Kings III 2
1 And the days of David drew near that he should die: and he addressed his son Solomon, saying, I go the way of all the earth:
And, when the days of David drew near that he must die, he charged Solomon his son, saying: —
2 but be you strong, and show yourself a man;
I, am going the way of all the earth, —thou must be strong, therefore, and show thyself a man;
3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, to keep the commandments and the ordinances and the judgements which are written in the law of Moses; that you may understand what you shall do in all things that I command you:
and keep the observances of Yahweh thy God, by walking in his ways, by keeping his statutes, his commandments, and his regulations and his testimonies, as written in the law of Moses, —to the end thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;
4 that the Lord may confirm his word which he spoke, saying, If your children shall take heed to their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart, [I promise you], saying, there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.
to the end that Yahweh may establish his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy sons will take heed to their way, by walking before me, in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, (then, said he) there shall not be cut off to thee a man, from off the throne of Israel.
5 Moreover you know all that Joab the son of Saruia did to me, what he did to the two captains of the forces of Israel, to Abenner the son of Ner, and to Amessai the son of Jether, that he killed them, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put innocent blood on his girdle that was about his loins, and on his sandal that was on his foot.
Moreover also, thou, knowest what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with two generals of the armies of Israel—with Abner son of Ner, and with Amasa son of Jether—both of whom he slew, shedding the blood of war in peace, —and putting the blood of war upon his girdle that was on his loins, and upon his sandals, that were on his feet.
6 Therefore you shall deal [with him] according to your wisdom, and you shall not bring down his grey hairs in peace to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
Thou, therefore, must do according to thy wisdom, —but will not let his grey hair go down in peace, to hades. (Sheol h7585)
7 But you shall deal kindly with the sons of Berzelli the Galaadite, and they shall be amongst those that eat at your table; for thus they drew near to me when I fled from the face of your brother Abessalom.
But, with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, thou wilt deal in lovingkindness, and they will be among them who eat at thy table, —for, so, drew they near unto me, when I fled from Absolom thy brother.
8 And, behold, [there is] with you Semei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Baurim: and he cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went into the camp; and he came down to Jordan to meet me, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword.
Lo! also, there is with thee—Shimei son of Gera a Benjamite, of Behurim, well, he, it was who cursed me with a grievous curse; on the day I journeyed to Mahanaim, —but he, came down to meet me, at the Jordan, and so I sware to him by Yahweh, saying—I will not put thee to death, with the sword.
9 But you shall by no means hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man, and will know what you shall do to him, and shall bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
Now, therefore do not hold him guiltless, for, a wise man, thou art, and wilt know how thou oughtest to deal with him, and wilt suffer his grey hairs to go down with blood, to hades. (Sheol h7585)
10 And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
So then David slept with his fathers, —and was buried in the city of David.
11 And the days which David reigned over Israel [were] forty years; he reigned seven years in Chebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Now, the days that David reigned over Israel, were forty years, —in Hebron, reigned he seven years, and, in Jerusalem, reigned he thirty and three years.
12 And Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was established greatly.
But, when, Solomon, took his seat upon the throne of David his father, then was the kingdom firmly established.
13 And Adonias the son of Aggith came in to Bersabee the mother of Solomon, and did obeisance to her: and she said, Do you enter peaceably? and he said, Peaceably:
And Adonijah son of Haggith came in unto Bath-sheba, mother of Solomon: And she said—Peaceably, comest thou? And he said—Peaceably.
14 I have business with you. And she said to him, Say on.
Then said he—I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said—Say on.
15 And he said to her, You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel turned their face towards me for a king; but the kingdom was turned [from me] and became my brother's: for it was [appointed] to him from the Lord.
And he said—Thou, knowest that, mine, was the kingdom, and, on me, had all Israel set their faces, that I should become king, —howbeit the kingdom, hath turned about, and become my brother’s, for, from Yahweh, became it, his.
16 And now I make one request of you, do not turn away your face. And Bersabee said to him, Speak [on].
Now, therefore, one request, have I to ask of thee, do not turn away my face.
17 And he said to her, Speak, I pray you, to king Solomon, for he will not turn away his face from you, and let him give me Abisag the Somanite for a wife.
And she said unto him—Say on. And he said—Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, for he will not turn away thy face, —that he give me Abishag the Shunammite, to wife.
18 And Bersabee said, Well; I will speak for you to the king.
And Bath-sheba said: Good! I myself, will speak for thee, unto the king.
19 And Bersabee went in to king Solomon to speak to him concerning Adonias; and the king rose up to meet her, and kissed her, and sat on the throne, and a throne was set for the mother of the king, and she sat on his right hand.
So Bath-sheba went in unto King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah, —and the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself down to her, and sat down upon his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the mother of the king, and she sat on his right hand.
20 And she said to him, I ask of you one little request; turn not away my face from you. And the king said to her, Ask, my mother, and I will not reject you.
Then said she—One small request, am I asking of thee, do not turn away my face. And the king said to her—Ask on, my mother, for I will not turn away thy face.
21 And she said, Let, I pray you, Abisag the Somanite be given to Adonias your brother to wife.
And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother, to wife.
22 And king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why have you asked Abisag for Adonias? ask for him the kingdom also; for he [is] my elder brother, and he has for his companion Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Saruia the commander-in-chief.
Then answered King Solomon, and said to his mother—Wherefore, then, art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite, for Adonijah? ask, then, for him the kingdom, because he is mine elder brother, —even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab, son of Zeruiah.
