As David had passed a little beyond the top of the mountain, behold, Ziba the young man of Mephibosheth came to meet him, with a pair of asses saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of dried grapes, a hundred mines of dried figs, and a skin of wine.

And the king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these things?” And Ziba said, “The asses are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and the dried figs for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the desert to drink.”

And the king said, “And where is your lord’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the House of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’”

Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I give thanks. May I find favour in your sight, my lord the king.”

When King David came to Almath, behold, from there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. And he went along, cursing as he went.

And he was throwing stones at David, and at all the servants of King David, and at all the people and all the heroes on his right and his left hand.

And thus said Shimei as he cursed, “Go forth! Go forth, you man deserving to die, you evil man!

The LORD has returned on you the sins of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. And the LORD has made the kingship prosper in the hand of your son Absalom. Behold, you are in your own evil, for you are a man deserving to die.”

Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.”

But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Thus he curses, because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David!’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”

And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son whom I begot seeks to kill me; how much more now this son of the tribe of Benjamin. Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has said him so.

It may be that the tear of my eye will be revealed before the LORD, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”

So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him, cursing as he went, and threw stones at him and flung dust.

And the king and all the people who were with him, arrived weary, and he rested there.

Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.

And when Hushai the Archite, David’s close friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “May the king prosper! May the king prosper!”

And Absalom said to Hushai, “This is your goodness towards your friend. Why did you not go with your friend?”

And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, but whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be and with him I will remain.

And again, before whom should I serve? Should it be before his son? As I have served before your father, so I will serve before you.”

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel, [both of] you; what shall we do?”

And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubine, whom he has left to keep the house. And all Israel will hear that you have challenged your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”

So they pitched a canopy bed for Absalom upon the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

Now in those days the counsel of Ahithophel was as if a man inquired of the word of the LORD; so was all the counsel [esteemed], both by David and by Absalom.