¹ And David hath passed on a little from the top, and lo, Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth -- to meet him, and a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred [of] summer-fruit, and a bottle of wine.

² And the king saith unto Ziba, `What -- these to thee?' and Ziba saith, `The asses for the household of the king to ride on, and the bread and the summer-fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for the wearied to drink in the wilderness.'

³ And the king saith, `And where [is] the son of thy lord?' and Ziba saith unto the king, `Lo, he is abiding in Jerusalem, for he said, To-day do the house of Israel give back to me the kingdom of my father.'

⁴ And the king saith to Ziba, `Lo, thine [are] all that Mephibosheth hath;' and Ziba saith, `I have bowed myself -- I find grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king.'

⁵ And king David hath come in unto Bahurim, and lo, thence a man is coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, and his name [is] Shimei, son of Gera, he cometh out, coming out and reviling;

⁶ and he stoneth David with stones, and all the servants of king David, and all the people, and all the mighty men on his right and on his left.

⁷ And thus said Shimei in his reviling, `Go out, Go out, O man of blood, and man of worthlessness!

⁸ Jehovah hath turned back on thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and Jehovah doth give the kingdom in to the hand of Absalom thy son; and lo, thou [art] in thine evil, for a man of blood thou [art].'

⁹ And Abishai son of Zeruiah saith unto the king, `Why doth this dead dog revile my lord the king? let me pass over, I pray thee, and I turn aside his head.'

¹⁰ And the king saith, `What -- to me and to you, O sons of Zeruiah? for -- let him revile; even because Jehovah hath said to him, Revile David; and who saith, Wherefore hast Thou done so?'

¹¹ And David saith unto Abishai, and unto all his servants, `Lo, my son who came out of my bowels is seeking my life, and also surely now the Benjamite; leave him alone, and let him revile, for Jehovah hath said [so] to him;

¹² it may be Jehovah doth look on mine affliction, and Jehovah hath turned back to me good for his reviling this day.'

¹³ And David goeth with his men in the way, and Shimei is going at the side of the hill over-against him, going on, and he revileth, and stoneth with stones over-against him, and hath dusted with dust.

¹⁴ And the king cometh in, and all the people who [are] with him, wearied, and they are refreshed there.

¹⁵ And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him,

¹⁶ and it cometh to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, hath come unto Absalom, that Hushai saith unto Absalom, `Let the king live! let the king live!'

¹⁷ And Absalom saith unto Hushai, `This thy kindness with thy friend! why hast thou not gone with thy friend?'

¹⁸ And Hushai saith unto Absalom, `Nay, for he whom Jehovah hath chosen, and this people, even all the men of Israel, his I am, and with him I abide;

¹⁹ and secondly, for whom do I labour? is it not before his son? as I served before thy father so am I before thee.'

²⁰ And Absalom saith unto Ahithophel, `Give for you counsel what we do.'

²¹ And Ahithophel saith unto Absalom, `Go in unto the concubines of thy father, whom he left to keep the house, and all Israel hath heard that thou hast been abhorred by thy father, and the hands of all who [are] with thee have been strong.'

²² And they spread out for Absalom the tent on the roof, and Absalom goeth in unto the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.

²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counselled in those days [is] as [when] one inquireth at the word of God; so [is] all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to Absalom.

¹ And David saith, `Is there yet any left to the house of Saul, and I do with him kindness because of Jonathan?'

² And the house of Saul hath a servant, and his name [is] Ziba, and they call for him unto David; and the king saith unto him, `Art thou Ziba?' and he saith, `Thy servant.'

³ And the king saith, `Is there not yet a man to the house of Saul, and I do with him the kindness of God?' And Ziba saith unto the king, `Jonathan hath yet a son -- lame.'

⁴ And the king saith to him, `Where [is] he?' and Ziba saith unto the king, `Lo, he [is] in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lo-Debar.'

⁵ And king David sendeth, and taketh him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, of Lo-Debar,

⁶ and Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, cometh unto David, and falleth on his face, and doth obeisance, and David saith, `Mephibosheth;' and he saith, `Lo, thy servant.'

⁷ And David saith to him, `Be not afraid; for I certainly do with thee kindness because of Jonathan thy father, and have given back to thee all the field of Saul thy father, and thou dost eat bread at my table continually.'

⁸ And he boweth himself, and saith, `What [is] thy servant, that thou hast turned unto the dead dog -- such as I?'

⁹ And the king calleth unto Ziba servant of Saul, and saith unto him, `All that was to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of thy lord,

¹⁰ and thou hast served for him the land, thou and thy sons, and thy servants, and hast brought in, and there hath been to the son of thy lord bread, and he hath eaten it; and Mephibosheth son of thy lord doth eat continually bread at my table;' and Ziba hath fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ And Ziba saith unto the king, `According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so doth thy servant;' as to Mephibosheth, `he is eating at my table ([saith the king]) as one of the sons of the king.'

¹² And Mephibosheth hath a young son, and his name [is] Micha, and every one dwelling in the house of Ziba [are] servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³ And Mephibosheth is dwelling in Jerusalem, for at the table of the king he is eating continually, and he [is] lame of his two feet.