2Samuel:16-18

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* And when David was a little past the top of the hill , behold , Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him , with a couple of asses saddled , and upon them two hundred loaves of bread , and an hundred bunches of raisins , and an hundred of summer fruits , and a bottle of wine . * And the king said unto Ziba , What meanest thou by these ? And Ziba said , The asses be for the king 's household to ride on ; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat ; and the wine , that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink . * And the king said , And where is thy master 's son ? And Ziba said unto the king , Behold , he abideth at Jerusalem : for he said , To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father . * Then said the king to Ziba , Behold , thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth . And Ziba said , I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight , my lord , O king . * And when king David came to Bahurim , behold , thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul , whose name was Shimei , the son of Gera : he came forth , and cursed still as he came . * And he cast 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 . * And thus said Shimei when he cursed , Come out , come out , thou bloody man , and thou man of Belial : * The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul , in whose stead thou hast reigned ; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son : and , behold , thou art taken in thy mischief , because thou art a bloody man . * Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king , Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king ? let me go over , I pray thee , and take off his head . * And the king said , What have I to do with you , ye sons of Zeruiah ? so let him curse , because the LORD hath said unto him , Curse David . Who shall then say , Wherefore hast thou done so ? * And David said to Abishai , and to all his servants , Behold , my son , which came forth of my bowels , seeketh my life : how much more now may this Benjamite do it ? let him alone , and let him curse ; for the LORD hath bidden him . * It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction , and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day . * And as David and his men went by the way , Shimei went along on the hill 's side over against him , and cursed as he went , and threw stones at him , and cast dust . * And the king , and all the people that were with him , came weary , and refreshed themselves there . * And Absalom , and all the people the men of Israel , came to Jerusalem , and Ahithophel with him . * And it came to pass , when Hushai the Archite , David 's friend , was come unto Absalom , that Hushai said unto Absalom , God save the king , God save the king . * And Absalom said to Hushai , Is this thy kindness to thy friend ? why wentest thou not with thy friend ? * And Hushai said unto Absalom , Nay ; but whom the LORD , and this people , and all the men of Israel , choose , his will I be , and with him will I abide . * And again , whom should I serve ? should I not serve in the presence of his son ? as I have served in thy father 's presence , so will I be in thy presence . * Then said Absalom to Ahithophel , Give counsel among you what we shall do . * And Ahithophel said unto Absalom , Go in unto thy father 's concubines , which he hath left to keep the house ; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father : then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong . * So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house ; and Absalom went in unto his father 's concubines in the sight of all Israel . * And the counsel of Ahithophel , which he counselled in those days , was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God : so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom . * Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom , Let me now choose out twelve thousand men , and I will arise and pursue after David this night : * And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed , and will make him afraid : and all the people that are with him shall flee ; and I will smite the king only : * And I will bring back all the people unto thee : the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned : so all the people shall be in peace . * And the saying pleased Absalom well , and all the elders of Israel . * Then said Absalom , Call now Hushai the Archite also , and let us hear likewise what he saith . * And when Hushai was come to Absalom , Absalom spake unto him , saying , Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner : shall we do after his saying ? if not ; speak thou . * And Hushai said unto Absalom , The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time . * For , said Hushai , thou knowest thy father and his men , that they be mighty men , and they be chafed in their minds , as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field : and thy father is a man of war , and will not lodge with the people . * Behold , he is hid now in some pit , or in some other place : and it will come to pass , when some of them be overthrown at the first , that whosoever heareth it will say , There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom . * And he also that is valiant , whose heart is as the heart of a lion , shall utterly melt : for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man , and they which be with him are valiant men . * Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee , from Dan even to Beersheba , as the sand that is by the sea for multitude ; and that thou go to battle in thine own person . * So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found , and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground : and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one . * Moreover , if he be gotten into a city , then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city , and we will draw it into the river , until there be not one small stone found there . * And Absalom and all the men of Israel said , The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel . For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel , to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom . * Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests , Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel ; and thus and thus have I counselled . * Now therefore send quickly , and tell David , saying , Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness , but speedily pass over ; lest the king be swallowed up , and all the people that are with him . * Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel ; for they might not be seen to come into the city : and a wench went and told them ; and they went and told king David . * Nevertheless a lad saw them , and told Absalom : but they went both of them away quickly , and came to a man 's house in Bahurim , which had a well in his court ; whither they went down . * And the woman took and spread a covering over the well 's mouth , and spread ground corn thereon ; and the thing was not known . * And when Absalom 's servants came to the woman to the house , they said , Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan ? And the woman said unto them , They be gone over the brook of water . And when they had sought and could not find them , they returned to Jerusalem . * And it came to pass , after they were departed , that they came up out of the well , and went and told king David , and said unto David , Arise , and pass quickly over the water : for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you . * Then David arose , and all the people that were with him , and they passed over Jordan : by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan . * And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed , he saddled his ass , and arose , and gat him home to his house , to his city , and put his household in order , and hanged himself , and died , and was buried in the sepulchre of his father . * Then David came to Mahanaim . And Absalom passed over Jordan , he and all the men of Israel with him . * And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab : which Amasa was a man 's son , whose name was Ithra an Israelite , that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash , sister to Zeruiah Joab 's mother . * So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead . * And it came to pass , when David was come to Mahanaim , that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon , and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar , and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim , * Brought beds , and basons , and earthen vessels , and wheat , and barley , and flour , and parched corn , and beans , and lentiles , and parched pulse , * And honey , and butter , and sheep , and cheese of kine , for David , and for the people that were with him , to eat : for they said , The people is hungry , and weary , and thirsty , in the wilderness . * And David numbered the people that were with him , and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them . * And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab , and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah , Joab 's brother , and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite . And the king said unto the people , I will surely go forth with you myself also . * But the people answered , Thou shalt not go forth : for if we flee away , they will not care for us ; neither if half of us die , will they care for us : but now thou art worth ten thousand of us : therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city . * And the king said unto them , What seemeth you best I will do . And the king stood by the gate side , and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands . * And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai , saying , Deal gently for my sake with the young man , even with Absalom . And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom . * So the people went out into the field against Israel : and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim ; * Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David , and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men . * For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country : and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured . * And Absalom met the servants of David . And Absalom rode upon a mule , and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak , and his head caught hold of the oak , and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth ; and the mule that was under him went away . * And a certain man saw it , and told Joab , and said , Behold , I saw Absalom hanged in an oak . * And Joab said unto the man that told him , And , behold , thou sawest him , and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground ? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver , and a girdle . * And the man said unto Joab , Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand , yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king 's son : for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai , saying , Beware that none touch the young man Absalom . * Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life : for there is no matter hid from the king , and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me . * Then said Joab , I may not tarry thus with thee . And he took three darts in his hand , and thrust them through the heart of Absalom , while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak . * And ten young men that bare Joab 's armour compassed about and smote Absalom , and slew him . * And Joab blew the trumpet , and the people returned from pursuing after Israel : for Joab held back the people . * And they took Absalom , and cast him into a great pit in the wood , and laid a very great heap of stones upon him : and all Israel fled every one to his tent . * Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar , which is in the king 's dale : for he said , I have no son to keep my name in remembrance : and he called the pillar after his own name : and it is called unto this day , Absalom 's place . * Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok , Let me now run , and bear the king tidings , how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies . * And Joab said unto him , Thou shalt not bear tidings this day , but thou shalt bear tidings another day : but this day thou shalt bear no tidings , because the king 's son is dead . * Then said Joab to Cushi , Go tell the king what thou hast seen . And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab , and ran . * Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab , But howsoever , let me , I pray thee , also run after Cushi . And Joab said , Wherefore wilt thou run , my son , seeing that thou hast no tidings ready ? * But howsoever , said he , let me run . And he said unto him , Run . Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain , and overran Cushi . * And David sat between the two gates : and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall , and lifted up his eyes , and looked , and behold a man running alone . * And the watchman cried , and told the king . And the king said , If he be alone , there is tidings in his mouth . And he came apace , and drew near . * And the watchman saw another man running : and the watchman called unto the porter , and said , Behold another man running alone . And the king said , He also bringeth tidings . * And the watchman said , Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok . And the king said , He is a good man , and cometh with good tidings . * And Ahimaaz called , and said unto the king , All is well . And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king , and said , Blessed be the LORD thy God , which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king . * And the king said , Is the young man Absalom safe ? And Ahimaaz answered , When Joab sent the king 's servant , and me thy servant , I saw a great tumult , but I knew not what it was . * And the king said unto him , Turn aside , and stand here . And he turned aside , and stood still . * And , behold , Cushi came ; and Cushi said , Tidings , my lord the king : for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee . * And the king said unto Cushi , Is the young man Absalom safe ? And Cushi answered , The enemies of my lord the king , and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt , be as that young man is . * And the king was much moved , and went up to the chamber over the gate , and wept : and as he went , thus he said , O my son Absalom , my son , my son Absalom ! would God I had died for thee , O Absalom , my son , my son ! * And it was told Joab , Behold , the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom .

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