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¹ And David had passed on a little from the top. And behold, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, came to meet him with a couple of saddled asses, and on them two hundred loaves and a hundredbunches of raisins, and a hundred of summerfruit, and a skin of wine.² And the king said to Ziba, What are these to you? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king's household to ride on, and the bread and the summer fruit for the young men to eat; andthe wine for the wearied to drink in thewilderness.³ And the king said, And where is the son of your lord? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, Today the house of Israel will give back to me the kingdom of my father.⁴ And the king said to Ziba, Behold, all that Mephibosheth has is yours. And Ziba said, I bow myself; may I find favor in your eyes, my lord, O king.

⁵ And King David came to Bahurim. And, behold, a man was coming out from there, of the family of the house of Saul; and his name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out, and he came cursing.⁶ And he stoned David with stones and all the servants of King David, and all the people, and all the mighty men on his right and on his left.⁷ And Shimei said this in his cursing, Go out! Go out, O man of blood, O worthless man!⁸ Jehovah has turned back on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. And Jehovah shall give the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And, behold, you are taken in your mischief, for you are a man of blood.⁹ And Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why does this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me pass over, and I will take off his head.¹⁰ And the king said, What have I to do with you, sons of Zeruiah? For let him curse, even because Jehovah has said to him, Curse David. And who shall say, Why have you done so?¹¹ And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son who came out of my loins is seeking my life, and surely now also the Benjamite. Leave him alone, and let him curse, for Jehovah has spoken to him.¹² It may be Jehovah will look on my affliction, and Jehovah will return good to me for his cursing this day.¹³ And David went with his men in the highway, and Shimei was going along at the side of the hill across from him. As he went, he cursed, and stoned with stones across from him, and dusted with dust.¹⁴ And the king came in wearied, and all the people with him; and he was refreshed there.

¹⁵ And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come into Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.¹⁶ And it happened, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, had come to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, Let the king live! Let the king live!¹⁷ And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness with your friend? Why have you not gone with your friend?¹⁸ And Hushai said to Absalom, No, for he whom Jehovah and this people have chosen, even all the men of Israel, his I shall be, and I shall remain with him.¹⁹ And a second time, Whom should I serve? Should I not serve before the face of his son. As I served before the face of your father, so shall I be before your face.²⁰ And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your counsel, what we shall do.²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines, those he left to keep the house. And all Israel shall hear that you have become odious with your father. And the hands of all who are with you will be strong.²² And they spread out a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines before the eyes of all Israel.²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counseled in those days was as one who had inquired at the Word of God. So was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both to David and to Absalom.