II Samuel 16

vedavid avar me'at meharosh vehinneh tsiva na'ar mefivoshet liqrato vetsemed khamorim khavushim va'alehem matayim lekhem ume'ah tsimmuqim ume'ah qayits venevel yayin

David had passed a little beyond the summit when Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth came toward him with a pair of saddled donkeys carrying two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred cakes of raisin, one hundred cakes of figs, and a jar of wine.

vayyomer hammelekh el-tsiva mah-elleh lakh vayyomer tsiva hakhamorim levet-hammelekh lirkov (vlhlkhm) [vehallekhem] vehaqqayits le'ekhol hanne'arim vehayyayin lishtot hayya'ef bammidbar

The king asked Ziba, “What are you doing with these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for Your Majesty’s family to ride on, the bread and figs are for the attendants to eat, and the wine is to be drunk by any who are exhausted in the wilderness.”

vayyomer hammelekh ve'ayyeh ben-adonekha vayyomer tsiva el-hammelekh hinneh yoshev birushalai͏m ki amar hayyom yashivu li bet yisra'el et mamlekhut avi

“And where is your master’s son?” the king asked. “He is staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied to the king, “for he thinks that the House of Israel will now give him back the throne of his grandfather.”

vayyomer hammelekh letsiva hinneh lekha kol asher limfivoshet vayyomer tsiva hishtakhaveti emtsa-khen be'enekha adoni hammelekh

The king said to Ziba, “Then all that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” And Ziba replied, “I bow low. Your Majesty is most gracious to me.”

uva hammelekh david ad-bakhurim vehinneh misham ish yotse mimmishpakhat bet-sha'ul ushemo shimi ven-gera yotse yatso umeqallel

As King David was approaching Bahurim, a member of Saul’s clan—a man named Shimei son of Gera—came out from there, hurling insults as he came.

vayesaqqel ba'avanim et-david ve'et-kol-avde hammelekh david vekhol-ha'am vekhol-haggibborim mimino umissemolo

He threw stones at David and all King David’s courtiers, while all the troops and all the warriors were at his right and his left.

vekhoh-amar shimi beqallo tse tse ish haddamim ve'ish habbeliyya'al

And these are the insults that Shimei hurled: “Get out, get out, you criminal, you villain!

heshiv alekha Adonai kol deme vet-sha'ul asher malakhta takhtav vayyitten Adonai et-hammelukhah beyad avshalom benekha vehinnekha bera'atekha ki ish damim attah

GOD is paying you back for all your crimes against the family of Saul, whose throne you seized. GOD is handing over the throne to your son Absalom; you are in trouble because you are a criminal!”

vayyomer avishay ben-tseruyah el-hammelekh lammah yeqallel hakkelev hammet hazzeh et-adoni hammelekh eberah-nna ve'asirah et-rosho

Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why let that dead dog abuse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”

vayyomer hammelekh mah-lli velakhem bene tseruyah (khy) [koh] yeqallel (vkhy) [ki] Adonai amar lo qallel et-david umi yomar maddua asitah ken

But the king said, “What has this to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? He is abusing [me] only because GOD told him to abuse David; and who is to say, ‘Why did You do that?’”

vayyomer david el-avishay ve'el-kol-avadayw hinneh veni asher-yatsa mimme'ay mevaqqesh et-nafshi ve'af ki-attah ben-hayemini hannikhu lo viqallel ki amar-lo Adonai

David said further to Abishai and all the courtiers, “If my son, my own issue, seeks to kill me, how much more the Benjaminite! Let him go on hurling abuse, for GOD has told him to.

ulay yireh Adonai (vvny) [be'eni] veheshiv Adonai li tovah takhat qillato hayyom hazzeh

Perhaps GOD will look upon my punishment and recompense me for the abuse [Shimei] has uttered today.”

vayyelekh david va'anashayw baddarekh veshimi holekh betsela hahar le'ummato halokh vayeqallel vayesaqqel ba'avanim le'ummato ve'ippar be'afar

David and his men continued on their way, while Shimei walked alongside on the slope of the hill, insulting him as he walked, and throwing stones at him and flinging dirt.

vayyavo hammelekh vekhol-ha'am asher-itto ayefim vayyinnafesh sham

The king and all who accompanied him arrived exhausted, and he rested there.

ve'avshalom vekhol-ha'am ish yisra'el ba'u yerushalai͏m va'akhitofel itto

Meanwhile Absalom and all the troops, Israel’s force, arrived in Jerusalem, together with Ahithophel.

vayehi ka'asher-ba khushay ha'arki re'eh david el-avshalom vayyomer khushay el-avshalom yekhi hammelekh yekhi hammelekh

When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came before Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

vayyomer avshalom el-khushay zeh khasdekha et-re'ekha lammah lo-halakhta et-re'ekha

But Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

vayyomer khushay el-avshalom lo ki asher bakhar Adonai veha'am hazzeh vekhol-ish yisra'el (l) [lo] ehyeh ve'itto eshev

“Not at all!” Hushai replied. “I am for the one whom GOD and these troops and all the rest of Israel’s force has chosen, and I will stay with him.

vehashenit lemi ani e'evod halo lifne veno ka'asher avadti lifne avikha ken ehyeh lefanekha

Furthermore, whom should I serve, if not David’s son? As I was in your father’s service, so I will be in yours.”

vayyomer avshalom el-akhitofel havu lakhem etsah mah-nna'aseh

Absalom then said to Ahithophel, “What do you advise us to do?”

vayyomer akhitofel el-avshalom bo el-pilagshe avikha asher hinniakh lishmor habbayit veshama kol-yisra'el ki-nivashta et-avikha vekhazequ yede kol-asher ittakh

And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Have intercourse with your father’s concubines, whom he left to mind the palace; and when all Israel hears that you have dared the wrath of your father, all who support you will be encouraged.”

vayyattu le'avshalom ha'ohel al-haggag vayyavo avshalom el-pilagshe aviv le'ene kol-yisra'el

So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom lay with his father’s concubines with the full knowledge of all Israel.—

va'atsat akhitofel asher ya'ats bayyamim hahem ka'asher yishal-[ish] bidvar ha'elohim ken kol-atsat akhitofel gam-ledavid gam le'avshalom

In those days, the advice that Ahithophel gave was accepted like an oracle sought from God; that is how all the advice of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.