23 And king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, and more also, [if it be not] that Adonias has spoken this word against his own life.
Then swore King Solomon by Yahweh, saying, —So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if, at the cost of his life, Adonijah hath not spoken this word.
24 And now [as] the Lord lives who has established me, and set me on the throne of my father David, and he has made me a house, as the Lord spoke, this day shall Adonias be put to death.
Now, therefore, by the life of Yahweh, who hath established me, and seated me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made for me a household, as he had spoken, surely, to-day, shall Adonijah be put to death!
25 So king Solomon sent by the hand of Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he killed him, and Adonias died in that day.
So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, —and he fell upon him, that he died.
26 And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Depart you quickly to Anathoth to your farm, for you are worthy of death this day; but I will not kill you, because you have borne the ark of the covenant of the Lord before my father, and because you was afflicted in all things wherein my father was afflicted.
Also, unto Abiathar the priest, said the king—To Anathoth, get thee unto thine own fields, for, death-doomed, thou art, —but, this day, will I not put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of My Lord, Yahweh, before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.
27 And Solomon removed Abiathar from being a priest of the Lord, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke concerning the house of Heli in Selom.
So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto Yahweh, —to fulfil the word of Yahweh which he spake concerning the household of Eli, in Shiloh.
28 And the report came to Joab son of Saruia; for Joab had turned after Adonias, and he went not after Solomon: and Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold of the horns of the altar.
And, the report, came unto Joab, for, Joab, had inclined after Adonijah, although, after Solomon, he had not inclined, —so then Joab fled into the Tent of Yahweh, and laid hold of the horns of the altar.
29 And it was told Solomon, saying, Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and behold! he has hold of the horns of the altar. And king Solomon sent to Joab, saying, What ails you, that you have fled to the altar? and Joab said, Because I was afraid of you, and fled for refuge to the Lord. And Solomon sent Banaeas son of Jodae, saying, Go and kill him, and bury him.
And it was told King Solomon—Joab hath fled into the Tent of Yahweh, and, there he is, beside the altar. So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying—Go fall upon him!
30 And Banaeas son of Jodae came to Joab to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him, Thus says the king, Come forth. And Joab said, I will not come forth, for I will die here. And Banaeas son of Jodae returned and spoke to the king, saying, Thus has Joab spoken, and thus has he answered me.
And Benaiah came into the Tent of Yahweh, and said unto him—Thus, saith the king, Come forth! And he said—Nay! but, here, will I die! So Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus, spake Joab, and, thus, he answered me.
31 And the king said to him, Go, and do to him as he has spoken, and kill him: and you shall bury him, and you shall remove this day the blood which he shed without cause, from me and from the house of my father.
And the king said to him—Do as he hath spoken, fall, then, upon him, and bury him, —and so put away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father;
32 And the Lord has returned upon his own head the blood of his unrighteousness, inasmuch as he attacked two men more righteous and better than himself, and killed them with the sword, and my father David knew not of their blood, [even] Abenner the son of Ner the commander-in-chief of Israel, and Amessa the son of Jether the commander-in-chief of Juda.
thus will Yahweh bring back his blood upon his own head, in that he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it, —even Abner son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, general of the army of Judah;
33 And their blood is returned upon his head, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but to David, and his seed, and his house, and his throne, may there be peace for ever from the Lord.
thus shall their blood come back upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed unto times age-abiding, —but, David and his seed, and his house, and his throne, shall have peace, unto times age-abiding, from Yahweh.
34 So Banaeas son of Jodae went up, and attacked him, and killed him, and buried him in his house in the wilderness.
So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and put him to death, —and he was buried in his own house, in the wilderness.
35 And the king appointed Banaeas son of Jodae in his place over the host; and the kingdom was established in Jerusalem; and [as for] Sadoc the priest, the king appointed him to be high priest in the room of Abiathar. And Solomon son of David reigned over Israel and Juda in Jerusalem: and the Lord gave understanding to Solomon, and very much wisdom, and largeness of heart, as the sand by the sea-shore.
And the king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada, in his stead, over the army, —and, Zadok the priest, did the king put in the stead of Abiathar.
And the king sent, and called for Shimei, and said to him—Build thee a house, in Jerusalem, so shalt thou dwell there, —and shalt not go forth from thence, hither or thither;
but it shall be that, on the day thou goest forth, and passest over the Kidron ravine, know, that thou shalt, die, —thy blood, shall be, upon thine own head.
And Shimei said to the king—Good, is the word, as my lord the king hath spoken, so, will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
But it came to pass, at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei fled unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath, —and they told Shimei, saying—Lo! thy servants are in Gath.
So Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath, unto Achish, to seek his servants—and Shimei went and brought in his servants, from Gath.
And it was told Solomon—Shimei hath been out of Jerusalem to Gath, and returned.
Then sent the king and called for Shimei, and said unto him—Did I not put thee on oath by Yahweh, and adjure thee, saying—On the day thou goest forth and takest thy journey hither or thither, know, that thou shalt, die. Then saidst thou unto me—Good, is the word I have heard.
Why then, hast thou not kept the oath of Yahweh, —and the charge which I laid upon thee?
Then said the king unto Shimei—Thou, knowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to, which thou didst unto David my father, —therefore shall Yahweh bring back thy wickedness, upon thine own head.
But, King Solomon, shall be blessed, —and, the throne of David, shall be established before Yahweh, unto times age-abiding.
So the king charged Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him, that he died, —and, the kingdom, was established in the hand of Solomon.
