1 Kings 2
1 The time of David's death was approaching, so he gave his son Solomon these last instructions:
Forsothe the daies of Dauid neiyiden, that he schulde die; and he comaundide to Salomon, his sone, and seide, Lo!
2 “I am about to go the way everybody on earth must go. Be brave, and act like a man.
Y entre in to the weie of al erthe; be thou coumfortid, and be thou a strong man.
3 Do what God orders you to do, follow his ways. Keep his rules, his commands, and his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses, so you may be successful in everything you do, and in everything you give your attention to.
And kepe thou the kepyngis and heestis of thi Lord God, that thou go in hise weies, and kepe hise cerymonyes, and hise heestis, and hise domes, and witnessyngis, as it is writun in the lawe of Moises; that thou vndurstonde alle thingis whiche thou doist, and whidur euer thou schalt turne thee.
4 If so, then the Lord will keep his promise to me when he said: ‘If your descendants are to live right before me, faithfully and with complete commitment, then you will always have one of them on the throne of Israel.’
That the Lord conferme hise wordis, whiche the Lord spak of me, and seide, If thi sones kepen my weies, and goen bifor me in treuthe, in al her herte, and in al her soule, a man schal not be takun awei of thee fro the trone of Israel.
5 In addition, you know what Joab, son of Zeruiah, did to me and what he did to Abner, son of Ner, and Amasa, son of Jether, the two army commanders of Israel. He murdered them, spilling the blood of war during a time of peace. He smeared the blood of war on his belt and on his sandals.
Also thou knowist what thingis Joab, the sone of Saruye, dide to me; what thingis he dide to twey princis of the oost of Israel, to Abner, sone of Ner, and to Amasa, sone of Jether, whiche he killide, and schedde the blood of batel in pees; and puttide the blood of batel in his girdil, that was aboute hise leendis, and in his scho, that was in hise feet.
6 Do what you think is right, but don't let his gray head go down peacefully into the grave. (Sheol h7585)
Therfor thou schalt do by thi wisdom, and thou schalt not lede forth his hoornesse pesibli to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
7 But be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Bring them into your royal court, for they helped me when I ran from your brother Absalom.
But also thou schalt yelde grace to the sones of Bersellai of Galaad, and thei schulen be eetynge in thi boord; for thei metten me, whanne Y fledde fro the face of Absolon, thi brother.
8 Don't you forget Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who cursed me with painful words when I went to Mahanaim. When he met me at the Jordan I swore to him by the Lord, ‘I will not kill you with the sword.’
Also thou hast anentis thee Semey, sone of Gera, sone of Gemyny, of Bahurym, which Semei curside me bi the worste cursyng, whanne Y yede to `the castels; but for he cam doun to me in to metyng, whanne Y passide Jordan, and Y swoor to him bi the Lord, and seide, Y schal not slee thee bi swerd,
9 So don't leave him unpunished. You're a wise man and you know what you have to do to him—send him down into the grave with blood on his gray head.” (Sheol h7585)
nyle thou suffre hym to be vnpunyschid; forsothe thou art a wise man, and thou schalt wite what thou schalt do to hym, and thou schalt lede forth hise hoor heeris with blood to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
10 Then David died and his was buried in the City of David.
Sotheli Dauid slepte with hise fadris, and was biriede in the citee of Dauid.
11 His reign over Israel lasted forty years; seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Forsothe the daies, in whiche Dauid regnede on Israel, ben fourti yeer; in Ebron he regned seuene yeer, in Jerusalem thre and thretti yeer.
12 Solomon took over as king, sitting on the throne of his father David, and his hold on his kingdom was secure.
Forsothe Salomon sat on the trone of Dauid, his fadir, and his rewme was maad stidfast greetli.
13 Adonijah, son of Haggith, went to see Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She asked him, “Have you come here with good intentions?” He replied, “Yes, with good intentions.”
And Adonye, sone of Agith, entride to Bersabee, modir of Salomon; and sche seide to hym, Whether thin entryng is pesible? And he answeride, It is pesible.
14 “I have something I'd like to ask of you,” he continued. “Go on,” she said.
And he addide, A word of me is to thee. `To whom sche seide, Speke thou.
15 “You know that the kingdom was mine,” he declared, “and everyone in Israel was looking forward to me being their next king. But everything was turned upside-down, and the kingdom passed to my brother, because that's what the Lord wanted.
And he seide, Thou knowist that the rewme was myn, and al Israel purposide to make me in to king to hem; but the rewme is translatid, and is maad my brotheris; for of the Lord it is ordeyned to hym.
