1 And when David was a little past the top of the mountain, behold Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.2 And the king said to Ziba, What do you mean by these? And Ziba said, The donkeys are for the kings household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.3 And the king said, And where is your masters son? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.4 Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours. And Ziba said, I prostrate before you, that I may find favor in your eyes, my lord, O king!5 And when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came.6 And he pelted David and all the servants of King David with stones. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: Get out! Get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!8 Jehovah has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and Jehovah has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a man of blood!9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!10 But the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because Jehovah has said to him, Curse David. Who then shall say, Why have you done so?11 And David said to Abishai and all his servants, See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life; so, why not this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for thus Jehovah has commanded him.12 It may be that Jehovah will look on my affliction, and that Jehovah will repay me with good for his cursing this day.13 And as David and his men went along the way, Shimei went along the hillside across from him and cursed as he went, pelted him with stones and kicked up dust.14 And the king and all the people with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.15 Meanwhile Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel with him.16 And so it was, when Hushai the Archite, Davids friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, Long live the king! Long live the king!17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why have you not gone with your friend?18 And Hushai said to Absalom, No, but whom Jehovah and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I shall be, and with him I shall remain.19 Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve before his son? As I have served before your father, so shall I be before your face.20 And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give counsel as to what we shall do.21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your fathers concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you have become odious to your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.22 So they spread out a tent for Absalom on the housetop, and Absalom went in to his fathers concubines before the eyes of all Israel.23 Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one had inquired at the Word of God. So was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
1 And whanne Dauid hadde passid a litil the cop of the hil, Siba, the child of Mysphobosech, apperide in to his comyng, with tweyne assis, that weren chargid with twei hundrid looues, and with an hundrid bundels of dried grapis, and with an hundrid gobetis of pressid figus, and with twei vessels of wyn.2 And the kyng seide to Siba, What wolen these thingis to hem silf? And Siba answeride, My lord the kyng, the assis ben to the meyneals of the kyng, that thei sitte; the looues and `figis pressid ben to thi children to ete; forsothe the wyn is, that if ony man faile in deseert, he drynke.3 And the kyng seide, Where is the sone of thi lord? And Siba answeride to the kyng, He dwellide in Jerusalem, `and seide, To dai the Lord of the hows of Israel schal restore to me the rewme of my fadir.4 And the kyng seide to Siba, Alle thingis that weren of Mysphibosech ben thine. And Siba seide, Y preye, fynde Y grace bifor thee, my lord the kyng.5 Therfor kyng Dauid cam `til to Bahurym, and lo! a man of the meynee of the hows of Saul, Semey bi name, sone of Gera, yede out fro thennus; he yede forth goynge out, and curside.6 And he sente stoonys ayens Dauid, and ayens alle seruauntis of kyng Dauid; forsothe al the puple, and alle fiyteris yeden at the riytside and at the left side of the king.7 Sotheli Semey spak so, whanne he curside the kyng, Go out, go out, thou man of bloodis, and man of Belial!8 The Lord hath yolde to thee al the blood of the hows of Saul, for thou rauyschedist the rewme fro hym; and the Lord yaf the rewme in to the hond of Absolon, thi sone; and lo! thin yuels oppressen thee, for thou art a man of blodis.9 Forsothe Abisay, the sone of Saruye, seide to the kyng, Whi cursith this dogge, that schal die, my lord the kyng? Y schal go, and Y schal girde of his heed.10 And the kyng seide, Ye sones of Saruye, what is to me and to you? Suffre ye hym, that he curse; for the Lord comaundide to hym, that he schulde curse Dauid; and who is he that dare seie, Whi dide he so?11 And the kyng seide to Abysay, and to alle hise seruauntis, Lo! my sone, that yede out of my wombe, sekith my lijf; hou myche more now this sone of Gemyny? Suffre ye hym, that he curse bi comaundement of the Lord;12 if in hap the Lord biholde my turmentyng, and yelde good to me for this `cursyng of this dai.13 Therfor Dauid yede, and hise felowis, bi the weie with hym; forsothe Semey yede bi the slade of the hil `bi the side ayens hym; and curside, and sente stoonus ayens him, and spreynte erthe.14 And so `Dauid the king cam, and al the puple weery with hym, and thei weren refreischid there.15 Forsothe Absolon, and al the puple of Israel entriden in to Jerusalem, but also Achitofel with hym.16 Sotheli whanne Chusi of Arath, the frend of Dauid, hadde come to Absolon, he spak to Absolon, Heil, kyng! heil, kyng!17 To whom Absolon seide, This is thi grace to thi freend; whi yedist thou not with thi freend?18 And Chusi answeride to Absolon, Nay, for Y shal be seruaunt of hym, whom the Lord hath chose, and al this puple, and al Israel; and Y schal dwelle with him.19 But that Y seie also this, to whom schal Y serue? whethir not to the sone of the kyng? as Y obeiede to thi fadir, so Y schal obeie to thee.20 Forsothe Absolon seide to Achitofel, Take ye counsel, what we owen to do.21 And Achytofel seide to Absolon, Entre thou to the concubyns of thi fadir, whiche he lefte to kepe the hows; that whanne al Israel herith, that thou hast defoulid thi fadir, the hondis of hem be strengthid with thee.22 Therfor thei tildeden Absolon a tabernacle in the soler, and he entride to the concubyns of his fadir bifor al Israel.23 Sotheli the counsel of Achitofel, which he yaf in tho daies, was as if a man counselide God; so was al the counsel of Achitofel, bothe whanne he was with Dauid, and whanne he was with Absolon.