| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. | 1When David had gone a little beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, was waiting there for him. He had two donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 bunches of summer fruit, and a wineskin full of wine. |
| 2And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” | 2“What are these for?” the king asked Ziba. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s people to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for those who become exhausted in the wilderness.” |
| 3And the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” | 3“And where is Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson?” the king asked him. “He stayed in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied. “He said, ‘Today I will get back the kingdom of my grandfather Saul.’” |
| 4Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.” | 4“In that case,” the king told Ziba, “I give you everything Mephibosheth owns.” “I bow before you,” Ziba replied. “May I always be pleasing to you, my lord the king.” Shimei Curses David |
| 5When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. | 5As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. |
| 6And he threw 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. | 6He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. |
| 7And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! | 7“Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. |
| 8The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.” | 8“The LORD is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the LORD has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!” |
| 9Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” | 9“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!” |
| 10But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” | 10“No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the LORD has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?” |
| 11And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. | 11Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to do it. |
| 12It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today.” | 12And perhaps the LORD will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” |
| 13So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. | 13So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David. |
| 14And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself. | 14The king and all who were with him grew weary along the way, so they rested when they reached the Jordan River. Ahithophel Advises Absalom |
| 15Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. | 15Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel. |
| 16And when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” | 16When David’s friend Hushai the Arkite arrived, he went immediately to see Absalom. “Long live the king!” he exclaimed. “Long live the king!” |
| 17And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” | 17“Is this the way you treat your friend David?” Absalom asked him. “Why aren’t you with him?” |
| 18And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, for whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. | 18“I’m here because I belong to the man who is chosen by the LORD and by all the men of Israel,” Hushai replied. |
| 19And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you.” | 19“And anyway, why shouldn’t I serve you? Just as I was your father’s adviser, now I will be your adviser!” |
| 20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel. What shall we do?” | 20Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, “What should I do next?” |
| 21Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” | 21Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.” |
| 22So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. | 22So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines. |
| 23Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom. | 23Absalom followed Ahithophel’s advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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