2Sa 16:5-13 | ESV | STEP | When King David came to Bahurim , there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul , whose name was Shimei , the son of Gera , and as he came he cursed continually.

aSee ch. 3:16

b ch. 19:16; See 1 Kgs. 2:8, 36-46

c ch. 19:21

d[See ver. 5 above]

e Judg. 9:24, 56, 57; 1 Kgs. 2:32, 33

fSee ch. 1:16

g ch. 9:8; 1 Sam. 24:14; [ch. 3:8]

jSee 1 Sam. 26:6

2 Samuel 16:5-13

Shimei Curses David

5 When King David came to ^aBahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was ^bShimei, the son of Gera, and as he came ^che cursed continually. 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 And Shimei said as he ^dcursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The Lord ^ehas avenged on you all ^fthe blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”

9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this ^gdead dog ^hcurse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, ⁱ“What have I to do with you, ^jyou sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord 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, ^kmy own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, ^{▼▼Septuagint, Vulgate will look upon my affliction} and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and ^mcursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust.