II Samuel 16 · שמואל ב

And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Żiva the servant of Mefivoshet met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

And the king said to Żiva, What dost thou mean by these? And Żiva 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 be faint in the wilderness may drink.

And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Żiva said to the king, Behold, he is staying in Yerushalayim: for he said, To day shall the house of Yisra᾽el restore to me the kingdom of my father.

Then said the king to Żiva, Behold, all that belongs to Mefivoshet is thine. And Żiva said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.

And when king David came to Baĥurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Sha᾽ul, whose name was Shim῾i, the son of Gera: he came out, cursing 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 his left.

And thus said Shim῾i when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou base man:

the Lord has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Sha᾽ul whom thou hast usurped; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Avshalom thy son: and behold, thou art in evil plight because thou art a bloody man.

Then said Avishay the son of Żeruya to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

And the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Żeruya? so let him curse, because the Lord has said to him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Why hast thou done so?

And David said to Avishay, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came out of my body, seeks my life: how much more now may this Benyeminite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him.

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

And as David and his men went by the way, Shim῾i went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

And the king, and all the people that were with him, arrived in a weary state, and he refreshed himself there.

And Avshalom, and all the people the men of Yisra᾽el came to Yerushalayim, and Aĥitofel with him.

And it came to pass, when Ḥushay the Arkite, David’s friend, was come to Avshalom that Ḥushay said to Avshalom, God save the king, God save the king.

And Avshalom said to Ḥushay, Is this thy loyalty to thy friend? why didst thou not go with thy friend?

And Ḥushay said to Avshalom, No; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Yisra᾽el, choose, his will I be, and with him will I remain.

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.

Then said Avshalom to Aĥitofel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

And Aĥitofel said to Avshalom, Go in to thy father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house: and all Yisra᾽el shall hear that thou art in bad odour with thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

So they spread Avshalom a pavilion on the top of the house; and Avshalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Yisra᾽el.

And the counsel of Aĥitofel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man would inquire of the word of God: so was all the counsel of Aĥitofel both with David and with Avshalom.