2Sam 16
1
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 bottle of wine.
2
And the king said to Siba, What mean you 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.
3
And the king said, And where is the son of your 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.
4
And the king said to Siba, Behold, all Memphibosthe’s property is yours. And Siba
did obeisance and said, My lord, O king, let me find grace in your eyes.
5
And king David came to Baurim; and, behold, there came out from there 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,
6
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.
7
And thus Semei said when he cursed him, Go out, go out, you bloody man, and man of
sin.
8
The Lord has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, because you have
reigned in his stead; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Abessalom
your son: and, behold, you are taken in your mischief, because you are a bloody man.
9
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.
10
And the king said, What have I to do with you, you 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 have you done thus?
11
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.
12
If by any means the Lord may look on my affliction, thus shall he return me good for
his cursing this day.
13
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 Gr. obliquely, etc. at him, and sprinkling him with dirt.
14
And the king, and all the people with him, came away and refreshed themselves there.
15
And Abessalom and all the men of Israel went into Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him.
16
And it came to pass when Chusi the chief friend of David came to Abessalom, that Chusi
said to Abessalom, Let the king live.
17
And Abessalom said to Chusi, Is this your kindness to your friend? why went you not
forth with your friend?
18
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 I will dwell.
19
And again, whom shall I serve? should I not in the presence of his son? As I served
in the sight of your father, so will I be in your presence.
20
And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should
do.
21
And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he left
to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that you have dishonoured your father;
and the hands of all that are with you shall be strengthened.
22
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.
23
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.