2 Samuel 16
Names of God Bible
16 When David had gone over the top of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met him with a pair of saddled donkeys. They were loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 pieces of ripened fruit, and a full wineskin.
2 “Why did you bring these?” David asked Ziba.
“The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on,” Ziba answered. “The bread and the ripe fruit are for your servants to eat. The wine is for those who become tired and thirsty in the desert.”
3 “Where is your master Saul’s grandson?” the king asked.
“He’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba answered the king. “He said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’”
4 The king told Ziba, “In that case everything that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you.”
“I sincerely thank you,” said Ziba. “I hope to remain in your good graces, Your Majesty.”
5 When King David came to Bahurim, a man who was a distant cousin of Saul came out cursing. His name was Shimei, son of Gera. 6 He threw stones at David and David’s servants, although all the people and all the warriors were shielding David. 7 Shimei cursed and said, “Get out! Get out, you bloodthirsty man! You worthless person! 8 Yahweh is paying you back for all the blood you spilled in the family of Saul, whom you succeeded as king. Yahweh is giving the kingship to your son Absalom. Now you’re in trouble because you’re a bloodthirsty man.”
9 Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, asked the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, Your Majesty? Let me go over there and tear off his head.”
10 But the king said, “You don’t think like me at all, sons of Zeruiah. Let him curse. If Yahweh has told him, ‘Curse David,’ should anyone ask, ‘Why do you do that?’” 11 David told Abishai and all his servants, “My own son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. Why, then, shouldn’t this Benjaminite do this? Leave him alone. Let him curse, since Yahweh has told him to do it. 12 Maybe Yahweh will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.”
13 As David and his men went along the road, Shimei was walking along the hillside parallel to him. Shimei cursed, hurled stones, and threw dirt at David. 14 The king and all the people with him finally arrived at their destination and rested there.
Absalom Enters Jerusalem
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all Israel’s troops came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When David’s friend Hushai from Archi’s family came to Absalom, he said, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 “Is that how loyal you are to your friend?” Absalom asked Hushai. “Why didn’t you go with him?”
18 Hushai answered Absalom, “No, I want to be with the one whom Yahweh, these people, and all Israel have chosen. I will be his friend and stay with him. 19 And besides, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t it be his son? As I served your father, so I’ll serve you.”
20 Then Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What’s your advice? What should we do?”
21 Ahithophel told Absalom, “Sleep with your father’s concubines[a] whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear about how you have made your father despise you. Everyone who is with you will support you even more.”
22 So a tent was put up on the roof for Absalom, and he slept with his father’s concubines in plain sight of Israel.
23 In those days both David and Absalom thought that Ahithophel’s advice was like getting an answer from Elohim.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 16:21 A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer rights under the law.
2 Samuel 16
Lexham English Bible
Ziba Brings Provisions
16 Now David passed a little from beyond the summit, and suddenly Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him with a pair of saddled donkeys; on them were two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred raisin cakes, with a hundred summer fruits and a skin of wine. 2 The king said to Ziba, “What do you want to accomplish by bringing these?”[a] And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; the bread and the summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for the faint in the wilderness to drink. 3 Then the king said, “Where is the son of your lord?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is living in Jerusalem for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel shall return the kingdom of my father to me.’” 4 The king said to Ziba, “Look, all that was Mephibosheth’s is yours.” Ziba said, “I hereby do obeisance; may I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
Shimei Curses David
5 King David came up to Bahurim and suddenly a man from there was coming out from the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Shimei the son of Gera. He was cursing as he came out.[b] 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David and at all the people and at all the mighty warriors on his right and on his left. 7 Shimei said while cursing him, “Go out, go out, you man of bloodshed,[c] you man of wickedness.[d] 8 Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the household of Saul whom you have supplanted as king,[e] and Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you are in disaster for you are a man of blood.” 9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.” 10 The king said, “What do we have in common,[f] sons of Zeruiah? If[g] he curses because Yahweh has said to him ‘Curse David,’ who can say, “Why have you done this?” 11 David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Look, my son who came out of my loins[h] is seeking my life. Now as far as[i] this Benjaminite, leave him alone and let him curse, for Yahweh has spoken to him. 12 Perhaps Yahweh will look in my eye[j] and repay good for me in place of his curse this day. 13 Then David and his men went on the road, with Shimei going on the side of the hill beside him, cursing as he went.[k] He threw stones beside him and threw[l] dust in the air. 14 When the king and all of the people who were with him arrived, he was weary, so he recovered there.
Hushai Comes to Absalom
15 Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When Hushai the Arkite the friend of David came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king, long live the king!” 17 Absalom said to Hushai, “This is your loyal love with your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No, rather, whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, to him[m] I will be, and with him I will remain. 19 Furthermore,[n] for whom have I served? Is it not in the presence of his son that I have served before your father? So shall I serve you!”[o] 20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” 21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go to the concubines of your father whom he left behind to watch over the house, then all of Israel will hear that you made yourself odious to your father, and all of your followers will be motivated!”[p] 22 Then they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he went in to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel. 23 The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was regarded as when a man[q] inquired of the word of God, so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 16:2 Literally “What are these to you?”
- 2 Samuel 16:5 Literally “He was coming out, coming out and cursing”
- 2 Samuel 16:7 Literally “man of bloods”
- 2 Samuel 16:7 Literally “and man of the wickedness”
- 2 Samuel 16:8 Literally “who you have reigned in place of him”
- 2 Samuel 16:10 Literally “What is for me and what is for you”
- 2 Samuel 16:10 Hebrew “Because”
- 2 Samuel 16:11 Hebrew “intestines”
- 2 Samuel 16:11 Literally “and even that now”
- 2 Samuel 16:12 According to the reading tradition (Qere); Kethib has “at my guilt”
- 2 Samuel 16:13 Literally “going and cursing”
- 2 Samuel 16:13 Hebrew “flung”
- 2 Samuel 16:18 According to the reading tradition (Qere); Kethib has “no”
- 2 Samuel 16:19 Literally “And the second thing”
- 2 Samuel 16:19 Literally “So shall I be in your presence”
- 2 Samuel 16:21 Literally “the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened”
- 2 Samuel 16:23 Qere reads “a man inquired”; Kethib omits “a man”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
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