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1 Samuel 12

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace [you and Abiathar], and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

² See, I am going to wait at the[8] fords [of the Jordan] in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."

³ So Zadok and Abiathar brought the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they stayed there.

⁴ And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot [in despair]. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.

⁵ David was told, "Ahithophel [your counselor] is among the conspirators with Absalom." David said, "O LORD, I pray You, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness."

⁶ It happened when David came to the summit [of the Mount of Olives], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his tunic torn and dust on his head [as if in mourning].

⁷ David said to him, "If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.

⁸ But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so I will be your servant now;' then you can thwart (make useless) the advice of Ahithophel for me.

⁹ Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that every word you hear from the king's palace, you shall report it to them.

¹⁰ Their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them you shall send to me everything that you hear."

¹¹ So Hushai, David's friend, returned to the city, and [at about the same time] Absalom came into Jerusalem.

¹² When David was a little past the summit [of the Mount of Olives], behold, Ziba, the servant of[1] Mephibosheth, met him with a team of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a[2] jug of wine.

¹³ The king said to Ziba, "Why do you have these?" Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the king's household (family) to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for anyone to drink who becomes weary in the wilderness."

¹⁴ Then the king said, "And where is your[3] master's son [Mephibosheth]?" Ziba 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[4] father.'"

¹⁵ Then the king said to Ziba, "[5] Behold, everything that belonged to Mephibosheth is [now] yours." Ziba said, "I bow down [in honor and gratitude]; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord the king."

¹⁶ When King David came to Bahurim, a man named Shimei, the son of Gera, came out from there. He was of the family of Saul's household and he was cursing continually as he came out.

¹⁷ He threw stones at David and at all the[6] servants of King David; yet all the people and all the warriors remained on his right and on his left.

¹⁸ This is what Shimei said as he cursed: "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you worthless and useless man!

¹⁹ The LORD has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hands of Absalom your son. And behold, you are caught in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!"

²⁰ Then Abishai [David's nephew], the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, "Why should this dead dog (despicable person) curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head."

²¹ But the king said, "[7] What business is this of yours, O sons of Zeruiah? If Shimei is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' then who should say, 'Why have you done so?'"

²² Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Look, my son [Absalom] who came from my own body, is seeking my life; how much more [reason] now [does] this Benjamite [have to curse me]? Let him alone and let him curse, for [it could be that] the LORD has told him [to do it].

²³ Perhaps the LORD will look on the wrong done to me [by Shimei, if he is acting on his own]; and [in that case perhaps] the Lord will this day return good to me in place of his cursing."

²⁴ So David and his men went on the road; and Shimei went along on the hillside close beside David and cursed as he went and threw stones and dust at him.

²⁵ The king and all the people who were with him arrived [at the Jordan River] weary, and he refreshed himself there.

#	AMP
1	The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace [you and Abiathar], and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
2	See, I am going to wait at the[8] fords [of the Jordan] in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."
3	So Zadok and Abiathar brought the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they stayed there.
4	And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot [in despair]. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
5	David was told, "Ahithophel [your counselor] is among the conspirators with Absalom." David said, "O LORD, I pray You, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness."
6	It happened when David came to the summit [of the Mount of Olives], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his tunic torn and dust on his head [as if in mourning].
7	David said to him, "If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.
8	But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so I will be your servant now;' then you can thwart (make useless) the advice of Ahithophel for me.
9	Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that every word you hear from the king's palace, you shall report it to them.
10	Their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them you shall send to me everything that you hear."
11	So Hushai, David's friend, returned to the city, and [at about the same time] Absalom came into Jerusalem.
12	When David was a little past the summit [of the Mount of Olives], behold, Ziba, the servant of[1] Mephibosheth, met him with a team of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a[2] jug of wine.
13	The king said to Ziba, "Why do you have these?" Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the king's household (family) to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for anyone to drink who becomes weary in the wilderness."
14	Then the king said, "And where is your[3] master's son [Mephibosheth]?" Ziba 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[4] father.'"
15	Then the king said to Ziba, "[5] Behold, everything that belonged to Mephibosheth is [now] yours." Ziba said, "I bow down [in honor and gratitude]; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord the king."
16	When King David came to Bahurim, a man named Shimei, the son of Gera, came out from there. He was of the family of Saul's household and he was cursing continually as he came out.
17	He threw stones at David and at all the[6] servants of King David; yet all the people and all the warriors remained on his right and on his left.
18	This is what Shimei said as he cursed: "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you worthless and useless man!
19	The LORD has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hands of Absalom your son. And behold, you are caught in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!"
20	Then Abishai [David's nephew], the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, "Why should this dead dog (despicable person) curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head."
21	But the king said, "[7] What business is this of yours, O sons of Zeruiah? If Shimei is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' then who should say, 'Why have you done so?'"
22	Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Look, my son [Absalom] who came from my own body, is seeking my life; how much more [reason] now [does] this Benjamite [have to curse me]? Let him alone and let him curse, for [it could be that] the LORD has told him [to do it].
23	Perhaps the LORD will look on the wrong done to me [by Shimei, if he is acting on his own]; and [in that case perhaps] the Lord will this day return good to me in place of his cursing."
24	So David and his men went on the road; and Shimei went along on the hillside close beside David and cursed as he went and threw stones and dust at him.
25	The king and all the people who were with him arrived [at the Jordan River] weary, and he refreshed himself there.

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1 Samuel 12

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