¹⁶ And ^(A)Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷ There were a thousand men of ^(B)Benjamin with him, and ^(C)Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over the Jordan before the king. ¹⁸ Then a ferryboat went across to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good.

David’s Mercy to Shimei

Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. ¹⁹ Then he said to the king, ^(D)“Do not let my lord ^[a]impute iniquity to me, or remember what ^(E)wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should ^(F)take it to heart. ²⁰ For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all ^(G)the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

²¹ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, ^(H)because he ^(I)cursed the Lord’s anointed?”

²² And David said, ^(J)“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? ^(K)Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” ²³ Therefore ^(L)the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore to him.