And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold Siba the servant of Miphiboseth came to meet him with two asses, laden with two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs, and a vessel of wine.

Cumque David transisset paululum montis verticem, apparuit Siba puer Miphiboseth in occursum ejus, cum duobus asinis, qui onerati erant ducentis panibus, et centum alligaturis uvæ passæ, et centum massis palatharum, et utre vini.

When David passed a little way beyond the top of the hill, there was Siba, the servant of Miphiboseth, coming to meet them. He had two asses with him, laden with two hundred loaves, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred cakes of figs, and a skin of wine.

And the king said to Siba: What mean these things? And Siba answered: The asses are for the king’s household to sit on: and the loaves and the figs for thy servants to eat, and the wine to drink if any man be faint in the desert.

Et dixit rex Sibæ: Quid sibi volunt hæc? Responditque Siba: Asini, domesticis regis ut sedeant: panes et palathæ ad vescendum pueris tuis: vinum autem ut bibat siquis defecerit in deserto.

When the king asked what he did with all these, Siba answered, I brought the asses to be ridden by the king’s courtiers, the bread and fruit for thy servants to eat, the wine to revive such as are faint in the desert.

And the king said: Where is thy master’s son? And Siba answered the king: He remained in Jerusalem, saying: To day will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

Et ait rex: Ubi est filius domini tui? Responditque Siba regi: Remansit in Jerusalem, dicens: Hodie restituet mihi domus Israël regnum patris mei.

And where is thy master’s son? the king asked. He remained in Jerusalem, Siba answered, thinking that the men of Israel would restore him this day to the throne of his father.

And the king said to Siba: I give thee all that belonged to Miphiboseth. And Siba said: I beseech thee let me find grace before thee, my lord, O king.

Et ait rex Sibæ: Tua sint omnia quæ fuerunt Miphiboseth. Dixitque Siba: Oro ut inveniam gratiam coram te, domine mi rex.

Why then, the king told him, all that was Miphiboseth’s is thine. And Siba answered, My prayer is that I may ever enjoy thy favour, my lord king.

And king David came as far as Bahurim: and behold there came out from thence a man of the kindred of the house of Saul named Semei, the son of Gera, and coming out he cursed as he went on,

Venit ergo rex David usque Bahurim: et ecce egrediebatur inde vir de cognatione domus Saul, nomine Semei, filius Gera: procedebatque egrediens, et maledicebat,

But, as David reached Bahurim, a man of Saul’s kindred came out to meet him, one Semei, son of Gera, and ever he cursed as he went,

And he threw stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people, and all the warriors walked on the right, and on the left side of the king.

mittebatque lapides contra David et contra universos servos regis David: omnis autem populus, et universi bellatores, a dextro et a sinistro latere regis incedebant.

and threw stones after David, and his servants that walked to left and right of him, plain folk and warriors alike.

And thus said Semei when he cursed the king: Come out, come out, thou man of blood, and thou man of Belial.

Ita autem loquebatur Semei cum malediceret regi: Egredere, egredere, vir sanguinum, et vir Belial.

Go thy ways, cried Semei, cursing the king, go thy ways, murderer and upstart!

The Lord hath repaid thee for all the blood of the house of Saul: because thou hast usurped the kingdom in his stead, and the Lord hath given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and behold thy evils press upon thee, because thou art a man of blood.

Reddidit tibi Dominus universum sanguinem domus Saul: quoniam invasisti regnum pro eo, et dedit Dominus regnum in manu Absalom filii tui: et ecce premunt te mala tua, quoniam vir sanguinum es.

Now the Lord has avenged the blood of Saul’s race, by handing over the kingdom thou didst usurp to thy son Absalom; no wonder if calamity comes home to thee, murderer as thou art!

And Abisai the son of Sarvia said to the king: Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? I will go, and cut off his head.

Dixit autem Abisai filius Sarviæ regi: Quare maledicit canis hic mortuus domino meo regi? vadam, et amputabo caput ejus.

At this Abisai, son of Sarvia, protested to the king, Why must this hangdog fellow be allowed to curse my lord the king? Let me go and cut the head from his body!

And the king said: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Sarvia? Let him alone and let him curse: for the Lord hath bid him curse David: and who is he that shall dare say, why hath he done so?

Et ait rex: Quid mihi et vobis est, filii Sarviæ? dimittite eum, ut maledicat: Dominus enim præcepit ei ut malediceret David: et quis est qui audeat dicere quare sic fecerit?

What, sons of Sarvia, David replied, will you never give me any rest? Let him curse as he will; the Lord has bidden him curse David, and who shall call him to question for doing it?

