When Dawud1 was a little past the top of the ascent, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
2The king said to Ziba, “What do you mean by all this?”
Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat; and the wine, that those who grow faint in the wilderness may drink.”
3The king said, “Where is your master’s son?”
Ziba said to the king, “He is waiting at Jerusalem; for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my father.'”
4Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that pertains to Mephibosheth is yours.”
Ziba said, “I humbly bow; let me find favour in your sight, my lord, O king.”
5When King Dawud came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Talut2 came out, whose name was Shimei son of Gera. He came out, and cursed continuously as he came. 6He cast stones at Dawud, and at all the servants of king Dawud: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7Thus Shimei said when he cursed, “Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and good-for-nothing! 8YAHWEH3 has returned on you all the blood of the house of Talut, in whose place you have reigned; and YAHWEH has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son; and, behold, you are taken in your own mischief, because you are a man of blood!”
9Then Abishai 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.” 10The king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because YAHWEH has said to him, ‘Curse Dawud;’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?'”
11Dawud said to Abishai, and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeks my life: how much more may this Binyamite now do it? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for YAHWEH has invited him. 12It may be that YAHWEH will look on the wrong done to me, and that YAHWEH will repay me good for his cursing of me this day.” 13So Dawud and his men went along the road; and Shimei went along on the hill-side opposite him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. 14The king and all the people who were with him, became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.
15Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16It happened, when Hushai the Archite, Dawud’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”
18Hushai said to Absalom, “No; but whom YAHWEH, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I remain. 19Again, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so will I be in your presence.”
20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel on what we shall do.”
21Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, that he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father: then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.”
22So they spread Absalom a tent on the top of the house; and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man asked for a word from God4: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with Dawud and with Absalom.
- 16:1 Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎
- 16:5 Talut, the Quranic Arabic version of the name of the first king of Israel. The Hebrew text reads Saul or Shaul. ↩︎
- 16:8 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 16:23 God, in Hebrew elohim, which is related to the Arabic allah. Both words translate correctly as “God,” referring to the one true God. ↩︎