16 Now I've just one request to ask of you—please don't say no.” “Tell me,” she said.
Now therfor Y preye of the oon axyng; schende thou not my face. And sche seide to hym, Speke thou. And he seide, Y preie,
17 He went on, “Please talk to King Solomon for me because he won't turn you down. Ask him to give me Abishag from Shunem as my wife.”
that thou seie to Salomon the king; for he may not denye ony thing to thee; that he yyue to me Abisag of Sunam wijf.
18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will talk to the king for you.”
And Bersabee seide, Wel, Y schal speke for thee to the kyng.
19 So Bathsheba went to talk to King Solomon for Adonijah. The king got up from his throne to meet her, and bowed before her. Then he sat back down and ordered another throne brought in for his mother. She sat to his right.
Therfor Bersabee cam to kyng Salomon, to speke to hym for Adonye; and the kyng roos ayens the comyng of hir, and worschipide hir, and `sat on his trone; and a trone was set to the modir of the kyng, and sche sat at his riyt side.
20 “I have just one small request to ask of you,” she said. “Please don't say no.” The king replied, “Ask away, dear mother. I won't say no to you.”
And sche seide to hym, Y preie of thee o litil axyng; schende thou not my face. And the kyng seide to hir, My modir, axe thou; for it is not leueful that Y turne awei thi face.
21 “Please give Abishag from Shunem to your brother Adonijah as his wife,” she replied.
And sche seide, Abisag of Sunam be youun wijf to Adonye, thi brother.
22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why on earth are you asking me to give Abishag to Adonijah? You might as well ask me to give my brother the kingdom! He is my older brother, and Abiathar the priest and Joab, son of Zeruiah, are on his side!”
And kyng Salomon answeride, and seide to his modir, Whi axist thou Abisag of Sunam to Adonye? Axe thou to hym also the rewme; for he is `my gretter brothir, and he hath Abiathar, preest, and Joab, sone of Saruye.
23 Then King Solomon vowed before the Lord, “May God punish me, really punish me, if what Adonijah has asked for doesn't cost him his life.
Therfor kyng Salomon swoor bi the Lord, and seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde these thinges, for Adonie spak this word ayens his lijf.
24 So I vow, as the Lord lives, who affirmed me as king and placed me on the throne of my father David, making me the head of a dynasty as he promised, Adonijah shall be executed today.”
And now the Lord lyueth, that confermede me, and hath set me on the trone of my fadir, and that hath maad to me an hows, as he spak, for Adonye schal be slayn to dai.
25 King Solomon sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, who carried out the king's orders and executed Adonijah.
And kyng Salomon sente bi the hond of Banaie, sone of Joiada; which Banaie killide Adonye, and he was deed.
26 In the case of Abiathar, the high priest, the king told him, “Go home and take care of your fields. You should be condemned to death, but I will not kill you right now because you carried the Ark of the Lord God ahead of my father David and went through all his hard times with him.”
Also the kyng seide to Abiathar, preest, Go thou in to Anatot, to thi feeld; and sotheli thou art a man of deeth, `that is, worthi the deeth, for conspiryng ayens me, and the ordynaunce of God, and of my fadir; but to dai Y schal not sle thee, for thou barist the arke of the Lord God bifor Dauid, my fadir, and thou suffridist trauele in alle thingis, in whiche my fadir trauelide.
27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, and so fulfilled what the Lord had said at Shiloh regarding the descendants of Eli.
Therfor Salomon puttide out Abiathar, that he schulde not be preest of the Lord, that the word of the Lord were fillid, which he spak on the hows of Heli, in Silo.
28 When Joab heard the news he ran to the Lord's Tent and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. (He had not supported Absalom's rebellion but he had supported Adonijah.)
Forsothe a messager cam to Salomon, that Joab hadde bowid aftir Adonye, and that he hadde not bowid after Salomon. Therfor Joab fledde in to the tabernacle of the Lord, and took the horn of the auter.
29 When King Solomon was told that Joab was seeking sanctuary by the altar, he sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, to execute him.
And it was teld to kyng Salomon, that Joab hadde fledde in to the tabernacle of the Lord, and was bisidis the auter; and Salomon sente Banaie, sone of Joiada, and seide, Go thou, and sle hym.
30 Benaiah went to the Lord's Tent and told called to Joab, “The king orders you to come out!” “No! I'll die here!” Joab replied. Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said.
And Banaie cam to the tabernacle of the Lord, and seide to Joab, The kyng seith these thingis, Go thou out. And he seide, Y schal not go out, but Y schal die here. Banaie telde the word to the kyng, and seide, Joab spak thes thingis, and answeride these thingis to me.
