1 Kings 2

1 And the days of David to die draw near, and he charges his son Solomon, saying,

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

2 “I am going in the way of all the earth, and you have been strong, and become a man,

I, am going the way of all the earth, —thou must be strong, therefore, and show thyself a man;

3 and you have kept the charge of your God YHWH, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commands, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you do wisely [in] all that you do, and wherever you turn,

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 so that YHWH establishes His word which He spoke to me, saying, If your sons observe their way to walk before Me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul; saying, A man of yours is never cut off from 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 And also, you have known that which he did to me—Joab son of Zeruiah—that which he did to two heads of the hosts of Israel, to Abner son of Ner, and to Amasa son of Jether—that he slays them, and makes the blood of war in peace, and puts the blood of war in his girdle, that [is] on his loins, and in his sandals that [are] on his feet;

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 and you have done according to your wisdom, and do not let his old age go down in peace to Sheol. (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 And you do kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and they have been among those eating at your table, for so they drew near to me in my fleeing from the face of your brother Absalom.

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, Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, [is] with you, and he reviled me—a grievous reviling—in the day of my going to Mahanaim; and he has come down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swear to him by YHWH, saying, I do not put you to death by 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 and now, do not acquit him, for you [are] a wise man, and you have known that which you do to him, and have brought down his old age with blood to Sheol.” (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 lies down with his fathers, and is 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 that David has reigned over Israel [are] forty years; he has reigned seven years in Hebron, and he has reigned 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 has sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom is established greatly,

But, when, Solomon, took his seat upon the throne of David his father, then was the kingdom firmly established.

13 and Adonijah son of Haggith comes to Bathsheba, mother of Solomon, and she says, “Is your coming peace?” And he says, “Peace.”

And Adonijah son of Haggith came in unto Bath-sheba, mother of Solomon: And she said—Peaceably, comest thou? And he said—Peaceably.

14 And he says, “I have a word for you,” and she says, “Speak.”

Then said he—I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said—Say on.

15 And he says, “You have known that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their faces toward me for reigning, and the kingdom is turned around, and is my brother’s, for it was his from YHWH;

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 am asking one petition of you—do not turn back my face”; and she says to him, “Speak.”

Now, therefore, one request, have I to ask of thee, do not turn away my face.

17 And he says, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he does not turn back your face, and he gives Abishag the Shunammite to me 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 Bathsheba says, “Good; I speak to the king for you.”

And Bath-sheba said: Good! I myself, will speak for thee, unto the king.

19 And Bathsheba comes to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king rises to meet her, and bows himself to her, and sits on his throne, and places a throne for the mother of the king, and she sits at 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 says, “I ask one small petition of you, do not turn back my face”; and the king says to her, “Ask, my mother, for I do not turn back your face.”

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 says, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah for a wife.”

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

22 And King Solomon answers and says to his mother, “And why are you asking [for] Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Also ask [for] the kingdom for him—for he [is] my elder brother—even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.”

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 swears by YHWH, saying, “Thus God does to me, and thus He adds—surely Adonijah has spoken this word against his [own] soul;

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, YHWH lives, who has established me, and causes me to sit on the throne of my father David, and who has made a house for me as He spoke—surely Adonijah is put to death today.”

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 And King Solomon sends by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he falls on him, and he dies.

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, “Go to Anathoth, to your fields; for you [are] a man of death, but I do not put you to death in this day, because you have carried the Ark of Lord YHWH before my father David, and because you were afflicted in all that my father was afflicted in.”

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 casts out Abiathar from being priest of YHWH, to fulfill the word of YHWH which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

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 has come to Joab—for Joab has turned aside after Adonijah, though he did not turn aside after Absalom—and Joab flees to the tent of YHWH, and lays hold on 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 is declared to King Solomon that Joab has fled to the tent of YHWH, and behold, [is] near the altar; and Solomon sends Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, fall on 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 Benaiah comes into the tent of YHWH and says to him, “Thus said the king: Come out”; and he says, “No, but I die here.” And Benaiah brings back word [to] the king, saying, “Thus spoke Joab, indeed, thus 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 says to him, “Do as he has spoken, and fall on him, and you have buried him, and turned aside the causeless blood which Joab shed from off me, and from off 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 YHWH has turned back his blood on his own head, [on him] who has fallen on two men more righteous and better than he, and slays them with the sword—and my father David did not know—Abner son of Ner, head of the host of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, head of the host of Judah;

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 indeed, their blood has turned back on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed for all time; and for David, and for his seed, and for his house, and for his throne, there is peace for all time, from YHWH.”

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 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada goes up and falls on him, and puts him to death, and he is buried in his own 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 puts Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the host in his stead, and the king has put Zadok the priest in the stead of Abiathar.

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.

36 And the king sends and calls for Shimei, and says to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem, and you have dwelt there, and do not go out [from] there anywhere;

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;

37 and it has been, in the day of your going out, and you have passed over the Brook of Kidron, you certainly know that you surely die—your blood is on your head.”

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.

38 And Shimei says to the king, “The word [is] good; as my lord the king has spoken so your servant does”; and Shimei dwells in Jerusalem many days.

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.

39 And it comes to pass, at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei flee to Achish son of Maachah, king of Gath, and they declare to Shimei, saying, “Behold, your servants [are] in Gath”;

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.

40 and Shimei rises, and saddles his donkey, and goes to Gath, to Achish, to seek his servants, and Shimei goes and brings his servants from 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.

41 And it is declared to Solomon that Shimei has gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and returns,

And it was told Solomon—Shimei hath been out of Jerusalem to Gath, and returned.

42 and the king sends and calls for Shimei, and says to him, “Have I not caused you to swear by YHWH—and I testify against you, saying, In the day of your going out, and you have gone anywhere, you certainly know that you surely die; and you say to me, The word I have heard [is] good?

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.

43 And why have you not kept the oath of YHWH, and the charge that I charged on you?”

Why then, hast thou not kept the oath of Yahweh, —and the charge which I laid upon thee?

44 And the king says to Shimei, “You have known all the evil that your heart has known, which you did to my father David, and YHWH has turned back your evil on your head,

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.

45 and King Solomon [is] blessed, and the throne of David is established before YHWH for all time.”

But, King Solomon, shall be blessed, —and, the throne of David, shall be established before Yahweh, unto times age-abiding.

46 And the king charges Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he goes out and falls on him, and he dies, and the kingdom is established in the hand of Solomon.

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.