Shimei Curses David

⁵ David was near the town of Bahurim when a man came out and started cursing him. The man was Shimei the son of Gera, and he was one of Saul's distant relatives. ⁶ He threw stones at David, at his soldiers, and at everyone else, including the bodyguards who walked on each side of David.

⁷ Shimei was yelling at David, “Get out of here, you murderer! You good-for-nothing, ⁸ the Lord is paying you back for killing so many in Saul's family. You stole his kingdom, but now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. You're a murderer, and that's why you're in such big trouble!”

⁹ Abishai said, “Your Majesty, this man is as useless as a dead dog! He shouldn't be allowed to curse you. Let me go over and chop off his head.”

¹⁰ David replied, “What will I ever do with you and your brother Joab? If Shimei is cursing me because the Lord has told him to, then who are you to tell him to stop?”

¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and all his soldiers:

My own son is trying to kill me! Why shouldn't this man from the tribe of Benjamin want me dead even more? Let him curse all he wants. Maybe the Lord did tell him to curse me. ¹² But if the Lord hears these curses and sees the trouble I'm in, maybe he will have pity on me instead.

¹³ David and the others went on down the road. Shimei went along the hillside by the road, cursing and throwing rocks and dirt at them.

^16 (A) Shimei^[a] the son of Gera was there with them. He had hurried from Bahurim to meet David. Shimei was from the tribe of Benjamin, and ¹⁷ 1,000 others from Benjamin had come with him.

Ziba, the chief servant of Saul's family, also came to the Jordan River. He and his 15 sons and 20 servants waded across^[b] to meet David. ¹⁸ Then they brought David's family and servants back across the river, and they did everything he wanted them to do.

Shimei Meets with David

Shimei crossed the Jordan River and bowed down in front of David. ¹⁹ He said, “Your Majesty, I beg you not to punish me! Please, forget what I did when you were leaving Jerusalem. Don't even think about it. ²⁰ I know I was wrong. That's why I wanted to be the first one from the northern tribes to meet you.”

²¹ But Abishai shouted, “You should be killed for cursing the Lord's chosen king!”

²² David said, “Abishai, what will I ever do with you and your brother Joab? Is it your job to tell me who has done wrong? I've been made king of all Israel today, and no one will be put to death!” ²³ Then David promised Shimei that he would not be killed.