Study Desk

Then ^(C1)Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and ^(C1)Ziba 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.

Then they crossed the shallow places repeatedly 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.

And he said to the king, "^(C1)May my lord not consider me guilty, nor call to mind what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, so that the king would ^(F1)take it to heart.

"For your servant knows that I have sinned; so behold, I have come today, ^(C1)the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king."

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah responded, "^(C1)Should Shimei not be put to death for this, ^(C2)the fact that he cursed the LORD'S anointed?"

David then said, "^(C1)What ^(F1)is there between you and me, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? ^(C2)Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?"

So the king said to Shimei, "^(C1)You shall not die." The king also swore to him.