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¹ And when David was a little past the top [of the ascent], look, Ziba the attendant of Mephibaal met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and an ephah of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.² And the king said to Ziba, What do you mean by these? And Ziba said, The donkeys 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.³ And the king said, And where is your master's son? And Ziba said to the king, Look, he abides at Jerusalem; for he said, Today will the house of Israel restore to me the kingdom of my father.⁴ Then the king said to Ziba, Look, all that pertains to Mephibaal is yours. And Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me find favor in your sight, my lord, O king.

⁵ And when king David came to Bahurim, look, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and cursed still as he came.⁶ And he cast stones at David, and at all the slaves of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.⁷ And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Begone, begone, you man of blood, and base fellow:⁸ Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you have reigned; and Yahweh has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son; and, look, you are [taken] in your own mischief, because you are a man of blood.⁹ Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray you, and take off his head.¹⁰ And the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because Yahweh has said to him, Curse David; who then shall say, Why have you done so?¹¹ And David said to Abishai, and to all his slaves, Look, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeks my life: how much more [may] this Benjamite now [do it]? let him alone, and let him curse; for Yahweh has bidden him.¹² It may be that Yahweh will look at the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will requite me good for [his] cursing of me this day.¹³ So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-side across from him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.¹⁴ And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.

¹⁵ And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.¹⁶ And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, [Long] live the king, [Long] live the king.¹⁷ And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness to your friend? why didn't you go with your friend?¹⁸ And Hushai said to Absalom, No; but whom Yahweh, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, I will be his, and I will abide with him.¹⁹ And again, whom should I serve? [should I] not [serve] in the presence of his son? as I have served in your father's presence, so I will be in your presence.²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your counsel what we shall do.²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines, that he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred of your father: then the hands of all that are with you will be strong.²² So they spread Absalom a tent on the top of the house; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.