2nd Samuel 撒母耳记下16

16When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward¹ of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins², a hundred cakes of figs³ and a skin of wine.
2The king asked Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted⁴ in the desert."
3The king then asked, "Where is your master's grandson?" Ziba said to him, "He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, 'Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.' "
4Then the king said to Ziba, "All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." "I humbly⁵ bow," Ziba said. "May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king."
5As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan⁶ as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out.
6He pelted⁷ David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left.
7As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel!
8The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned⁸. The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"
9Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head."
10But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' "
11David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.
12It may be that the Lord will see my distress⁹ and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today."
13So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt.
14The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
15Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.
16Then Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, went to Absalom and said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"
17Absalom asked Hushai, "Is this the love you show your friend? Why didn't you go with your friend?"
18Hushai said to Absalom, "No, the one chosen by the Lord , by these people, and by all the men of Israel-his I will be, and I will remain with him.
19Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you."
20Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?"
21Ahithophel answered, "Lie with your father's concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench in your father's nostrils¹⁰, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened."
22So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he lay with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice.

1 steward   

n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员

参考例句：

• He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。
• He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员，到过世界各地。

2 raisins   

n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These raisins come from Xinjiang,they taste delicious. 这些葡萄干产自新疆，味道很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother put some raisins in the cake. 母亲在糕饼中放了一些葡萄干。 来自辞典例句

3 figs   

figures 数字，图形，外形

参考例句：

• The effect of ring dyeing is shown in Figs 10 and 11. 环形染色的影响如图10和图11所示。
• The results in Figs. 4 and 5 show the excellent agreement between simulation and experiment. 图4和图5的结果都表明模拟和实验是相当吻合的。

4 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

5 humbly   

adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地

参考例句：

• We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
• "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

6 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

7 pelted   

（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮

参考例句：

• The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。
• The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。

8 reigned   

vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）

参考例句：

• Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

10 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。