2 Samuel 16:1-23
David and Ziba
1 When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.
2 The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?”
Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
3 The king then asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?”
Ziba said to him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’”
4 Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.”
“I humbly bow,” Ziba said. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. 6 He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8 The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”
9 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 But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’”
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”
13 So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. 14 The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 Absalom said to Hushai, “So this is the love you show your friend? If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him?”
18 Hushai said to Absalom, “No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him. 19 Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.”
20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?”
21 Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” 22 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 Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.
David went a short way over the top of the Mount of Olives and met Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth...Ziba had two donkeys with saddles on them...The donkeys also carried 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 summer fruits, and a wineskin full of wine...King David said to Ziba, “What are these things for?”...Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on...The bread and the summer fruit are for the servants to eat...And the wine is refreshment for whoever begins to feel weak in the desert.”...Then the king asked, “And where is Mephibosheth?”...Ziba answered the king, “Mephibosheth is staying in Jerusalem...He said, ‘Today the Israelites will give my father’s kingdom back to me.’”...Then the king said to Ziba, “All right, I now give you everything that belonged to Mephibosheth.”...Ziba said, “I bow to you. I pray I will always be able to please you.”...
As David came to Bahurim, a man from Saul’s family, Shimei son of Gera, came out cursing David again and again...Shimei began throwing stones at David and his officers...Both the people and the soldiers gathered around David to protect him—they were all around him...Shimei cursed David...He said, “Get out, get out, you no-good murderer!...The LORD is punishing you because you killed people in Saul’s family...You stole Saul’s place as king...But now the same bad things are happening to you...The LORD has given the kingdom to your son Absalom, because you are a murderer.”...Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dying dog curse you, my lord the king?...Let me go over and cut off Shimei’s head.”...But David said, “What can I do, sons of Zeruiah?...Yes, Shimei is cursing me, but the LORD told him to curse me...And who can ask him why he did that?”...David also said to Abishai and all his servants, “Look, my very own son is trying to kill me, so why shouldn’t this man from the tribe of Benjamin want to do the same?...Leave him alone...Let him continue to curse me...The LORD told him to do this...Maybe the LORD will see the wrong things that are happening to me and give me something good for every bad thing that Shimei says today.”...So David and his men road on...
Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Please tell us what we should do.”...Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Your father left some of his slave women here to take care of the house...Go and have sexual relations with them...Then all the Israelites will hear how you humiliated your father, and they will be encouraged to give you more support.”...Then they put up a tent for Absalom up on the roof of the house...Absalom had sexual relations with his father’s wives so that all the Israelites could see what happened...So in those days Ahithophel’s advice was very important...Both David and Absalom accepted his advice as though it were the word of God...