And whenDavid was a littlepast the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of assessaddled, and uponthem two hundredloaves of bread, and an hundredbunches of raisins, and an hundred of summerfruits, and a bottle of wine.
And the kingsaiduntoZiba, Whatmeanestthou by these? And Zibasaid, The asses be for the king’shousehold to ride on; and the bread and summerfruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, thatsuch as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
And the kingsaid, And where is thy master’s son? And Zibasaidunto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israelrestore me the kingdom of my father.
Thensaid the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all thatpertaineduntoMephibosheth. And Zibasaid, I humblybeseechtheethat I may findgrace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
And whenkingDavidcame to Bahurim, behold, thencecame out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whosename was Shimei, the son of Gera: he cameforth, and cursedstill as he came.
The LORDhathreturneduponthee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whosesteadthouhastreigned; and the LORDhathdelivered the kingdominto the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, becausethou art a bloody man.
And the kingsaid, Whathave I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORDhathsaidunto him, CurseDavid. Who shallthen say, Whereforehastthoudone so?
And Davidsaid to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, whichcameforth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how muchmore now may thisBenjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORDhathbidden him.
And as David and his men went by the way, Shimeiwentalong on the hill’ssideoveragainst him, and cursed as he went, and threwstones at him, and castdust.
And AhithophelsaiduntoAbsalom, Go in unto thy father’sconcubines, which he hathleft to keep the house; and all Israelshallhearthatthou art abhorred of thy father: thenshall the hands of all that are withthee be strong.
And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in thosedays, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of AhithophelbothwithDavid and withAbsalom.