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2 Samuel 15:13-16:14
New King James Version
2 Samuel 15:13-16:14
New King James Version
David Escapes from Jerusalem
13 Now a messenger came to David, saying, (A)“The hearts of the men of Israel are [a]with Absalom.”
14 So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us (B)flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
15 And the king’s servants said to the king, “We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands.” 16 Then (C)the king went out with all his household after him. But the king left (D)ten women, concubines, to keep the house. 17 And the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts. 18 Then all his servants passed [b]before him; (E)and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, (F)six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.
19 Then the king said to (G)Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Return and remain with the king. For you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place. 20 In fact, you came only yesterday. Should I make you wander up and down with us today, since I go (H)I know not where? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.”
21 But Ittai answered the king and said, (I)“As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.”
22 So David said to Ittai, “Go, and cross over.” Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over. 23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the (J)wilderness.
24 There was (K)Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the (L)ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and (M)Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He (N)will bring me back and show me both it and (O)His dwelling place. 26 But if He says thus: ‘I have no (P)delight in you,’ here I am, (Q)let Him do to me as seems good to Him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a (R)seer?[c] Return to the city in peace, and (S)your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, (T)I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. And they remained there.
30 So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he (U)had his head covered and went (V)barefoot. And all the people who were with him (W)covered their heads and went up, (X)weeping as they went up. 31 Then someone told David, saying, (Y)“Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, (Z)turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
32 Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God—there was Hushai the (AA)Archite coming to meet him (AB)with his robe torn and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, then you will become (AC)a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, (AD)‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant previously, so I will now also be your servant,’ then you may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me. 35 And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? Therefore it will be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall tell to (AE)Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Indeed they have there (AF)with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything you hear.”
37 So Hushai, (AG)David’s friend, went into the city. (AH)And Absalom came into Jerusalem.
Mephibosheth’s Servant
16 When(AI) David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was (AJ)Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?”
So Ziba said, “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 (AK)those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”
3 Then the king said, “And where is your (AL)master’s son?”
(AM)And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ”
4 So the king said to Ziba, “Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.”
And Ziba said, “I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!”
Shimei Curses David
5 Now when King David came to (AN)Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was (AO)Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. 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. 7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You [d]bloodthirsty man, (AP)you [e]rogue! 8 The Lord has (AQ)brought upon you all (AR)the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a [f]bloodthirsty man!”
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this (AS)dead dog (AT)curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”
10 But the king said, (AU)“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because (AV)the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ (AW)Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
11 And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how (AX)my son who (AY)came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on [g]my affliction, and that the Lord will (AZ)repay me with (BA)good for his cursing this day.” 13 And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and [h]kicked up dust. 14 Now the king and all the people who were with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 15:13 Lit. after
- 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. by his hand
- 2 Samuel 15:27 prophet
- 2 Samuel 16:7 Lit. man of bloodshed
- 2 Samuel 16:7 worthless man
- 2 Samuel 16:8 Lit. man of bloodshed
- 2 Samuel 16:12 So with Kt., LXX, Syr., Vg.; Qr. my eyes; Tg. tears of my eyes
- 2 Samuel 16:13 Lit. dusted him with dust
2 Samuel 15:13-16:14
New International Version
2 Samuel 15:13-16:14
New International Version
David Flees
13 A messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come! We must flee,(A) or none of us will escape from Absalom.(B) We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword.”
15 The king’s officials answered him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.”
16 The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines(C) to take care of the palace. 17 So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. 18 All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites(D) and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.
19 The king said to Ittai(E) the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner,(F) an exile from your homeland. 20 You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander(G) about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”[a](H)
21 But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”(I)
22 David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.
23 The whole countryside wept aloud(J) as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley,(K) and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.
24 Zadok(L) was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark(M) of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar(N) offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place(O) again. 26 But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.(P)”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand?(Q) Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan.(R) You and Abiathar return with your two sons. 28 I will wait at the fords(S) in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping(T) as he went; his head(U) was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31 Now David had been told, “Ahithophel(V) is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”
32 When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai(W) the Arkite(X) was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust(Y) on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden(Z) to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’(AA) then you can help me by frustrating(AB) Ahithophel’s advice. 35 Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace.(AC) 36 Their two sons, Ahimaaz(AD) son of Zadok and Jonathan(AE) son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.”
37 So Hushai,(AF) David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom(AG) was entering the city.
David and Ziba
16 When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba,(AH) the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.(AI)
2 The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?”
Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh(AJ) those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
3 The king then asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?”(AK)
Ziba(AL) said to him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’”
4 Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth(AM) is now yours.”
“I humbly bow,” Ziba said. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
Shimei Curses David
5 As King David approached Bahurim,(AN) a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei(AO) son of Gera, and he cursed(AP) as he came out. 6 He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8 The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned.(AQ) The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”(AR)
9 Then Abishai(AS) son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog(AT) curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”(AU)
10 But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?(AV) If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’”(AW)
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son,(AX) my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.(AY) 12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery(AZ) and restore to me his covenant blessing(BA) instead of his curse today.(BB)”
13 So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. 14 The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted.(BC) And there he refreshed himself.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 15:20 Septuagint; Hebrew May kindness and faithfulness be with you
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.