1 Kings 2

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

Now the days of David drew near that he should die; and he commanded 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. You be strong therefore, and show yourself 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 instruction of the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn yourself.

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.’

That the LORD may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you,' he said, '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.

"Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, even what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on my belt that was about my waist, and on my sandal that was on my foot.

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 your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. (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 show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those who eat at your table; for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your 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,’

"Look, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you 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)

Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood." (Sheol h7585)

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

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.

The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

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

Solomon sat on the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was firmly established.

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.”

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and did homage to her. And she said, "Do you come peaceably?" And he said, "Peaceably."

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

He said moreover, "I have something to tell you." She said, "Say on."

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.

He said, "You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign. However the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother's; for it was his from the LORD.

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

Now I ask one petition of you. Do not deny me." She said to him, "Say on."

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.”

He said, "Please speak to Solomon the king (for he will not tell you 'no'), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife."

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

Bathsheba said, "Alright. I will speak for you to 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.

Bathsheba therefore went to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set 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 she said, "I ask one small petition of you; do not deny me." The king said to her, "Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you."

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

She said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as 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.”

King Solomon answered his mother, "Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also. For he is my elder brother. For him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah."

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 king Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, "God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has 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.”

Now therefore as the LORD lives, who has established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day."

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

King Solomon sent by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell on 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.”

To Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you bore the ark of the LORD before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all in which 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 thrust out Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, that he might fulfill the word of the LORD, which he spoke 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.

The news came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he did not turn after Absalom. Joab fled to the Tent 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.”

It was told king Solomon, "Joab has fled to the Tent of the LORD, and look, he is by the altar." And Solomon sent to Joab, saying, "What happened to you, that you have fled to the altar?" And Joab said, "Because I was afraid of you, so I fled to the LORD." And Solomon sent to Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, fall on 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.”

Benaiah came to the Tent of the LORD, and said to him, "Thus says the king, 'Come forth.'" He said, "No; but I will die here." Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, "Thus said Joab, and thus 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.

The king said to him, "Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury him; that you may take away this day the innocent blood which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house.

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.

The LORD will return his blood on his own head, because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, 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.”

So shall their blood return on the head of Joab, and on the head of his descendants forever. But to David, and to his descendants, and to his house, and to his throne, there shall be peace forever 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.

Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell on him, and killed 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.

The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army; and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

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.

The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere.

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.”

For on the day you go out, and pass over the wadi of the Kidron, know for certain that you shall surely die: your blood shall be on your 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.

Shimei said to the king, "The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your servant do." Shimei lived 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.

It happened at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, "Look, your 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.

Shimei arose, and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants; and Shimei 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.

It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again.

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.’

The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Did I not adjure you by the LORD, and warn you, saying, 'Know for certain, that on the day you go out, and walk abroad any where, you shall surely die?' You said to me, 'The saying that I have heard is good.'

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

Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have instructed you with?"

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 Shimei, "You know all the wickedness which your heart is privy to, that you did to David my father. Therefore the LORD shall return your wickedness on your 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 shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever."

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 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell on him, so that he died. The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.