2 Samuel 16:5–13

SHIMEI CURSES DAVID

⁵When King David got to Bahurim, a man belonging to the family of the house of Saul was just coming out.^m His name was Shimei son of Gera,ⁿ and he was yelling curses as he approached. ⁶He threw stones at David and at all the royal^B servants, the people and the warriors on David’s right and left. ⁷Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you wicked man!^{o 8}The Lord has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul in whose place you became king, and the Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. Look, you are in trouble because you’re a man of bloodshed!”

⁹Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog^p curse my lord the king?^q Let me go over and remove his head!”

¹⁰The king replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything?^r He curses^s me this way because the Lord^C told him, ‘Curse David!’^t Therefore, who can say, ‘Why did you do that?’ ” ¹¹Then David said to Abishai and all his servants, “Look, my own son, my own flesh and blood,^D intends to take my life^u—how much more now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse me; the Lord has told him to. ¹²Perhaps the Lord will see my affliction^A and restore goodness to me instead of Shimei’s curses today.” ¹³So David and his men proceeded along the road as Shimei was going along the ridge of the hill opposite him. As Shimei went, he cursed David, threw stones at him, and kicked up dust.