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 asses saddled and upon them two hundred [loaves] of bread and one hundred bunches of raisins and one 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 servants to eat, and the wine that those that become weary 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 abides at Jerusalem, for he said, Today shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

⁴ Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, thine [are] all that [pertained] unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba bowed down and said, Let me find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

⁵ And when King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of the house of Saul came forth, whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera; he came forth cursing

⁶ and casting 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, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial;

⁸ the LORD has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom, thy son; and, behold, thou [art taken] in thy evil because thou [art] a bloody man.

⁹ Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said 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? So let him curse, because the LORD has said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Why hast thou done so?

¹¹ And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth of my bowels, seeks my life; how much more now a son of Jemini? Let him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has bidden him.

¹² It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

¹³ And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the side of the mountain 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 arrived weary and refreshed themselves 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 special companion, came unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, [Long] live the king, [Long] live the king.

¹⁷ And Absalom said to Hushai, [Is] this thy mercy to thy friend? Why didst thou not go with thy friend?

¹⁸ And Hushai said unto Absalom, No, but whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel choose, 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 Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

²¹ And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; then the hands of all that [are] with thee shall 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 counseled in those days, [was] as if a man had enquired at the word of God: so [was] all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.: