1 Kings 2

1 Now the days of David had drawn near, so that he would die, and he instructed his son Solomon, saying:

And when the days of David drew near that he should die, he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2 “I am entering the way of all the earth. Be strengthened and be a good man.

I am going the way of all the earth; but be thou strong, and become a man;

3 And observe the care of the Lord your God, so that you walk in his ways, so that you care for his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, just as it is written in the law of Moses. So may you understand everything that you do, in any direction that you may turn yourself.

And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses; in order that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;

4 So may the Lord confirm his words, which he has spoken about me, saying: ‘If your sons will guard their ways, and if they will walk before me in truth, with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from you a man on the throne of Israel.’

In order that the Lord may fulfill his word which he hath spoken concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall never fail thee, said he, a man on the throne of Israel.

5 Also, you know what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, has done to me, what he did to the two leaders of the army of Israel, to Abner, the son of Ner, and to Amasa, the son of Jether. He killed them, and so he shed the blood of war in peace time, and he set the bloodshed of battle on his belt, which was around his waist, and in his shoes, which were on his feet.

And thou also knowest well what Joab the son of Zeruyah hath done to me, what he did to the two captains of the armies of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto 'Amassa the son of Yether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and on his shoes that were on his feet.

6 Therefore, act according to your wisdom. And you shall not allow his gray head to be led away to death in peace. (Sheol h7585)

Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down in peace to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

7 Then, too, repay grace to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite. And you shall allow them to eat at your table. For they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom, your brother.

But unto the sons of Barzillai the Gil'adite show thou kindness, and let them be of those that eat at thy table; for so they came near to me when I fled from before Abshalom thy brother.

8 Also, you have with you Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse, when I went away to the camp. And he descended to meet me when I crossed over the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death by the sword,’

And, behold, thou hast with thee Shim'i the son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bachurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Machanayim; but who came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

9 yet do not choose to treat him as if he were innocent. Since you are a wise man, you will know what to do with him. And you shall lead away his grey hair to death with blood.” (Sheol h7585)

But now leave him not unpunished; for thou art a wise man; know then what thou oughtest to do unto him, and bring thou down his hoary head with blood to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

10 And so, David slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David.

And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

11 Now the days during which David reigned over Israel are forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron, thirty-three in Jerusalem.

And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: in Hebron he reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.

12 Then Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly.

Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

13 And Adonijah, the son of Haggith, entered to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. And she said to him, “Is your entrance peaceful?” He responded, “It is peaceful.”

And Adoniyah the son of Chaggith came to Bath-sheba' the mother of Solomon: and she said, Is thy coming for peace? And he said, For peace.

14 And he added, “My word is for you.” She said to him, “Speak.” And he said:

He said moreover, I have a word for thee. And she said, Speak.

15 “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all of Israel had preferred me for themselves as king. But the kingdom was transferred, and has become my brother’s. For it was appointed to him by the Lord.

And he said, Thou well knowest that mine was the kingdom, and that on me all Israel had set their faces, that I should reign: nevertheless the kingdom was turned about, and became my brother's; for from the Lord was it [made] his.

16 Now therefore, I beg of you one petition. May you not confound my face.” And she said to him, “Speak.”

And now there is one petition I am going to ask of thee, do not turn me away. And she said unto him, Speak.

17 And he said: “I beg that you may speak to king Solomon, for he is not able to refuse anything to you, so that he may give Abishag the Shunammite to me as wife.”

And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, [for he will not turn thee away, ] that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite for wife.

18 And Bathsheba said: “It is well. I will speak to the king on your behalf.”

And Bath-sheba' said, Well: I will speak for thee unto the king.

19 Then Bathsheba went to king Solomon, so that she might speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and he reverenced her, and he sat down upon his throne. And a throne was stationed for the mother of the king, and she sat at his right hand.

Bath-sheba' thereupon went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adoniyah; and the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and then sat down on his throne, and placed a chair for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 And she said to him: “I petition one small request from you. May you not confound my face.” And the king said to her: “Ask, my mother. For it is not right that I turn away your face.”

Then said she, There is one small petition I am going to ask of thee; do not turn me away. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not turn thee away.

21 And she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah, your brother, as wife.”

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adoniyah thy brother for wife.

22 And king Solomon responded, and he said to his mother: “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Why not request the kingdom for him! For he is my older brother, and he has Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the son of Zeruiah.”

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adoniyah? rather ask for him the kingdom; for he is my elder brother; — even for him, and for Ebyathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruyah.

23 And so king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying: “May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things! For Adonijah has spoken this word against his own life.

Then swore king Solomon by the Lord, saying, May God do so to me, and may he thus continue, if Adoniyah have not spoken this word against his own life.

24 And now, as the Lord lives, who has confirmed me and placed me upon the throne of my father David, and who, just as he said, has made a house for me: Adonijah shall be put to death this day.”

And now, as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and seated me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as he hath spoken, this very day shall Adoniyah be put to death.

25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who put him to death, and so he died.

And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benayahu the son of Yehoyada'; and he fell upon him so that he died.

26 Also, the king said to Abiathar, the priest: “Go into Anathoth, to your own land, for you are a man worthy of death. But I will not put you to death this day, since you carried the ark of the Lord God before David, my father, and since you have endured hardship in all the things, for which my father labored.”

