16 Then aShimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

17 There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, with aZiba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king.

18 Then they kept crossing the ford to bring over the king’s household, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan.

19 So he said to the king, “aLet not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king came out from Jerusalem, so that the king would 1take it to heart.

20 “For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore behold, I have come today, athe first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, “aShould not Shimei be put to death for this, bbecause he cursed the Lord’s anointed?”

22 David then said, “aWhat have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be an adversary to me? bShould any man be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?”

23 The king said to Shimei, “aYou shall not die.” Thus the king swore to him.