1 The infidelitie of Zibá. 5 Shimeí curſeth Dauid. 16 Huſhái cometh to Abſalóm. 21 The counſel of Ahithóphel for the concubines.

1.WHen Dauid was ^a litle paſt the toppe of the ^a hil,beholde, Zibá the ſeruant of Mephibóſheth met him with ^a couple of aſſes ſadled,and vpon them two hundreth cakes of bread,and one hundreth bunſhes of raiſins,& an hundreth of ^" dryed figges,and ^a bottel of wine.

2.And y^e King ſaid vnto Zibá, What meaneſt thou by theſe? And Zibá ſaid, They be ^b aſſes for the Kings houſholde to ride on,and bread and dryed figges for the yong men to eat, and wine, that the faint may drincke in the wildernes.

3.And the King ſaid, But where is thy maſters ſonne? The Zibá anſwered the King, Beholde, he remaineth in Ieruſalém: for he ſaid, This day ſhal the houſe of Iſraél reſtore me the kingdome of my father.

4.Then ſaid the King to Zibá , Beholde, thine are all that perteined vnto Mephibóſheth.And Zibá ſaid, ^" I beſeche thee, let me finde grace in thy ſight, my lord, ô King.

5.¶And when King Dauid came to ^c Bahurím,beholde,thence came out a man of the familie of the houſe of Saúl, named Shimeí the ſonne of Gerá: and he came out,and curſed.

6.And he caſt ſtones at Dauid , and at all the ſeruants of King Dauid : and all the people, and all the men of warre were on his ^d right hand,and on his left.

7.And thus ſaid Shimeí when he curſed, Come forthe,come forthe thou ^" murtherer,and ^" wicked man.

8.The Lord hathe broght vpon thee all the ^e blood of the houſe of Saúl,in whoſe ſtead thou haſt reigned:and the Lord hathe deliuered the kingdome into the hand of Abſalóm thy ſonne: and beholde, thou art taken in thy wickednes , becauſe thou art a murtherer.

9.Then ſaid Abiſhái the ſonne of Zeruiáh vnto the King, Why doeth this ^* dead dogge curſe my lord the King? let me go, I pray thee,and take away his head.

10.¶But the King ſaid, What haue I to do with you, ye ſonnes of Zeruiáh ? for he curſeth , euen becauſe the Lord hathe ^f bidden him curſe Dauid: who dare then ſay,Wherefore haſt thou done ſo?

11.And Dauid ſaid to Abiſhái , & to all his ſeruants , Beholde , my ſonne w^c came out of mine owne bowels,ſeketh my life: then how muche more now may this ſonne of Iemini? Suffre him to curſe : for the Lord hathe bidden him.

12.It may be that the Lord wil loke on ^" mine affliction,and ^g do me good for his curſing this day.

13.And as Dauid and his men went by the way, Shimeí went by the ſide of the moūtaine ouer againſt him , and curſed as he went, and threwe ſtones againſt him, and caſt duſt.

14.Then came y^e King & all the people that were with him weary,and refreſhed them ſelues ^h there.

15.¶And Abſalóm,and all the people, the men of Iſraél came to Ieruſalém , & Ahithóphel with him.

16.And when Huſhái the Archite Dauids friend was come vnto Abſalóm , Huſhái ſaid vnto Abſalóm, ^" God ſaue the King, God ſaue the King.

17.Then Abſalóm ſaid to Huſhái , Is this thy kindenes to thy ⁱ friend?Why wenteſt thou not with thy friend?

18.Huſhái then anſwered vnto Abſalóm, Nay,but whome the Lord,& this people, and all the men of Iſraél chuſe, his wil I be,and with him wil I dwell.

19.And ^" moreouer vnto whome ſhal I do ſeruice?not to his ſonne? as I ſerued before thy father,ſo wil I before thee.

20.¶Then ſpake Abſalóm to Ahithóphel, Giue counſel what we ſhal do.

21.And ^k Ahithóphel ſaid vnto Abſalóm, Go in to thy fathers cōcubines, which he hathe left to kepe the houſe : and when all Iſraél ſhal heare , that thou art abhorred of thy father , the hands of all that are with thee,ſhalbe ſtrong.

22.So they ſpred Abſalóm a tent vpon the top of the houſe,and Abſalóm went in to his fathers concubines in the ſight of all Iſraél.

23.And the counſel of Ahithóphel which he counſeiled in thoſe dayes , was like as one had aſked ^l counſel at the oracle of God: ſo was all the coūſel of Ahithóphel bothe with Dauid and with Abſalóm.

2 Samuel 16

Notes