16:1 And when David was a little past the top [of the hill], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred [loaves] of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine:

16:2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses [be] for the king' s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink:

16:3 And the king said, And where [is] thy master' s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father:

16:4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine [are] all that [pertained] unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee [that] I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king:

16:5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came:

16:6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men [were] on his right hand and on his left:

16:7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

16:8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief, because thou [art] a bloody man:

16:9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head:

16:10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so:

16:11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now [may this] Benjamite [do it]? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him:

16:12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day:

16:13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill' s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust:

16:14 And the king, and all the people that [were] with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there:

16:15 And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him:

16:16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David' s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king:

16:17 And Absalom said to Hushai, [Is] this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend:

16:18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide:

16:19 And again, whom should I serve? [should I] not [serve] in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father' s presence, so will I be in thy presence:

16:20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do:

16:21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father' s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that [are] with thee be strong:

16:22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father' s concubines in the sight of all Israel:

16:23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, [was] as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so [was] all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom: