath returned¹⁸ upon thee all the blood¹⁹ of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou²⁰ 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 Abishai²¹ the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog²² curse²³ my lord the king? let me go²⁴ over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

¶ And the king said, What have²⁵ I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him²⁶ curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall²⁷ then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold,²⁸ my son, which came forth²⁹ of my bowels, seeketh³⁰ my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD³¹ hath bidden him.

It may be that the LORD³² will look on mine affliction³³, 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 cursed³⁴ as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust³⁵.

And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there³⁶.

¶ And Absalom³⁷, 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 king³⁸, God save the king.

And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy³⁹ kindness to thy friend? why wentest⁴⁰ thou not with thy friend?

⁴¹And 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 serve⁴² 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 counsel⁴³ among you what we shall do.

And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in⁴⁴ unto thy⁴⁵ father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred⁴⁶ of thy father⁴⁷: then shall⁴⁸ the hands⁴⁹ of all that are with thee be strong.

So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top⁵⁰ of the house; and Absalom went in⁵¹ unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if⁵² a man had enquired at the oracle of God⁵³: so was⁵⁴ all the counsel⁵⁵ of Ahithophel both⁵⁶ with David and with Absalom.