2Sa 4, 2Sa 16 | ESV | STEP | When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son , heard that Abner had died at Hebron , his courage failed , and all Israel was dismayed .

1 When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, ^ahis courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth ( ^bfor Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 ^cthe Beerothites fled ^dto Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).

4 ^eJonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan ^fcame from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him ^gin the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ^{▼▼Septuagint And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept. So Rechab and Baanah his brother slipped in} 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of ⁱthe Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, ^jwho sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, ^k“As the Lord lives, ^lwho has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 ^mwhen one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, ⁿI seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now ^orequire his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it ^pin the tomb of Abner at Hebron.

2 Samuel 16

David and Ziba

1 When David had passed a little beyond ^qthe summit, ^rZiba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, ^sa hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, ^t“The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who ^ufaint in the wilderness to drink.” 3 And the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” ^vZiba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” 4 Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

Shimei Curses David

5 When King David came to ^wBahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was ^xShimei, the son of Gera, and as he came ^yhe 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 ^zcursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The Lord ^aahas avenged on you all ^abthe 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 ^acdead dog ^adcurse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, ^ae“What have I to do with you, ^afyou 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, ^agmy 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 ^aicursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. 14 And the king, and all the people who were with him, ^ajarrived weary at the Jordan. ^{▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew lacks at the Jordan} And there he refreshed himself.

Absalom Enters Jerusalem

15 ^alNow Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And when Hushai the Archite, ^amDavid’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, ^an“Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? ^aoWhy did you not go with your friend?” 18 And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. 19 And again, ^apwhom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you.”

20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel. What shall we do?” 21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to ^aqyour father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and ^arthe hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom ^ason the roof. And Absalom went in to his father’s concubines ^atin the sight of all Israel. 23 Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, ^auboth by David and by Absalom.