1 And when David was a little past the top of the ascent, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses are 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 are faint in the wilderness may drink. 3 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 will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, O king.

5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and cursed still as he came. 6 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. 7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow: 8 Jehovah hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and Jehovah hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; and, behold, thou art taken in thine own mischief, because thou art a man of blood.

9 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? Because he curseth, and because Jehovah hath said unto him, Curse David; who then shall say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more may this Benjamite now do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for Jehovah hath bidden him. 12 It may be that Jehovah will look on the wrong done unto me, and that Jehovah will requite me good for his cursing of me this day. 13 So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-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 he refreshed himself 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, Long live the king, Long live 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 Jehovah, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, 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 your counsel what we shall do. 21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then will 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 gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

1 Dovydui paėjus kiek toliau nuo kalno viršūnės, jį sutiko Mefi Bošeto tarnas Ciba su pora asilų, apkrautų dviem šimtais duonos kepalų, šimtu ryšulių džiovintų vynuogių, šimtu ryšulių vasaros vaisių ir odine vyno.

2 Karalius klausė Cibą: "Kam tau visa tai?" Ciba atsakė: "Asilai­ karaliaus namiškiams joti, duona ir vaisiai­jaunuoliams valgyti, o vynas­nusilpusiems dykumoje atgaivinti".

3 Karalius klausė: "Kur yra tavo valdovo sūnus?" Ciba atsakė karaliui: "Jis pasiliko Jeruzalėje, sakydamas: ‘Šiandien Izraelis man sugrąžins mano tėvo karalystę’ ".

4 Karalius tarė Cibai: "Kas buvo Mefi Bošeto, dabar priklauso tau". Ciba atsakė: "Nuolankiai maldauju tave, mano valdove karaliau, leisk man surasti malonę tavo akyse".

5 Karaliui Dovydui atvykus į Bahurimą, Sauliaus giminės vyras Šimis, Geros sūnus, išėjo ir keikė eidamas.

6 Jis mėtė akmenimis Dovydą bei visus jo tarnus; karalius buvo apsuptas žmonių ir karių.

7 Šimis keikdamas sakė: "Išeik, išeik, tu kraugery, Belialo žmogau.

8 Viešpats atmokėjo tau už visą Sauliaus namų kraują, kurio vietoje tu pasidarei karaliumi. Viešpats atidavė karalystę tavo sūnui Abšalomui. Dabar tu patekai nemalonėn, nes esi kraugerys".

9 Cerujos sūnus Abišajas paklausė karaliaus: "Kodėl šitas pastipęs šuo keikia mano valdovą karalių? Leisk man nueiti ir nuimti jam galvą".

10 Karalius atsakė: "Kas man ir jums, Cerujos sūnūs! Jis keikia, kadangi Viešpats jam liepė: ‘Keik Dovydą!’ Kas gali klausti: ‘Kodėl taip darai?’ "

11 Dovydas kalbėjo Abišajui ir visiems tarnams: "Štai mano paties sūnus ieško mano gyvybės. Tuo labiau šis benjaminas. Palikite jį ramybėje, tegul jis keikia, nes jam taip liepė Viešpats.

12 Gal Viešpats pažvelgs į mano sielvartą ir man atmokės geru už jo šiandieninius keiksmus".

13 Dovydas ėjo keliu su savo vyrais, o Šimis­kalno šlaitu šalia jo keikdamas, mėtydamas akmenimis ir barstydamas dulkes.

14 Pagaliau karalius ir visi jo žmonės pavargo ir ten ilsėjosi.

15 Abšalomas su visais žmonėmis atėjo į Jeruzalę; Achitofelis buvo su juo.

16 Arkietis Hušajas, Dovydo draugas, atėjęs pas Abšalomą, tarė: "Tegyvuoja karalius! Tegyvuoja karalius!"

17 Abšalomas paklausė jo: "Ar toks tavo dėkingumas draugui? Kodėl nėjai su savo draugu?"

18 Hušajas atsakė Abšalomui: "Aš priklausau tam, kurį išrinko Viešpats, Izraelio vyrai ir šitie žmonės.

19 Kam gi aš galėčiau tarnauti, jei ne jo sūnui. Kaip tarnavau tavo tėvui, taip noriu tarnauti tau".

20 Abšalomas tarė Ahitofeliui: "Patark, ką mums daryti?"

21 Ahitofelis tarė Abšalomui: "Įeik pas savo tėvo suguloves, kurias jis paliko namų saugoti. Kai izraelitai sužinos, kad tapai pasibjaurėtinas savo tėvui, visų tavo šalininkų rankos sustiprės".

22 Jie pastatė Abšalomui palapinę ant stogo, o jis, visiems izraelitams matant, įėjo pas savo tėvo suguloves.

23 Tais laikais Ahitofelio patarimas būdavo labai vertinamas, lyg jį duotų pats Dievas. Jo patarimų klausė Dovydas ir Abšalomas.