English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
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Shortly after David passed the crest of the hill, Mephibosheth's steward Ziba met him with a string of pack animals, saddled and loaded with a hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of fresh fruit, and a skin of wine.
2 And the king said to Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink."
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The king said to Ziba, "What's all this?" "The donkeys," said Ziba, "are for the king's household to ride, the bread and fruit are for the servants to eat, and the wine is for drinking, especially for those overcome by fatigue in the wilderness."
3 And the king said, "And where is your master'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.'"
3
The king said, "And where is your master's grandson?" "He stayed in Jerusalem," said Ziba. "He said, 'This is the day Israel is going to restore my grandfather's kingdom to me.'"
4 Then the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." And Ziba said, "I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king."
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"Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth," said the king, "is now yours." Ziba said, "How can I ever thank you? I'll be forever in your debt, my master and king; may you always look on me with such kindness!"
5 When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually.
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When the king got to Bahurim, a man appeared who had connections with Saul's family. His name was Shimei son of Gera. As he followed along he shouted insults
6 And he threw 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.
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and threw rocks right and left at David and his company, servants and soldiers alike.
7 And Shimei said as he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!
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To the accompaniment of curses he shouted, "Get lost, get lost, you butcher, you hellhound!
8 The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood."
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God has paid you back for all your dirty work in the family of Saul and for stealing his kingdom. God has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Look at you now - ruined! And good riddance, you pathetic old man!"
9 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."
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Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "This mangy dog can't insult my master the king this way - let me go over and cut off his head!"
10 But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, 'Curse David,' who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?'"
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But the king said, "Why are you sons of Zeruiah always interfering and getting in the way? If he's cursing, it's because God told him, 'Curse David.' So who dares raise questions?"
11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
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"Besides," continued David to Abishai and the rest of his servants, "my own son, my flesh and bone, is right now trying to kill me; compared to that this Benjaminite is small potatoes. Don't bother with him; let him curse; he's preaching God's word to me.
12 It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today."
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And who knows, maybe God will see the trouble I'm in today and exchange the curses for something good."
13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust.
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David and his men went on down the road, while Shimei followed along on the ridge of the hill alongside, cursing, throwing stones down on them, and kicking up dirt.
14 And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.
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By the time they reached the Jordan River, David and all the men of the company were exhausted. There they rested and were revived.
15 Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
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By this time Absalom and all his men were in Jerusalem. And Ahithophel was with them.
16 And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"
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Soon after, Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, came and greeted Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"
17 And Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?"
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Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this the way you show devotion to your good friend? Why didn't you go with your friend David?"
18 And Hushai said to Absalom, "No, for whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain.
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"Because," said Hushai, "I want to be with the person that God and this people and all Israel have chosen. And I want to stay with him.
19 And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you."
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Besides, who is there to serve other than the son? Just as I served your father, I'm now ready to serve you."
20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your counsel. What shall we do?"
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Then Absalom spoke to Ahithophel, "Are you ready to give counsel? What do we do next?"
21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened."
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Ahithophel told Absalom, "Go and sleep with your father's concubines, the ones he left to tend to the palace. Everyone will hear that you have openly disgraced your father, and the morale of everyone on your side will be strengthened."
22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
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So Absalom pitched a tent up on the roof in public view, and went in and slept with his father's concubines.
23 Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.
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The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was treated as if God himself had spoken. That was the reputation of Ahithophel's counsel to David; it was the same with Absalom.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.