David and Ziba 1 Brenton And David passed on a little way from Ros; and, behold, Siba the servant of Memphibosthe came to meet him; and he had a couple of asses laden, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred cakes of dates, and a bottle of wine. BSB BSB: When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
2 Brenton And the king said to Siba, What meanest thou by these? and Siba said, The asses are for the household of the king to sit upon, and the loaves and the dates are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for them that are faint in the wilderness to drink. BSB BSB: “Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
3 Brenton And the king said, And where is the son of thy master? and Siba said to the king, Behold, he remains in Jerusalem; for he said, To-day shall the house of Israel restore to me the kingdom of my father. BSB BSB: “Where is your master’s grandson?” asked the king. And Ziba answered, “Indeed, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my grandfather.’”
4 Brenton And the king said to Siba, Behold, all Memphibosthe's property is thine. And Siba did obeisance and said, My lord, O king, let me find grace in thine eyes. BSB BSB: So the king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I humbly bow before you,” said Ziba. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king!”
Shimei Curses David 5 Brenton And king David came to Baurim; and, behold, there came out from thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Semei the son of Gera. He came forth and cursed as he went, BSB BSB: As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he approached, he kept yelling out curses.
6 Brenton and cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on the right and left hand of the king. BSB BSB: He threw stones at David and at all the servants of the king, though the troops and all the mighty men were on David’s right and left.
7 Brenton And thus Semei said when he cursed him, Go out, go out, thou bloody man, and man of sin. BSB BSB: And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed!
8 Brenton The Lord has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, because thou hast reigned in his stead; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Abessalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. BSB BSB: The LORD has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, you have come to ruin because you are a man of bloodshed!”
9 Brenton And Abessa the son of Saruia said to the king, Why does this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over now and take off his head. BSB BSB: Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
10 Brenton And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Saruia? even let him alone, and so let him curse, for the Lord has told him to curse David: and who shall say, Why hast thou done thus? BSB BSB: But the king replied, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses me because the LORD told him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why did you do this?’”
11 Brenton And David said to Abessa and to all his servants, Behold, my son who came forth out of my bowels seeks my life; still more now may the son of Benjamin: let him curse, because the Lord has told him. BSB BSB: Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son, my own flesh and blood, seeks my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone and let him curse me, for the LORD has told him so.
12 Brenton If by any means the Lord may look on my affliction, thus shall he return me good for his cursing this day. BSB BSB: Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.”
13 Brenton And David and all the men with him went on the way: and Semei went by the side of the hill next to him, cursing as he went, and casting stones at him, and sprinkling him with dirt. BSB BSB: So David and his men proceeded along the road as Shimei went along the ridge of the hill opposite him. As Shimei went, he yelled curses, threw stones, and flung dust at David.
14 Brenton And the king, and all the people with him, came away and refreshed themselves there. BSB BSB: Finally, the king and all the people with him arrived, exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
The Counsel of Ahithophel and Hushai 15 Brenton And Abessalom and all the men of Israel went into Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him. BSB BSB: Then Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.
16 Brenton And it came to pass when Chusi the chief friend of David came to Abessalom, that Chusi said to Abessalom, Let the king live. BSB BSB: And David’s friend Hushai the Archite went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 Brenton And Abessalom said to Chusi, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not forth with thy friend? BSB BSB: “Is this the loyalty you show your friend?” Absalom replied. “Why did you not go with your friend?”
18 Brenton And Chusi said to Abessalom, Nay, but following whom the Lord, and this people, and all Israel have chosen,—his will I be, and with him will I dwell. BSB BSB: “Not at all,” Hushai answered. “For the one chosen by the LORD, by this people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and with him I will remain.
19 Brenton And again, whom shall I serve? should I not in the presence of his son? As I served in the sight of thy father, so will I be in thy presence. BSB BSB: Furthermore, whom should I serve if not his son? As I served in your father’s presence, so also I will serve in yours.”
20 Brenton And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should do. BSB BSB: Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me counsel. What should we do?”
21 Brenton And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Go in to thy father's concubines, whom he left to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that thou hast dishonoured thy father; and the hands of all that are with thee shall be strengthened. BSB BSB: Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to take care of the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”
22 Brenton And they pitched a tent for Abessalom on the roof, and Abessalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. BSB BSB: So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23 Brenton And the counsel of Achitophel, which he counselled in former days, was as if one should enquire of the word of God: so was all the counsel of Achitophel both to David and also to Abessalom. BSB BSB: Now in those days the advice of Ahithophel was like the consultation of the word of God. Such was the regard that both David and Absalom had for Ahithophel’s advice.
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