cious
counsel, for he was a prudent man, and very sharp in seeing what was
advantageous. When David was gotten upon the top of the mountain, he
took a view of the city; and prayed to God with abundance of tears, as
having already lost his kingdom; and here it was that a faithful friend
of his, whose name was Hushai, met him. When David saw him with his
clothes rent, and having ashes all over his head, and in lamentation for
the great change of affairs, he comforted him, and exhorted him to leave
off grieving; nay, at length he besought him to go back to Absalom, and
appear as one of his party, and to fish out the secretest counsels of
his mind, and to contradict the counsels of Ahithophel, for that he
could not do him so much good by being with him as he might by being
with Absalom. So he was prevailed on by David, and left him, and came to
Jerusalem, whither Absalom himself came also a little while afterward.

3. When David was gone a little farther, there met him Ziba, the servant
of Mephibosheth, [whom he had sent to take care of the possessions which
had been given him, as the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul,] with a
couple of asses, loaden with provisions, and desired him to take as
much of them as he and his followers stood in need of. And when the king
asked him where he had left Mephibosheth, he said he had left him in
Jerusalem, expecting to be chosen king in the present confusions, in
remembrance of the benefits Saul had conferred upon them. At this the
king had great indignation, and gave to Ziba all that he had formerly
bestowed on Mephibosheth; for he determined that it was much fitter that
he should have them than the other; at which Ziba greatly rejoiced.

4. When David was at Bahurim, a place so called, there came out a
kinsman of Saul's, whose name was Shimei, and threw stones at him, and
gave him reproachful words; and as his friends stood about the king and
protected him, he persevered still more in his reproaches, and called
him a bloody man, and the author of all sorts of mischief. He bade him
also go out of the land as an impure and accursed wretch; and he thanked
God for depriving him of his kingdom, and causing him to be punished for
what injuries he had done to his master [Saul], and this by the means of
his own son. Now when they were all provoked against him, and angry at
him, and particularly Abishai, who had a mind to kill Shimei, David
restrained his anger. "Let us not," said he, "bring up