The reading from the book of Second Samuel. When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Zyba, the servant of Maphibisheth, met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing 200 loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits and a skin of wine. And the king said to Zyba, Why have you brought these? Zyba answered.

The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on,

the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat,

and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.

And the king said,

And where is your master's son?

Zyba said to the king,

Behold, he remains in Jerusalem,

for he said, Today the house of Israel will give me back

the kingdom of my father. Then the king said to Zyba, behold, all that belonged to Maphibisheth is now yours.

And Zyba said, I pay homage, let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king. When King David came to Bahuram, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul,

whose name was Shemiye, the son of Gira, and as he came he cursed continually,

and he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David,

and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And Shemiyai said as he cursed, get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man. The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, and whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of

blood. Then Abyshi, the son of Ziruya, said to the king, why should this dead dog curse my lord

the king? Let me go over and take off his head. But the king said, what have I to do with you,

you sons of Ziruya? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, curse David,

who then shall say, why have you done so? And David said to Abyshi and to all his servants.

Behold, my own son seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjaminite, leave him alone,

and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me,

and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.

So David and his men went on the road,

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