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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>2 Samuel 16 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_samuel/16.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/2_samuel/16-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > 2 Samuel 16</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_samuel/15.htm" title="2 Samuel 15">◄</a> 2 Samuel 16 <a href="../2_samuel/17.htm" title="2 Samuel 17">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Ziba Gives Food to David</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_1"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.1" class="v10_16_1">1</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.16.1!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> David had started down the other side of the Mount of Olives, when he was met by Ziba, the chief servant of Mephibosheth.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.16.1!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> Ziba had two donkeys that were carrying 200 loaves of bread, 100 handfuls of raisins, 100 figs,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.16.1!f.3" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and some wine.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_2"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.2" class="v10_16_2">2</span>“What's all this?” David asked.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_2">Ziba said, “The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and fruit are for the people to eat, and the wine is for them to drink in the desert when they are tired out.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_3"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.3" class="v10_16_3">3</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.16.3!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> “And where is Mephibosheth?” David asked.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_3">Ziba answered, “He stayed in Jerusalem, because he thinks the people of Israel want him to rule the kingdom of his grandfather Saul.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_4"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.4" class="v10_16_4">4</span>David then told him, “Everything that used to belong to Mephibosheth is now yours.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_4">Ziba said, “Your Majesty, I am your humble servant, and I hope you will be pleased with me.”</span></p><h3 class="s1">Shimei Curses David</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_5"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.5" class="v10_16_5">5</span>David was near the town of Bahurim when a man came out and started cursing him. The man was Shimei the son of Gera, and he was one of Saul's distant relatives. </span><span class="v10_16_6"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.6" class="v10_16_6">6</span>He threw stones at David, at his soldiers, and at everyone else, including the bodyguards who walked on each side of David.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_7"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.7" class="v10_16_7">7</span>Shimei was yelling at David, “Get out of here, you murderer! You good-for-nothing, </span><span class="v10_16_8"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.8" class="v10_16_8">8</span>the <span class="nd">Lord</span> is paying you back for killing so many in Saul's family. You stole his kingdom, but now the <span class="nd">Lord</span> has given it to your son Absalom. You're a murderer, and that's why you're in such big trouble!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_9"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.9" class="v10_16_9">9</span>Abishai said, “Your Majesty, this man is as useless as a dead dog! He shouldn't be allowed to curse you. Let me go over and chop off his head.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_10"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.10" class="v10_16_10">10</span>David replied, “What will I ever do with you and your brother Joab? If Shimei is cursing me because the <span class="nd">Lord</span> has told him to, then who are you to tell him to stop?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_11"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.11" class="v10_16_11">11</span>Then David said to Abishai and all his soldiers:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v10_16_11">My own son is trying to kill me! Why shouldn't this man from the tribe of Benjamin want me dead even more? Let him curse all he wants. Maybe the <span class="nd">Lord</span> did tell him to curse me. </span><span class="v10_16_12"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.12" class="v10_16_12">12</span>But if the <span class="nd">Lord</span> hears these curses and sees the trouble I'm in, maybe he will have pity on me instead.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_13"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.13" class="v10_16_13">13</span>David and the others went on down the road. Shimei went along the hillside by the road, cursing and throwing rocks and dirt at them. </span><span class="v10_16_14"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.14" class="v10_16_14">14</span>When David and those with him came to the Jordan River, they were tired out. But after they rested, they<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.16.14!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> felt much better.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Hushai Meets Absalom</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_15"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.15" class="v10_16_15">15</span>By this time, Absalom, Ahithophel, and the others had reached Jerusalem. </span><span class="v10_16_16"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.16" class="v10_16_16">16</span>David's friend Hushai came to Absalom and said, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_17"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.17" class="v10_16_17">17</span>But Absalom asked Hushai, “Is this how you show loyalty to your friend David? Why didn't you go with him?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_18"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.18" class="v10_16_18">18</span>Hushai answered, “The <span class="nd">Lord</span> and the people of Israel have chosen you to be king. I can't leave. I have to stay and serve the one they've chosen. </span><span class="v10_16_19"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.19" class="v10_16_19">19</span>Besides, it seems right for me to serve you, just as I served your father.”</span></p><h3 class="s1">Ahithophel's Advice</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_20"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.20" class="v10_16_20">20</span>Absalom turned to Ahithophel and said, “Give us your advice! What should we do?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_21"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.21" class="v10_16_21">21</span>Ahithophel answered, “Some of your father's wives<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.16.21!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> were left here to take care of the palace. You should have sex with them. Then everyone will find out that you have publicly disgraced your father. This will make you and your followers even more powerful.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_22"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.22" class="v10_16_22">22</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.16.22!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Absalom had a tent set up on the flat roof of the palace, and everyone watched as he went into the tent with his father's wives.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_16_23"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.16.23" class="v10_16_23">23</span>Ahithophel gave such good advice in those days that both Absalom and David thought it came straight from God.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">16.1 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">chief servant of Mephibosheth: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See 9.1-13.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">16.1 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">figs: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “pomegranates,” a bright red fruit that looks like an apple.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">16.14 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">they: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew “he.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">16.21 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">wives: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 3.7.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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