II Samuel 16

וְדָוִ֗ד עָבַ֤ר מְעַט֙ מֵֽהָרֹ֔אשׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה צִיבָ֛א נַ֥עַר מְפִיבֹ֖שֶׁת לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וְצֶ֨מֶד חֲמֹרִ֜ים חֲבֻשִׁ֗ים וַעֲלֵיהֶם֩ מָאתַ֨יִם לֶ֜חֶם וּמֵאָ֧ה צִמּוּקִ֛ים וּמֵ֥אָה קַ֖יִץ וְנֵ֥בֶל יָֽיִן׃

David had passed a little beyond the summit when Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth came toward him with a pair of saddled donkeys carrying two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred cakes of raisin, one hundred cakes of figs, and a jar of wine.

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־צִיבָ֖א מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר צִ֠יבָ֠א הַחֲמוֹרִ֨ים לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לִרְכֹּ֗ב (ולהלחם) [וְהַלֶּ֤חֶם] וְהַקַּ֙יִץ֙ לֶאֱכ֣וֹל הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וְהַיַּ֕יִן לִשְׁתּ֥וֹת הַיָּעֵ֖ף בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

The king asked Ziba, “What are you doing with these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for Your Majesty’s family to ride on, the bread and figs are for the attendants to eat, and the wine is to be drunk by any who are exhausted in the wilderness.”

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאַיֵּ֖ה בֶּן־אֲדֹנֶ֑יךָ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר צִיבָ֜א אֶל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ הִנֵּה֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בִּירוּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר הַיּ֗וֹם יָשִׁ֤יבוּ לִי֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת מַמְלְכ֥וּת אָבִֽי׃

“And where is your master’s son?” the king asked. “He is staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied to the king, “for he thinks that the House of Israel will now give him back the throne of his grandfather.”

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ לְצִבָ֔א הִנֵּ֣ה לְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִמְפִיבֹ֑שֶׁת וַיֹּ֤אמֶר צִיבָא֙ הִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֔יתִי אֶמְצָא־חֵ֥ן בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ אֲדֹנִ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

The king said to Ziba, “Then all that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” And Ziba replied, “I bow low. Your Majesty is most gracious to me.”

וּבָ֛א הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ דָּוִ֖ד עַד־בַּחוּרִ֑ים וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִשָּׁם֩ אִ֨ישׁ יוֹצֵ֜א מִמִּשְׁפַּ֣חַת בֵּית־שָׁא֗וּל וּשְׁמוֹ֙ שִׁמְעִ֣י בֶן־גֵּרָ֔א יֹצֵ֥א יָצ֖וֹא וּמְקַלֵּֽל׃

As King David was approaching Bahurim, a member of Saul’s clan—a man named Shimei son of Gera—came out from there, hurling insults as he came.

וַיְסַקֵּ֤ל בָּֽאֲבָנִים֙ אֶת־דָּוִ֔ד וְאֶת־כׇּל־עַבְדֵ֖י הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֑ד וְכׇל־הָעָם֙ וְכׇל־הַגִּבֹּרִ֔ים מִימִינ֖וֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃

He threw stones at David and all King David’s courtiers, while all the troops and all the warriors were at his right and his left.

וְכֹה־אָמַ֥ר שִׁמְעִ֖י בְּקַֽלְל֑וֹ צֵ֥א צֵ֛א אִ֥ישׁ הַדָּמִ֖ים וְאִ֥ישׁ הַבְּלִיָּֽעַל׃

And these are the insults that Shimei hurled: “Get out, get out, you criminal, you villain!

הֵשִׁיב֩ עָלֶ֨יךָ יְהֹוָ֜ה כֹּ֣ל׀ דְּמֵ֣י בֵית־שָׁא֗וּל אֲשֶׁ֤ר מָלַ֙כְתָּ֙ תַּחְתָּ֔ו וַיִּתֵּ֤ן יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה בְּיַ֖ד אַבְשָׁל֣וֹם בְּנֶ֑ךָ וְהִנְּךָ֙ בְּרָ֣עָתֶ֔ךָ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ דָּמִ֖ים אָֽתָּה׃

G OD is paying you back for all your crimes against the family of Saul, whose throne you seized. G OD is handing over the throne to your son Absalom; you are in trouble because you are a criminal!”

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲבִישַׁ֤י בֶּן־צְרוּיָה֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לָ֣מָּה יְקַלֵּ֞ל הַכֶּ֤לֶב הַמֵּת֙ הַזֶּ֔ה אֶת־אֲדֹנִ֖י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֖א וְאָסִ֥ירָה אֶת־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ {ס}

Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why let that dead dog abuse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ מַה־לִּ֥י וְלָכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י צְרֻיָ֑ה (כי) [כֹּ֣ה] יְקַלֵּ֗ל (וכי) [כִּ֤י] יְהֹוָה֙ אָ֤מַר לוֹ֙ קַלֵּ֣ל אֶת־דָּוִ֔ד וּמִ֣י יֹאמַ֔ר מַדּ֖וּעַ עָשִׂ֥יתָה כֵּֽן׃ {ס}

But the king said, “What has this to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? He is abusing [me] only because G OD told him to abuse David; and who is to say, ‘Why did You do that?’”

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֤ד אֶל־אֲבִישַׁי֙ וְאֶל־כׇּל־עֲבָדָ֔יו הִנֵּ֥ה בְנִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־יָצָ֥א מִמֵּעַ֖י מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֑י וְאַ֨ף כִּֽי־עַתָּ֜ה בֶּן־הַיְמִינִ֗י הַנִּ֤חוּ לוֹ֙ וִֽיקַלֵּ֔ל כִּ֥י אָמַר־ל֖וֹ יְהֹוָֽה׃

David said further to Abishai and all the courtiers, “If my son, my own issue, seeks to kill me, how much more the Benjaminite! Let him go on hurling abuse, for G OD has told him to.

אוּלַ֛י יִרְאֶ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה (בעוני) [בְּעֵינִ֑י] וְהֵשִׁ֨יב יְהֹוָ֥ה לִי֙ טוֹבָ֔ה תַּ֥חַת קִלְלָת֖וֹ הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

Perhaps G OD will look upon my punishment; qere “eye.” Ancient versions read “suffering.” and recompense me for the abuse [Shimei] has uttered today.”

וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ דָּוִ֛ד וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ {ס} וְשִׁמְעִ֡י הֹלֵךְ֩ בְּצֵ֨לַע הָהָ֜ר לְעֻמָּת֗וֹ הָלוֹךְ֙ וַיְקַלֵּ֔ל וַיְסַקֵּ֤ל בָּאֲבָנִים֙ לְעֻמָּת֔וֹ וְעִפַּ֖ר בֶּעָפָֽר׃ {פ}

David and his men continued on their way, while Shimei walked alongside on the slope of the hill, insulting him as he walked, and throwing stones at him and flinging dirt.

וַיָּבֹ֥א הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וְכׇל־הָעָ֥ם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֖וֹ עֲיֵפִ֑ים וַיִּנָּפֵ֖שׁ שָֽׁם׃

The king and all who accompanied him arrived exhausted, and he rested there.

וְאַבְשָׁל֗וֹם וְכׇל־הָעָם֙ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּ֖אוּ יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וַאֲחִיתֹ֖פֶל אִתּֽוֹ׃

Meanwhile Absalom and all the troops, Israel’s force, arrived in Jerusalem, together with Ahithophel.

וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֞א חוּשַׁ֧י הָאַרְכִּ֛י רֵעֶ֥ה דָוִ֖ד אֶל־אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר חוּשַׁי֙ אֶל־אַבְשָׁל֔וֹם יְחִ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ יְחִ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came before Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙ אֶל־חוּשַׁ֔י זֶ֥ה חַסְדְּךָ֖ אֶת־רֵעֶ֑ךָ לָ֥מָּה לֹא־הָלַ֖כְתָּ אֶת־רֵעֶֽךָ׃

But Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חוּשַׁי֮ אֶל־אַבְשָׁלֹם֒ לֹ֕א כִּי֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּחַ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה וְהָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה וְכׇל־אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (לא) [ל֥וֹ] אֶהְיֶ֖ה וְאִתּ֥וֹ אֵשֵֽׁב׃

“Not at all!” Hushai replied. “I am for the one whom G OD and these troops and all the rest of Israel’s force has chosen, and I will stay with him.

וְהַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְמִי֙ אֲנִ֣י אֶעֱבֹ֔ד הֲל֖וֹא לִפְנֵ֣י בְנ֑וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָבַ֙דְתִּי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אָבִ֔יךָ כֵּ֖ן אֶהְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃ {פ}

Furthermore, whom should I serve, if not David’s son? As I was in your father’s service, so I will be in yours.”

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַבְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־אֲחִיתֹ֑פֶל הָב֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם עֵצָ֖ה מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

Absalom then said to Ahithophel, “What do you advise us to do?”

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲחִיתֹ֙פֶל֙ אֶל־אַבְשָׁלֹ֔ם בּ֚וֹא אֶל־פִּֽלַגְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִנִּ֖יחַ לִשְׁמ֣וֹר הַבָּ֑יִת וְשָׁמַ֤ע כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כִּֽי־נִבְאַ֣שְׁתָּ אֶת־אָבִ֔יךָ וְחָ֣זְק֔וּ יְדֵ֖י כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתָּֽךְ׃

And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Have intercourse with your father’s concubines, whom he left to mind the palace; and when all Israel hears that you have dared the wrath of your father, all who support you will be encouraged.”

וַיַּטּ֧וּ לְאַבְשָׁל֛וֹם הָאֹ֖הֶל עַל־הַגָּ֑ג וַיָּבֹ֤א אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙ אֶל־פִּֽלַגְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֔יו לְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom lay with his father’s concubines with the full knowledge of all Israel.—

וַעֲצַ֣ת אֲחִיתֹ֗פֶל אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָעַץ֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִשְׁאַל־[אִ֖ישׁ] בִּדְבַ֣ר הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כֵּ֚ן כׇּל־עֲצַ֣ת אֲחִיתֹ֔פֶל גַּם־לְדָוִ֖ד גַּ֥ם לְאַבְשָׁלֹֽם׃ {ס}

In those days, the advice that Ahithophel gave was accepted like an oracle sought from God; that is how all the advice of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.