2 Samuel 19:16-23

Living Bible

¹⁶ Then Shimei (the son of Gera the Benjaminite), the man from Bahurim, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David. ¹⁷ A thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the servant of Saul, and Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants; they rushed down to the Jordan to arrive ahead of the king. ¹⁸ They all worked hard ferrying the king’s household and troops across, and helped them in every way they could.

As the king was crossing, Shimei fell down before him, ¹⁹ and pleaded, “My lord the king, please forgive me and forget the terrible thing I did when you left Jerusalem; ²⁰ for I know very well how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all the tribe of Joseph to greet you.”

²¹ Abishai asked, “Shall not Shimei die, for he cursed the Lord’s chosen king!”

²² “Don’t talk to me like that!” David exclaimed. “This is not a day for execution but for celebration! I am once more king of Israel!”

²³ Then, turning to Shimei, he vowed, “Your life is spared.”