The Reign of David

and if to the city thou dost turn back, and hast said to Absalom, Thy servant I am, O king; servant of thy father I am also hitherto, and now, I am also thy servant; then thou hast made void for me the counsel of Ahithophel;

and are there not with thee there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it hath been, the whole of the matter that thou hearest from the house of the king thou dost declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.

Lo, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and ye have sent by their hand unto me anything that ye hear.'

And Hushai, David's friend, cometh in to the city, and Absalom cometh in to Jerusalem.

And David hath passed on a little from the top, and lo, Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth--to meet him, and a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred of summer-fruit, and a bottle of wine.

And the king saith unto Ziba, `What--these to thee?' and Ziba saith, `The asses for the household of the king to ride on, and the bread and the summer-fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for the wearied to drink in the wilderness.'

And the king saith, `And where is the son of thy lord?' and Ziba saith unto the king, `Lo, he is abiding in Jerusalem, for he said, To-day do the house of Israel give back to me the kingdom of my father.'

And the king saith to Ziba, `Lo, thine are all that Mephibosheth hath;' and Ziba saith, `I have bowed myself--I find grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king.'

And king David hath come in unto Bahurim, and lo, thence a man is coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, and his name is Shimei, son of Gera, he cometh out, coming out and reviling;

and he stoneth 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.

And thus said Shimei in his reviling, `Go out, go out, O man of blood, and man of worthlessness!

Jehovah hath turned back on thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and Jehovah doth give the kingdom in to the hand of Absalom thy son; and lo, thou art in thine evil, for a man of blood thou art .'

And Abishai son of Zeruiah saith unto the king, `Why doth this dead dog revile my lord the king? let me pass over, I pray thee, and I turn aside his head.'

And the king saith, `What--to me and to you, O sons of Zeruiah? for--let him revile; even because Jehovah hath said to him, Revile David; and who saith, Wherefore hast Thou done so?'

And David saith unto Abishai, and unto all his servants, `Lo, my son who came out of my bowels is seeking my life, and also surely now the Benjamite; leave him alone, and let him revile, for Jehovah hath said so to him;

it may be Jehovah doth look on mine affliction, and Jehovah hath turned back to me good for his reviling this day.'

And David goeth with his men in the way, and Shimei is going at the side of the hill over-against him, going on, and he revileth, and stoneth with stones over-against him, and hath dusted with dust.

And the king cometh in, and all the people who are with him, wearied, and they are refreshed there.

And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him,

and it cometh to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, hath come unto Absalom, that Hushai saith unto Absalom, `Let the king live! let the king live!'

And Absalom saith unto Hushai, `This thy kindness with thy friend! why hast thou not gone with thy friend?'

And Hushai saith unto Absalom, `Nay, for he whom Jehovah hath chosen, and this people, even all the men of Israel, his I am, and with him I abide;

and secondly, for whom do I labour? is it not before his son? as I served before thy father so am I before thee.'

And Absalom saith unto Ahithophel, `Give for you counsel what we do.'

And Ahithophel saith unto Absalom, `Go in unto the concubines of thy father, whom he left to keep the house, and all Israel hath heard that thou hast been abhorred by thy father, and the hands of all who are with thee have been strong.'