And the king said to Abisai, and to all his servants: Behold my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now a son of Jemini? let him alone that he may curse as the Lord hath bidden him.

Et ait rex Abisai, et universis servis suis: Ecce filius meus qui egressus est de utero meo, quærit animam meam: quanto magis nunc filius Jemini? Dimittite eum ut maledicat juxta præceptum Domini:

Then he cried out, so that Abisai and all his servants could hear him, Look you, here is the son of my own body conspiring against my life; why may not yonder Benjamite do as much? Let him curse as curse the Lord has bidden him;

Perhaps the Lord may look upon my affliction, and the Lord may render me good for the cursing of this day.

si forte respiciat Dominus afflictionem meam, et reddat mihi Dominus bonum pro maledictione hac hodierna.

perhaps it will move the Lord to pity my calamities, and bring good out of the ill fame I must endure this day.

And David and his men with him went by the way. And Semei by the hill’s side went over against him, cursing, and casting stones at him, and scattering earth.

Ambulabat itaque David et socii ejus per viam cum eo. Semei autem per jugum montis ex latere contra illum gradiebatur, maledicens, et mittens lapides adversum eum, terramque spargens.

So David passed on, and his companions with him, while Semei strode along the ridge on the other side of the valley, cursing, and throwing stones and handfuls of earth.

And the king and all the people with him came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

Venit itaque rex, et universus populus cum eo lassus, et refocillati sunt ibi.

A weary man was the king, and weary were all the people with him, when they reached their halting-place; and there they rested.

But Absalom and all his people came into Jerusalem, and Achitophel was with him.

Absalom autem et omnis populus ejus ingressi sunt Jerusalem, sed et Achitophel cum eo.

Meanwhile Absalom and his men had entered Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him;

And when Chusai the Arachite, David’s friend, was come to Absalom, he said to him: God save thee, O king, God save thee, O king.

Cum autem venisset Chusai Arachites amicus David ad Absalom, locutus est ad eum: Salve rex, salve rex.

and there David’s friend, Chusai the Arachite, met them; Greeting, he said, greeting to the king!

And Absalom said to him: Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with thy friend?

Ad quem Absalom: Hæc est, inquit, gratia tua ad amicum tuum? quare non ivisti cum amico tuo?

Why, said Absalom, is this thy friendship? Wouldst thou not bear that friend of thine company?

And Chusai answered Absalom: Nay: for I will be his, whom the Lord hath chosen, and all this people, and all Israel, and with him will I abide.

Responditque Chusai ad Absalom: Nequaquam: quia illius ero, quem elegit Dominus, et omnis hic populus, et universus Israël: et cum eo manebo.

Not I, said Chusai; for me, the king who has been chosen out by the Lord, by these folk here, by the whole of Israel; my place is by his side.

Besides this, whom shall I serve? is it not the king’s son? as I have served thy father, so will I serve thee also.

Sed ut et hoc inferam, cui ego serviturus sum? nonne filio regis? Sicut parui patri tuo, ita parebo et tibi.

And indeed, to whom is my service due, if not to the king’s own son? Thou shalt have the same loyalty thy father had from me.

And Absalom said to Achitophel: Consult what we are to do.

Dixit autem Absalom ad Achitophel: Inite consilium quid agere debeamus.

And now Absalom said to Achitophel, Bethink thee, what were best done.

And Achitophel said to Absalom: Go in to the concubines of thy father, whom he hath left to keep the house: that when all Israel shall hear that thou hast disgraced thy father, their hands may be strengthened with thee.

Et ait Achitophel ad Absalom: Ingredere ad concubinas patris tui, quas dimisit ad custodiendam domum: ut cum audierit omnis Israël quod fœdaveris patrem tuum, roborentur tecum manus eorum.

Whereupon Achitophel answered, Go and mate with the concubines thy father has left in charge of the palace. When they hear thou hast come between thy father’s sheets, all Israel will rally to thy cause the more fearlessly.

So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and he went in to his father’s concubines before all Israel.

Tetenderunt ergo Absalom tabernaculum in solario, ingressusque est ad concubinas patris sui coram universo Israël.

So they spread a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he went in to bed his father’s concubines, there with all Israel to witness it.

Now the counsel of Achitophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man should consult God: so was all the counsel of Achitophel, both when he was with David, and when he was with Absalom.

Consilium autem Achitophel quod dabat in diebus illis, quasi si quis consuleret Deum: sic erat omne consilium Achitophel, et cum esset cum David, et cum esset cum Absalom.

Men followed Achitophel’s advice then as if it were God himself they had consulted; so it was all the time he was David’s counsellor, and all the time he was Absalom’s.