1 Kings 2
1 The time of David's death was approaching, so he gave his son Solomon these last instructions:
Appropinquaverunt autem dies David ut moreretur, præcepitque Salomoni filio suo, dicens:
2 “I am about to go the way everybody on earth must go. Be brave, and act like a man.
Ego ingredior viam universæ terræ: confortare, et esto vir.
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.
Et observa custodias Domini Dei tui, ut ambules in viis eius, ut custodias ceremonias eius, et præcepta eius, et iudicia, et testimonia, sicut scriptum est in lege Moysi: ut intelligas universa quæ facis, et quocumque te verteris:
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.’
ut confirmet Dominus sermones suos, quos locutus est de me, dicens: Si custodierint filii tui vias suas, et ambulaverint coram me in veritate, in omni corde suo, et in omni anima sua, non auferetur tibi vir de solio 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.
Tu quoque nosti quæ fecerit mihi Ioab filius Sarviæ, quæ fecerit duobus principibus exercitus Israel, Abner filio Ner, et Amasæ filio Iether: quos occidit, et effudit sanguinem belli in pace, et posuit cruorem prælii in balteo suo, qui erat circa lumbos eius, et in calceamento suo, quod erat in pedibus eius.
6 Do what you think is right, but don't let his gray head go down peacefully into the grave. (Sheol h7585)
Facies ergo iuxta sapientiam tuam, et non deduces canitiem eius pacifice ad inferos. (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.
Sed et filiis Berzellai Galaaditis reddes gratiam, eruntque comedentes in mensa tua: occurrerunt enim mihi quando fugiebam a facie Absalom fratris tui.
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.’
Habes quoque apud te Semei filium Gera filii Iemini de Bahurim, qui maledixit mihi maledictione pessima, quando ibam ad Castra: sed quia descendit mihi in occursum cum transirem Iordanem, et iuravi ei per Dominum, dicens: Non te interficiam gladio:
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)
tu noli pati eum esse innoxium. Vir autem sapiens es, ut scias quæ facies ei, deducesque canos eius cum sanguine ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)
10 Then David died and his was buried in the City of David.
Dormivit igitur David cum patribus suis, et sepultus est in civitate David.
11 His reign over Israel lasted forty years; seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Dies autem, quibus regnavit David super Israel, quadraginta anni sunt: in Hebron regnavit septem annis: in Ierusalem, triginta tribus.
12 Solomon took over as king, sitting on the throne of his father David, and his hold on his kingdom was secure.
Salomon autem sedit super thronum David patris sui, et firmatum est regnum eius nimis.
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.”
Et ingressus est Adonias filius Haggith ad Bethsabee matrem Salomonis. Quæ dixit ei: Pacificusne est ingressus tuus? Qui respondit: Pacificus.
14 “I have something I'd like to ask of you,” he continued. “Go on,” she said.
Addiditque: Sermo mihi est ad te. Cui ait: Loquere. Et ille:
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.
Tu, inquit, nosti, quia meum erat regnum, et me præposuerat omnis Israel sibi in regem: sed translatum est regnum, et factum est fratris mei: a Domino enim constitutum est ei.
16 Now I've just one request to ask of you—please don't say no.” “Tell me,” she said.
Nunc ergo petitionem unam precor a te; ne confundas faciem meam. Quæ dixit ad eum: Loquere.
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.”
Et ille ait: Precor ut dicas Salomoni regi (neque enim negare tibi quidquam potest) ut det mihi Abisag Sunamitidem uxorem.
18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will talk to the king for you.”
Et ait Bethsabee: Bene, ego loquar pro te regi.
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.
Venit ergo Bethsabee ad regem Salomonem, ut loqueretur ei pro Adonia: et surrexit rex in occursum eius, adoravitque eam, et sedit super thronum suum: positusque est thronus matri regis, quæ sedit ad dexteram eius.
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.”
Dixitque ei: Petitionem unam parvulam ego deprecor a te, ne confundas faciem meam. Et dixit ei rex: Pete mater mea: neque enim fas est ut avertam faciem tuam.
21 “Please give Abishag from Shunem to your brother Adonijah as his wife,” she replied.
Quæ ait: Detur Abisag Sunamitis Adoniæ fratri tuo uxor.
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!”
Responditque rex Salomon, et dixit matri suæ: Quare postulas Abisag Sunamitidem Adoniæ? postula ei et regnum: ipse est enim frater meus maior me, et habet Abiathar sacerdotem, et Ioab filium Sarviæ.
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.
Iuravit itaque rex Salomon per Dominum, dicens: Hæc faciat mihi Deus, et hæc addat, quia contra animam suam locutus est Adonias verbum hoc.
