2 Samuel

And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

1David walked a little past the top of the hill. There he met Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth. Ziba had two donkeys with saddles on them. The donkeys carried 200 loaves of bread and 100 bunches of raisins. They also carried 100 pieces of summer fruit and a skin bag of wine.

2And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be 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 be faint in the wilderness may drink.

2The king asked Ziba, "Why did you bring all this?" Ziba said, "The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for anyone who gets tired out in the desert."

3And 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 shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

3The king asked, "Where is Mephibosheth, your master's grandson?" Ziba said, "He stayed in Jerusalem. He said, 'Today the people of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.'"

NoteThe KJV says "thy master's son," but Mephibosheth was Saul's grandson. In old English, "son" could mean any child or grandchild in a family line.

4Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

4The king said to Ziba, "Then everything Mephibosheth owned is yours now." Ziba bowed low. He said, "I hope you are always pleased with me, my lord the king."

5And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.

5King David came near a town called Bahurim. A man from Saul's family came out to meet him. His name was Shimei, son of Gera. He kept cursing David as he came, shouting for bad things to happen to him.

6And 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.

6He threw stones at David and at all of David's servants. The soldiers and the strong fighters walked on David's right side and his left side.

7And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

7This is what Shimei shouted as he cursed. "Get out, get out, you killer! You are a worthless man!"

Note"Man of Belial" is an old phrase. It means a worthless or wicked man.

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

8"The LORD is paying you back for the blood of Saul's family. You became king in Saul's place. Now the LORD has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. You are caught in your own trouble, because you are a killer."

9Then 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.

9Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, spoke to the king. "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over there and cut off his head."

10And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

10The king said, "This is not your business, you sons of Zeruiah. Let him curse me. The LORD told him to curse David. So who can ask why he did it?"

11And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.

11David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Look. My own son wants to kill me. So of course this man from Benjamin's family wants to hurt me too. Leave him alone. Let him curse. The LORD told him to."

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

12"Maybe the LORD will see how much I am hurting. Maybe he will give me good things because of the cursing I get today."

13And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

13So David and his men kept walking down the road. Shimei walked along the side of the hill across from them. As he went, he cursed, threw stones, and threw dirt at David.

14And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

14The king and all the people with him were worn out when they arrived. They rested there and felt better.

15And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

15Absalom and all the men of Israel came into Jerusalem. Ahithophel, who gave advice, came with him.

16And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.

16Hushai the Archite was David's friend. He came to Absalom and said, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"

Note"God save the king" was the old way of saying "Long live the king!" It was a cheer, not a prayer for rescue.

17And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?

17Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this how you treat your friend David? Why did you not go with him?"

18And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

18Hushai said to Absalom, "No. I belong to the man the LORD chooses. I belong to the man Israel chooses. I will stay with him."

19And 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.

19"Besides, who else should I serve? Should I not serve the king's son? I helped your father. Now I will help you the same way."

20Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Tell me what you think. What should we do?"

21And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

21Ahithophel said, "Your father left some of his wives here to take care of the palace. Go and sleep with them. Then all Israel will hear that your father hates you now. That will make your men brave and ready to fight."

NoteThese wives are called concubines. They were wives with a lower place in the family than the king's main wives.

22So 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.

22So they put up a tent for Absalom on the flat roof of the palace. Absalom went in and slept with his father's wives. All Israel could see it.

23And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

23In those days people trusted the advice of Ahithophel like words from God. Both David and Absalom felt that way about his advice.