31 “Do as he says,” the king told Benaiah. “Strike him down and bury him. In that way you will remove from me and my family the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed.
And the kyng seide to Banaie, Do thou as he spak, and sle thou hym, and birie him; and thou schalt remoue the innocent blood, that was sched out of Joab, fro me, and fro the hows of my fadir.
32 The Lord will pay him back for the blood he shed, for without my father David's knowledge, he killed two good men who were better than he was. With his sword he killed Abner, son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa, son of Jether, commander of Judah's army.
And the Lord yelde on his heed his blood, for he killide twei iust men, and betere than hym silf, and he killide hem bi swerd, while Dauid, my fadir, `wiste not, Abner, the sone of Ner, the prince of the chyualrie of Israel, and Amasa, sone of Jether, the prince of the oost of Juda.
33 May the responsibility for shedding their blood come back on Joab and his descendants forever; but may the Lord give peace and prosperity to David, his descendants, his family, and his dynasty forever.”
And the blood of hem schal turne ayen in to the heed of Joab, and in to the heed of his seed with outen ende; forsothe pees be of the Lord til in to with outen ende to Dauid, and to his seed, and to the hous and trone of hym.
34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned and killed Joab. He was buried at his home in the wilderness.
Therfor Banaie, sone of Joiada, stiede, and asailide, and killide Joab; and Joab was biried in his hows in deseert.
35 The king appointed Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, to take over Joab's role as army commander, and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.
And the kyng ordeynede Banaie, sone of Joiada, on the oost for hym; and the kyng puttide Sadoch preest for Abiathar.
36 Then the king summoned Shimei and told him, “Go and build yourself a house in Jerusalem and stay there, but don't leave and go anywhere else.
Also the kyng sente, and clepide Semey, and seide to hym, Bilde to thee an hows in Jerusalem, and dwelle thou there, and thou schalt not go out fro thennus hidur and thidur;
37 You should know for certain that the day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley you will die. Your death will be your own responsibility.”
sotheli in what euer dai thou goist out, and passist the stronde of Cedron, wite thou thee worthi to be slayn; thi blood schal be on thin heed.
38 “What Your Majesty says is fair,” Shimei replied. “Your servant will do as my lord the king has ordered.” Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.
And Semei seide to the kyng, The word of the kyng is good; as my lord the kyng spak, so thi seruaunt schal do. Therfor Semey dwellide in Jerusalem in many daies.
39 But three years later, two of Shimei's slaves escaped to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.”
Forsothe it was doon after thre yeer, that the seruauntis of Semei fledden to Achis, sone of Maacha, the kyng of Geth; and it was teld to Semey, that hise seruauntis hadden go in to Geth.
40 So Shimei saddled up his donkey and went to Achish in Gath to look for his slaves. He found them and brought them back from Gath.
And Semey roos, and sadlide his asse, and yede to Achis, in to Geth, to seke hise seruauntis; and brouyte hem ayen fro Geth.
41 Solomon was informed that Shimei had left Jerusalem to go to Gath, and had then returned.
Forsothe it was teld to kyng Salomon, that Semey hadde go to Geth fro Jerusalem, and hadde come ayen.
42 The king summoned Shimei and asked him, “Didn't I vow to you by the Lord, didn't I warn you that the day you left and went somewhere else that you should know for certain that you would die? Didn't you reply to me, ‘What Your Majesty says is fair; I'll do as you ordered’?
And Salomon sente, and clepide hym, and seide to hym, Whether Y witnessede not to thee bi the Lord, and bifor seide to thee, In what euer dai thou schalt go out hidur and thidur, wite thou that thou schalt die; and thou answeridist to me, The word is good, which Y herde?
43 So why haven't you kept your vow to the Lord, and obeyed my orders?”
Whi therfor keptist thou not the ooth of the Lord, and the comaundement which Y comaundide to thee?
44 The king also told Shimei, “Deep down you know all the evil things you did to my father David. That's why the Lord will repay you for your evil.
And the kyng seide to Semei, Thou knowist al the yuel, of which thin herte is gilti to thee, which yuel thou didist to my fadir; the Lord hath yolde thi malice in to thin heed.
45 But I, King Solomon, will be blessed and David's dynasty will be kept safe in the presence of the Lord forever.”
And kyng Salomon schal be blessid; and the trone of Dauid schal be stable bifor the Lord til in to with outen ende.
46 The king ordered Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, to execute Shimei, so he went and killed Shimei. In this way Solomon's hold on the kingdom was made secure.
Therfor the kyng comaundide to Banaie, sone of Joiada; and he assailide, and smoot Semey, and he was deed.
