2 Samuel 16
Chapter 16
David and Ziba
1 When David had gone a little beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth,t was waiting there for him. He had two donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 bunches of summer fruit, and a wineskin full of wine.
2 “What are these for?” the king asked Ziba.
Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s people to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
3 “And where is Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson?” the king asked him.
“He stayed in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied. “He said, ‘Today I will get back the kingdom of my grandfather Saul.’”
4 “In that case,” the king told Ziba, “I give you everything Mephibosheth owns.”
“I bow before you,” Ziba replied. “May I always be pleasing to you, my lord the king.”
Shimei Curses David
5 As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family.6 He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him.7 “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David.
8 “The LORD is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the LORD has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!”
9 “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!”
10 “No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the LORD has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?”
11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Sault have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to do it.12 And perhaps the LORD will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.”
13 So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing as he went and throwing stones at David and tossing dust into the air.
14 The king and all who were with him grew weary along the way, so they rested when they reached the Jordan River.t
Ahithophel Advises Absalom
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel.
16 When David’s friend Hushai the Arkite arrived, he went immediately to see Absalom. “Long live the king!” he exclaimed. “Long live the king!”
17 “Is this the way you treat your friend David?” Absalom asked him. “Why aren’t you with him?”
18 “I’m here because I belong to the man who is chosen by the LORD and by all the men of Israel,” Hushai replied.
19 “And anyway, why shouldn’t I serve you? Just as I was your father’s adviser, now I will be your adviser!”
20 Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, “What should I do next?”
21 Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.”
22 So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines.
23 Absalom followed Ahithophel’s advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God.
2 SAMUEL 16
Ziba Gives Food to David
1 t David had started down the other side of the Mount of Olives, when he was met by Ziba, the chief servant of Mephibosheth.t Ziba had two donkeys that were carrying 200 loaves of bread, 100 handfuls of raisins, 100 figs, t and some wine.
2 “What's all this?” David asked.
Ziba said, “The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and fruit are for the people to eat, and the wine is for them to drink in the desert when they are tired out.”
3 t “And where is Mephibosheth?” David asked.
Ziba answered, “He stayed in Jerusalem, because he thinks the people of Israel want him to rule the kingdom of his grandfather Saul.”
4 David then told him, “Everything that used to belong to Mephibosheth is now yours.”
Ziba said, “Your Majesty, I am your humble servant, and I hope you will be pleased with me.”Shimei Curses David
5 David was near the town of Bahurim when a man came out and started cursing him. The man was Shimei the son of Gera, and he was one of Saul's distant relatives.
6 He threw stones at David, at his soldiers, and at everyone else, including the bodyguards who walked on each side of David.
7 Shimei was yelling at David, “Get out of here, you murderer! You good-for-nothing,
8 the [Lord] is paying you back for killing so many in Saul's family. You stole his kingdom, but now the [Lord] has given it to your son Absalom. You're a murderer, and that's why you're in such big trouble!”
9 Abishai said, “Your Majesty, this man is as useless as a dead dog! He shouldn't be allowed to curse you. Let me go over and chop off his head.”
10 David replied, “What will I ever do with you and your brother Joab? If Shimei is cursing me because the [Lord] has told him to, then who are you to tell him to stop?”
11 Then David said to Abishai and all his soldiers:
My own son is trying to kill me! Why shouldn't this man from the tribe of Benjamin want me dead even more? Let him curse all he wants. Maybe the [Lord] did tell him to curse me.
12 But if the [Lord] hears these curses and sees the trouble I'm in, maybe he will have pity on me instead.
13 David and the others went on down the road. Shimei went along the hillside by the road, cursing and throwing rocks and dirt at them.
14 When David and those with him came to the Jordan River, they were tired out. But after they rested, theyt felt much better.Hushai Meets Absalom
15 By this time, Absalom, Ahithophel, and the others had reached Jerusalem.
16 David's friend Hushai came to Absalom and said, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 But Absalom asked Hushai, “Is this how you show loyalty to your friend David? Why didn't you go with him?”
18 Hushai answered, “The [Lord] and the people of Israel have chosen you to be king. I can't leave. I have to stay and serve the one they've chosen.
19 Besides, it seems right for me to serve you, just as I served your father.”Ahithophel's Advice
20 Absalom turned to Ahithophel and said, “Give us your advice! What should we do?”
21 Ahithophel answered, “Some of your father's wivest were left here to take care of the palace. You should have sex with them. Then everyone will find out that you have publicly disgraced your father. This will make you and your followers even more powerful.”
22 t Absalom had a tent set up on the flat roof of the palace, and everyone watched as he went into the tent with his father's wives.
23 Ahithophel gave such good advice in those days that both Absalom and David thought it came straight from God.
