Some of 2 Sam 15 &16
Someone came telling David, ‘The Yisra’elites’ mind has gone after Abshalom.’
David said to all his servants who were with him in Yerushalaim, ‘Get up, let’s take flight, because there’ll be no escape group for us from before Abshalom. Hurry, go, so he doesn’t hurry and catch up with us and hurl something bad upon us and strike the town down with the mouth of the sword.’
….while David was going up the Olives Ascent, wailing as he was going up, with his head covered; he was walking barefoot, while the entire company that was with him covered each one his head. They went up wailing as they were going up.
King David came as far as Bahurim and there, someone from the kin-group of Sha’ul’s household was going out from there. His name was Shim’i ben Gera. As he went out he was slighting and pelting David and all King David’s servants with stones, with the entire company and all the strong men at his right and at his left.
Shim’i said this as he slighted him: ‘Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you scoundrel! Yahweh is giving back to you all the bloodshed in the household of Sha’ul, in whose place you became king. Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Abshalom your son, and here you are, in a bad situation, because you’re a man of bloodshed.’
Abishay ben Tseruyah said to the king, ‘Why should this dead dog slight my lord the king? I shall pass on, please, and remove his head!’ But the king said, ‘What do you and I have in common, you sons of Tseruyah? He can slight in this way because Yahweh has said to him, “Slight David.” Who is to say, “Why have you done that?”?’
David said to Abishay and to all his servants, ‘Here, my son who came out from inside me, is seeking my life. How much more now a Binyaminite? Let him be. He can slight, because Yahweh has said it to him. Maybe Yahweh will look at the waywardness done to me and Yahweh will give back good to me in place of his slighting this day.’ David and his men went on their way, while Shim’i was going along the side of the mountain alongside him, slighting and pelting him with stones alongside him and throwing earth as he went.
Goldingay, John; The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.
Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
St Ignatius