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2 Samuel · King James Version (with Apocrypha)

2 Samuel 16 King James Version (with Apocrypha)

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About KJV
  • Protestant
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Textus Receptus
  • Protestant, with the Apocrypha
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 1611
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

KJV King James Version (with Apocrypha)
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 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.
1 When David was a little past the top, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of donkeys saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a container of wine.
2 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.
2 The king said to Ziba, “What do you mean by these?” Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that those who are faint in the wilderness may drink.”
3 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.
3 The king said, “Where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem; for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore me the kingdom of my father.’”
4 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.
4 Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” Ziba said, “I bow down. Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, O king.”
5 ¶ 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.
5 When King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of Saul’s house came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out and cursed as he came.
6 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.
6 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.
7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
7 Shimei said when he cursed, “Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and wicked fellow!
8 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.
8 Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of Saul’s house, in whose place you have reigned! Yahweh has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son! Behold, you are caught by your own mischief, because you are a man of blood!”
9 ¶ 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.
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.”
10 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?
10 The king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because Yahweh has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”
11 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.
11 David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, who came out of my bowels, seeks my life. How much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for Yahweh has invited him.
12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
12 It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will repay me good for the cursing of me today.”
13 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.
13 So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him, and threw dust.
14 And the king, and all the people that [were] with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
14 The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary; and he refreshed himself there.
15 ¶ And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
15 Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16 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.
16 When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, had come to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 And Absalom said to Hushai, [Is] this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?
17 Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your kindness to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”
18 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.
18 Hushai said to Absalom, “No; but whomever Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, I will be his, and I will stay with him.
19 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.
19 Again, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.”
20 ¶ Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel what we shall do.”
21 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.
21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines that he has left to keep the house. Then all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.”
22 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.
22 So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23 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.
23 The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the inner sanctuary of God. All the counsel of Ahithophel was like this both with David and with Absalom.

People & places in this chapter

From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.

People

  • Absalom

    David's rebel son

    David's handsome son who avenged Tamar, rebelled against his father, and briefly seized the throne.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:3; 2 Samuel 15-18

    See in the family tree

  • Ahithophel

    David's counselor, joined Absalom

    David's counselor from Giloh, whose advice was regarded like the word of God; he joined Absalom's conspiracy, advised him to take David's concubines and to pursue David at once,…

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 15:12; 2 Samuel 15:31; 2 Samuel 16:23

    See in the family tree

  • David

    King of Israel

    The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.

    Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6

    See in the family tree

  • Gera

    Father of Shimei

    Named as the father of Shimei, the Benjamite from Bahurim who cursed David.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 16:5; 2 Samuel 19:16; 1 Kings 2:8

    See in the family tree

  • Hushai

    David's friend and counselor

    David's friend, who at David's request returned to Jerusalem as Absalom's servant and defeated Ahithophel's counsel with advice Absalom judged better.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 15:32; 2 Samuel 15:37; 2 Samuel 16:16

    See in the family tree

  • Shimei

    Benjamite who cursed David

    A man of Saul's house from Bahurim, who cursed and threw stones at David as he fled Absalom and then begged forgiveness on David's return, when David swore he would not die.

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 16:5; 2 Samuel 16:7; 2 Samuel 19:16

    See in the family tree

  • Ziba

    Steward of Saul's house

    A servant of Saul's family whom David summoned to find Jonathan's heir; with fifteen sons and twenty servants he was set to farm Saul's land for Mephibosheth, later brought…

    Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 9:2; 2 Samuel 9:10; 2 Samuel 16:1

    See in the family tree

Cross references (21)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 1 Samuel 25:18; 2 Samuel 15:32; 1 Samuel 10:3; Jeremiah 40:10; 1 Chronicles 12:40
  2. 2 2 Samuel 17:29; Judges 10:4; Judges 5:10; 2 Samuel 15:23; Ezekiel 37:18
  3. 3 2 Samuel 9:9–10; Psalm 15:3; Psalm 88:18; 2 Samuel 19:24–30; Proverbs 1:19
  4. 4 Proverbs 18:13; Proverbs 18:17; Exodus 23:8; Proverbs 19:2; Deuteronomy 19:15
  5. 5 2 Samuel 3:16; 1 Samuel 17:43; 1 Kings 2:8–9; Exodus 22:28; 1 Kings 2:36–46
  6. 7 Deuteronomy 13:13; 1 Kings 21:10; 1 Samuel 2:12; 1 Samuel 25:17; 2 Samuel 3:37
  7. 8 2 Samuel 1:16; 2 Samuel 3:28–29; 1 Kings 2:32–33; Judges 9:56–57; Judges 9:24
  8. 9 Exodus 22:28; 2 Samuel 9:8; 1 Samuel 24:14; 2 Samuel 3:8; 1 Peter 2:17
  9. 10 2 Samuel 19:22; Romans 9:20; John 18:11; 1 Peter 2:23; Genesis 50:20
  10. 11 2 Chronicles 32:21; Ezekiel 20:25; Ezekiel 14:9; Isaiah 10:5–7; 2 Samuel 12:11–12
  11. 12 Deuteronomy 23:5; Hebrews 12:10; Psalm 25:18; Romans 8:28; Exodus 2:24–25
  12. 13 Acts 23:23
  13. 15 2 Samuel 15:37; 2 Samuel 15:12
  14. 16 2 Kings 11:12; 1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Kings 1:25; Matthew 21:9; 2 Samuel 15:37
  15. 17 2 Samuel 19:25; Proverbs 17:17; Proverbs 18:24; Deuteronomy 32:6; 2 Samuel 15:32–37
  16. 18 1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 5:1–3
  17. 19 2 Samuel 15:34; Psalm 55:21; 1 Samuel 28:2; Galatians 2:13; 1 Samuel 29:8
  18. 20 Psalm 2:2; Acts 4:23–28; Proverbs 21:30; Isaiah 29:15; Psalm 37:12–13
  19. 21 2 Samuel 20:3; 2 Samuel 15:16; 2 Samuel 2:7; Leviticus 18:8; Zechariah 8:13
  20. 22 2 Samuel 15:16; 2 Samuel 12:11–12; 2 Samuel 20:3; Numbers 25:6; Jeremiah 3:3
  21. 23 2 Samuel 15:12; 2 Samuel 17:23; 2 Samuel 17:14; 1 Corinthians 3:19–20; Psalm 19:7

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 16:11 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily XV)

    For, "Let him curse," saith he, "for the Lord hath bidden him: that the Lord may see my humiliation, and requite me for this cursing of his on this day." And Paul too proclaims the triumph not of those only who incur danger, or are deprived of their goods, but of these also, thus saying, "Call to remembrance the former …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)