And unto Ebyathar the priest said the king, Go to 'Anathoth, unto thy own fields; for thou art a man worthy of death; but on this day will I not put thee to death; because thou hast borne the ark of the Lord Eternal before David my father, and because thou was afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

27 Therefore, Solomon cast out Abiathar, so that he would not be the priest of the Lord, so that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke over the house of Eli at Shiloh.

So Solomon banished Ebyathar that he should not be priest unto the Lord, to fulfill the word of the Lord, which he had spoken concerning the house of 'Eli in Shiloh.

28 And the news came to Joab, for Joab had turned aside after Adonijah, and he had not turned aside after Solomon. And so, Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and he took hold of the horn of the altar.

And the report came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adoniyah, though he had not turned after Abshalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

29 And it was reported to king Solomon that Joab had fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and that he was beside the altar. And Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, put him to death.”

And it was told to king Solomon that Joab had fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and that, behold, he was close by the altar. Then sent Solomon Benayahu the son of Yehoyada,' saying, Go, fall upon him.

30 And Benaiah went to the tabernacle of the Lord, and he said to him: “The king says this: ‘Come out.’” But he said: “I will not come out. Instead, I will die here.” Benaiah sent word back to the king, saying, “Joab said this, and he responded to me in this way.”

And Benayahu came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thus hath said the king, Come forth. And he said, No; but here will I die. And Benayahu brought the king word again, saying, Thus hath Joab spoken, and thus hath he answered me.

31 And the king said to him, “Do just as he has said. And put him to death, and bury him. And so shall you take away the innocent blood, which was shed by Joab, from me and from my father’s house.

Then said the king unto him, Do as he hath spoken, and fall upon him, and bury him; and remove [thus] the innocent blood, which Joab hath shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

32 And the Lord shall repay his blood upon his own head. For he killed two men, just and better than himself, and he killed them with the sword, while my father, David, did not know it: Abner, the son of Ner, leader of the military of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, leader of the army of Judah.

And may the Lord bring back his blood-guiltiness upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, while my father David knew it not, Abner the son of Ner, the captain of the army of Israel, and 'Amassa the son of Yether, the captain of the army of Judah.

33 And their blood shall be turned back upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his offspring forever. But as for David, and his offspring and house, and his throne, may there be peace from the Lord, even unto eternity.”

And their blood shall return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever; but unto David, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his throne, may there be peace for ever from the Lord.

34 And so Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up and, attacking him, put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the desert.

So Benayahu the son of Yehoyada' went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35 And the king appointed Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, in his place over the army. And he appointed Zadok, the priest, in place of Abiathar.

And the king appointed Benayahu the son of Yehoyada' in his place over the army; and Zadok the priest did the king appoint in the place of Ebyathar.

36 Also, the king sent for and summoned Shimei, and he said to him: “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem, and live there. And do not depart from that place to here or to there.

And the king sent and called for Shim'i, and said unto him, Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and thou shalt not go forth from there hither or thither.

37 For on whatever day you will have departed and crossed the torrent Kidron, know that you shall be put to death. Your blood will be upon your own head.”

And it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thy own head.

38 And Shimei said to the king: “The word is good. Just as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” And so Shimei lived in Jerusalem for many days.

And Shim'i said unto the king, It is well: as my Lord the king hath spoken, so will thy servant do. And Shim'i dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

39 But it happened that, after three years, the servants of Shimei fled to Achish, the son of Maacah, the king of Gath. And it was reported to Shimei that his servants had gone away to Gath.

And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two servants of Shim'i ran away unto Achish the son of Ma'achah the king of Gath: and they told unto Shim'i, saying, Behold, thy servants are in Gath.

40 And Shimei rose up, and he saddled his donkey. And went away to Achish in Gath, in order to seek his servants. And he led them away from Gath.

And Shim'i arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants; and Shim'i went, and brought his servants from Gath.

41 And it was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone away from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned.

And it was told to Solomon that Shim'i had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned.

42 And sending, he summoned him, and he said to him: “Did I not testify to you by the Lord, and warn you in advance, ‘On whatever day, having departed, you go forth to here or to there, know that you shall die?’ And you responded to me, ‘The word that I have heard is good.’

And the king sent and called for Shim'i, and said unto him, Did I not make thee swear by the Lord, and warned thee, saying, On that day thou goest out, and walkest abroad hither or thither, know for certain that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, It is well, I have heard?

43 Then why have you not kept the oath to the Lord, and the commandment which I instructed to you?”

Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment with which I charged thee?

44 And the king said to Shimei: “You know all the evil, of which your heart is conscious, which you did to David, my father. The Lord has repaid your wickedness upon your own head.”

The king said moreover to Shim'i, Thou well knowest all the wickedness of which thy heart is conscious, that thou hast done to David my father: and the Lord bringeth back thy wickedness upon thy own head;

45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord, even forever.

But king Solomon will be blessed, and the throne of David will be established before the Lord for ever.

46 And so the king commanded Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. And going out, he struck him down, and he died.

So the king commanded Benayahu the son of Yehoyada', who went out, and fell upon him, so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.