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16 Cuando David pasó un poco más allá de la cumbre del monte, he aquí Sibá el criado de Mefi-bóset, que salía a recibirle con un par de asnos enalbardados, y sobre ellos doscientos panes, cien racimos de pasas, cien panes de higos secos, y un odre de vino.

Y dijo el rey a Sibá: ¿Qué es esto? Y Sibá respondió: Los asnos son para que monte la familia del rey, los panes y las pasas para que coman los criados, y el vino para que beban los que se cansen en el desierto.

Y dijo el rey: ¿Dónde está el hijo de tu señor? Y Sibá respondió al rey: He aquí él se ha quedado en Jerusalén, porque ha dicho: Hoy me devolverá la casa de Israel el reino de mi padre.

Entonces el rey dijo a Sibá: He aquí, sea tuyo todo lo que tiene Mefi-bóset. Y respondió Sibá inclinándose: Rey señor mío, halle yo gracia delante de ti.

Y cuando el rey David llegó a Bahurim, salió de allí un hombre de la familia de la casa de Saúl, el cual se llamaba Simeí hijo de Gerá; y salía maldiciendo,

y arrojando piedras contra David, y contra todos los siervos del rey David; y todo el pueblo y todos los hombres valientes estaban a su derecha y a su izquierda.

Y decía Simeí, maldiciéndole: ¡Fuera, fuera, hombre sanguinario y perverso!

Jehová te ha dado el pago de toda la sangre de la casa de Saúl, en lugar del cual tú has reinado, y Jehová ha entregado el reino en mano de tu hijo Absalón; y hete aquí sorprendido en tu maldad, porque eres hombre sanguinario.

Entonces Abisay hijo de Sarvia dijo al rey: ¿Por qué maldice este perro muerto a mi señor el rey? Te ruego que me dejes pasar, y le quitaré la cabeza.

10 Y el rey respondió: ¿Qué tengo yo con vosotros, hijos de Sarvia? Déjale que maldiga, pues si Jehová le ha dicho que maldiga a David, ¿quién le puede decir: Por qué haces esto?

11 Y añadió David a Abisay y a todos sus siervos: He aquí, mi hijo que ha salido de mis entrañas, acecha mi vida; ¿cuánto más ahora un hijo de Benjamín? Dejadle que maldiga, pues Jehová se lo ha dicho.

12 Quizá mirará Jehová mi aflicción, y me dará Jehová bien por sus maldiciones de hoy.

13 Y mientras David y los suyos iban por el camino, Simeí iba por el lado del monte delante de él, andando y maldiciendo, y arrojando piedras delante de él, y esparciendo polvo.

14 Y el rey y todo el pueblo que con él estaba, llegaron fatigados, y descansaron allí.

15 Y Absalón y toda la gente suya, los hombres de Israel, entraron en Jerusalén, y con él Ahitófel.

16 Aconteció luego, que cuando Husay arquita, amigo de David, vino al encuentro de Absalón, dijo Husay: ¡Viva el rey, viva el rey!

17 Y Absalón dijo a Husay: ¿Es éste tu agradecimiento para con tu amigo? ¿Por qué no fuiste con tu amigo?

18 Y Husay respondió a Absalón: No, sino que de aquel que elija Jehová y este pueblo y todos los varones de Israel, de aquél seré yo, y con él me quedaré.

19 ¿Y a quién había yo de servir? ¿No es a su hijo? Como he servido delante de tu padre, así seré delante de ti.

20 Entonces dijo Absalón a Ahitófel: Dad vuestro consejo sobre lo que debemos hacer.

21 Y Ahitófel dijo a Absalón: Llégate a las concubinas de tu padre, que él dejó para guardar la casa; y todo el pueblo de Israel oirá que te has hecho aborrecible a tu padre, y así se fortalecerán las manos de todos los que están contigo.

22 Entonces pusieron para Absalón una tienda sobre el terrado, y se llegó Absalón a las concubinas de su padre, ante los ojos de todo Israel.

23 Y el consejo que daba Ahitófel en aquellos días, era como si se consultase la palabra de Dios. Así era todo consejo de Ahitófel, tanto con David como con Absalón.

David and Ziba

16 When David had passed a short distance beyond the summit, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met him with a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred figs,[a] and a jar of wine.

“What is all this for?” the king asked Ziba.

“The donkeys are for the royal family to ride,” Ziba explained. “The bread and summer fruit are for the young people to eat, and the wine is for those who get exhausted in the wilderness.”

“Where is your master’s grandson?” the king asked.

“He is still in Jerusalem,” Ziba answered the king, “because he thinks that the Israelites are now going to give his grandfather’s kingdom back to him.”

“Look here,” the king said to Ziba. “Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you.”

Ziba said, “I bow out of respect! Please think well of me, my master and king.”

Shimei curses David

When King David came to Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei; he was Gera’s son. He was cursing as he came out. He threw rocks at David and at all of King David’s servants, even though the entire army and all the warriors were on either side of him.

This is what Shimei said as he cursed David: “Get out of here! Get out of here! You are a murderer! You are despicable! The Lord has paid you back for all the blood of Saul’s family, in whose place you rule, and the Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You are in this trouble because you are a murderer!”

Zeruiah’s son Abishai said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my master the king? Let me go over and cut his head off!”

10 But the king said, “My problems aren’t yours, you sons of Zeruiah. If he is cursing because the Lord told him to curse David, then who is to question, ‘Why are you doing this?’”

11 Then David addressed Abishai and all his servants: “Listen! My own son, one of my very own children, wants me dead. This Benjaminite can only feel the same—only more! Leave him alone. And let him curse, because the Lord told him to. 12 Perhaps the Lord will see my distress; perhaps the Lord will repay me with good for this cursing today.”

13 So David and his men kept walking, while Shimei went along on the hillside next to him, cursing as he went, throwing rocks and dirt at him. 14 The king and all the people who were with him reached the Jordan River[b] exhausted, and he rested there.

Ahithophel’s advice

15 Now Absalom and all the Israelites entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 Then David’s friend Hushai, who was from Erek, approached Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

17 But Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this how you show loyal love to your friend? Why didn’t you go with him?”

18 “No,” Hushai replied to Absalom, “I will belong to the one chosen by the Lord, by this people, and by all Israel, and I will stay with him. 19 What’s more, whom should I serve if not David’s son? I served your father, and so I will serve you in the same way.”

20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice then. What should we do?”

21 “Have sex with your father’s secondary wives—the ones he left to take care of the palace,” Ahithophel told Absalom. “Then all Israel will hear that you have alienated yourself from your father, and everyone who supports you will be encouraged.”

22 So they set up a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he had sex with his father’s secondary wives in plain sight before all Israel. (23 Now in those days, the advice Ahithophel gave was like asking for a word from God. That’s why Ahithophel’s advice was valued by both David and Absalom.)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 16:1 Or summer fruit
  2. 2 Samuel 16:14 LXX; MT lacks the Jordan River.

16 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.