2 Samuel 19:16-23

Evangelical Heritage Version

¹⁶ Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷ One thousand men from Benjamin were with him. Also, Ziba, the manager of the house of Saul, came, along with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king. ¹⁸ They crossed over the ford to escort the household of the king across and to make a good impression on the king.

Shimei son of Gera bowed down before the king when he was crossing over the Jordan. ¹⁹ He spoke to the king: “My lord, do not consider me guilty. Do not remember the wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, and do not take it to heart, ²⁰ for I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Look! I have come today, the first one from the whole house of Joseph to come down to welcome my lord the king.”

²¹ Abishai son of Zeruiah answered, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death because he cursed the anointed of the Lord?”

²² But David said, “What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? For today you are my adversaries. Should any man in Israel be put to death today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” ²³ The king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” The king took an oath concerning him.