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.”
Et nunc vivit Dominus, qui firmavit me, et collocavit me super solium David patris mei, et qui fecit mihi domum, sicut locutus est, quia hodie occidetur Adonias.
25 King Solomon sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, who carried out the king's orders and executed Adonijah.
Misitque rex Salomon per manum Banaiæ filii Ioiadæ, qui interfecit eum, et mortuus est.
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.”
Abiathar quoque sacerdoti dixit rex: Vade in Anathoth ad agrum tuum, equidem vir mortis es: sed hodie te non interficiam, quia portasti arcam Domini Dei coram David patre meo, et sustinuisti laborem in omnibus, in quibus laboravit pater meus.
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.
Eiecit ergo Salomon Abiathar, ut non esset sacerdos Domini, ut impleretur sermo Domini, quem locutus est super domum 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.)
Venit autem nuncius ad Ioab, quod Ioab declinasset post Adoniam, et post Salomonem non declinasset: fugit ergo Ioab in tabernaculum Domini, et apprehendit cornu altaris.
29 When King Solomon was told that Joab was seeking sanctuary by the altar, he sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, to execute him.
Nunciatumque est regi Salomoni quod fugisset Ioab in tabernaculum Domini, et esset iuxta altare: misitque Salomon Banaiam filium Ioiadæ, dicens: Vade, interfice eum.
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.
Et venit Banaias ad tabernaculum Domini, et dixit ei: Hæc dicit rex: Egredere. Qui ait: Non egrediar, sed hic moriar. Renunciavit Banaias regi sermonem, dicens: Hæc locutus est Ioab, et hæc respondit mihi.
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.
Dixitque ei rex: Fac sicut locutus est: et interfice eum, et sepeli, et amovebis sanguinem innocentem, qui effusus est a Ioab, a me, et a domo patris mei.
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.
Et reddet Dominus sanguinem eius super caput eius quia interfecit duos viros iustos, melioresque se: et occidit eos gladio, patre meo David ignorante, Abner filium Ner principem militiæ Israel, et Amasam filium Iether principem exercitus Iuda:
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.”
et revertetur sanguis illorum in caput Ioab, et in caput seminis eius in sempiternum. David autem et semini eius, et domui, et throno illius sit pax usque in æternum a Domino.
34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned and killed Joab. He was buried at his home in the wilderness.
Ascendit itaque Banaias filius Ioiadæ, et aggressus eum interfecit: sepultusque est in domo sua in deserto.
35 The king appointed Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, to take over Joab's role as army commander, and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.
Et constituit rex Banaiam filium Ioiadæ pro eo super exercitum, et Sadoc sacerdotem posuit pro 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.
Misit quoque rex, et vocavit Semei, dixitque ei: Ædifica tibi domum in Ierusalem, et habita ibi: et non egredieris inde huc atque illuc.
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.”
Quacumque autem die egressus fueris, et transieris Torrentem Cedron, scito te interficiendum: sanguis tuus erit super caput tuum.
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.
Dixitque Semei regi: Bonus sermo. sicut locutus est dominus meus rex, sic faciet servus tuus. Habitavit itaque Semei in Ierusalem diebus multis.
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.”
Factum est autem post annos tres ut fugerent servi Semei ad Achis filium Maacha regem Geth: nunciatumque est Semei quod servi eius issent in 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.
Et surrexit Semei, et stravit asinum suum: ivitque ad Achis in Geth ad requirendum servos suos, et adduxit eos de Geth.
41 Solomon was informed that Shimei had left Jerusalem to go to Gath, and had then returned.
Nunciatum est autem Salomoni quod isset Semei in Geth de Ierusalem, et rediisset.
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’?
Et mittens vocavit eum, dixitque illi: Nonne testificatus sum tibi per Dominum, et prædixi tibi: Quacumque die egressus, ieris huc et illuc, scito te esse moriturum? Et respondisti mihi: Bonus sermo, quem audivi.
43 So why haven't you kept your vow to the Lord, and obeyed my orders?”
Quare ergo non custodisti iusiurandum Domini, et præceptum quod præceperam tibi?
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.
Dixitque rex ad Semei: Tu nosti omne malum, cuius tibi conscium est cor tuum, quod fecisti David patri meo: reddidit Dominus malitiam tuam in caput tuum.
45 But I, King Solomon, will be blessed and David's dynasty will be kept safe in the presence of the Lord forever.”
Et rex Salomon benedictus, et thronus David erit stabilis coram Domino usque in sempiternum.
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.
Iussit itaque rex Banaiæ filio Ioiadæ: qui egressus, percussit eum, et mortuus est.
