David and Ziba 1 ULT And David passed over a little from the top, and behold, meeting him{ was} Ziba, the young man of Mephibosheth, and a pair of saddled donkeys, and on them 200{ loaves of} bread and 100 clusters of raisins and 100 summer fruit and a skin 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 ULT And the king said to Ziba,“What{ are} these to you?” And Ziba said,“The donkeys{ are} for the house of the king to ride, and the bread and the summer fruit{ are for} the young men to eat, and the wine{ is for} the 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 ULT And the king said,“And where{ is} the son of your master?” And Ziba said to the king,“Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said,‘Today, the house of Israel will return the kingdom of my father to me.’” 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 ULT And the king said to Ziba,“Behold, to you{ is} all that{ was} to Mephibosheth.” And Ziba said,“I prostrate myself. May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.” 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 ULT And King David came to Bahurim. And behold, a man from the clan of the house of Saul was coming out from there, and his name{ was} Shimei, the son of Gera.{ He} was coming out, coming out and cursing. 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 ULT And he stoned David with stones and all of the servants of King David, and all of the people and all of the mighty{ were} on his right and on his left. 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 ULT And thus Shimei said in his cursing,“Get out, get out, man of blood, man of wickedness! BSB BSB: And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed!
8 ULT Yahweh has brought back upon you all of the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you are king, and Yahweh has given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. And behold you in your evil, for you{ are} a man of blood.” 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 ULT And Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king,“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and let me remove 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 ULT And the king said,“What to me and to you, sons of Zeruiah? If he curses because Yahweh has said to him,‘Curse David,’ then who shall say,‘Why have you 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 ULT And David said to Abishai and to all of his servants,“Behold, my son, who came out from my belly, is seeking my life. And how much more that now a Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse, if Yahweh has spoken to 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 ULT Perhaps Yahweh will look at my affliction, and Yahweh will return good to me in place of 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 ULT So David and his men walked on the road, and Shimei was walking on the side of the hill beside him, walking and he cursed, and he stoned with stones beside him, and he dusted with dust. 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 ULT And the king and all of the people who{ were} with him came, weary. And he refreshed himself 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 ULT And Absalom and all of the people, a man of Israel, came{ to} Jerusalem, and Ahithophel{ was} with him. BSB BSB: Then Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.
16 ULT And it happened, when Hushai the Archite, the friend of David, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom,“May the king live! May 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 ULT And Absalom said to Hushai,“{ Is} this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” BSB BSB: “Is this the loyalty you show your friend?” Absalom replied. “Why did you not go with your friend?”
18 ULT And Hushai said to Absalom,“No, but whom Yahweh has chosen, and this people, and every man of Israel, to him I will be, and with him I will stay. 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 ULT And second, I, before whom shall I serve?{ Is it} not to the face of his son? Just as I served to the face of your father, thus I will be to your face.” 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 ULT And Absalom said to Ahithophel,“Give counsel for yourselves. What shall we do?” BSB BSB: Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me counsel. What should we do?”
21 ULT And Ahithophel said to Absalom,“Go in to the concubines of your father whom he left to keep the house, and all of Israel will hear that you have made yourself stink with your father, and the hands of all who{ are} with you will become strong.” 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 ULT So they spread a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to the concubines of his father to the eyes of all of 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 ULT Now the counsel of Ahithophel that he counseled in those days{ was} just as if one inquired of the word of God. Thus{ was} all of the counsel of Ahithophel, both to David and to Absalom. 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.