1 Kings 2

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

When David [knew that he] was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:

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

“I am about to die [EUP], like everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as an adult should.

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,

Do what Yahweh our God tells you to do. Conduct yourself as he wants you to do. Obey all of his laws and commands and precepts and instructions that are written in the laws that Moses [gave us]. Do this in order that you will prosper in all that you do and wherever you go.

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.

If you continually do that, Yahweh will do what he promised me: He said, ‘If your descendants do what I tell them to do, and faithfully obey my commands with all their inner beings, they will always be [LIT] the ones who will rule [MTY] 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;

“There is something else [that I want you to do]. You know what Joab did to me. He killed my two army commanders, Abner and Amasa. He murdered them violently [MTY] during a time of peace, pretending that it was a time of war. Those two men (were innocent/had not done what was wrong). But Joab [killed them and] their blood to stain his belt and his sandals.

6 and you have done according to your wisdom, and do not let his old age go down in peace to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

Because you are wise, do to him what you think is best [for you to do], but do not allow him to become old [MTY] and then die [IDM] peacefully. (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 be kind to the sons of Barzillai, the man from [the] Gilead [region], and be sure that they always have enough food to eat [MTY]. Do that because Barzillai helped me when I was running away from your older brother Absalom.

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;

Also, [you remember] Gera’s son Shimei from Bahurim [town] in the area where the descendants of Benjamin live. [You know what he did to me]. He cursed me terribly on the day I [left Jerusalem and] went to Mahanaim [town]. But when he later came down to see me at the Jordan [River], I solemnly promised, while Yahweh listened [MTY], that I would not cause him to be executed.

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)

But now you must [LIT] surely punish him. You are a wise man, so you will know what you should do to him. He is an old man [MTY], but be sure that he [loses/sheds] a lot of blood when you kill him [MTY].” (Sheol h7585)

10 And David lies down with his fathers, and is buried in the City of David,

Then David died [EUP] and was buried in [that part of Jerusalem which was called] ‘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.

David had been the king of Israel for 40 years: He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem.

12 And Solomon has sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom is established greatly,

Solomon became the ruler/king [MTY] to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.

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

[One day] Adonijah came to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. She said to him, “Have you come because you want things to go well?” He replied, “Yes.”

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

But then he said, “I have something to ask you to do.” She said, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”

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;

He said, “You know that all the Israeli people expected me to be their king [because I am David’s oldest surviving son]. But that did not happen. Instead, my [younger] brother became king, because that is what Yahweh wanted.

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

Now I have one thing that I ask you to do. Please do not refuse to do it.” She replied, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”

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.”

He said, “Please ask King Solomon to give to me Abishag, the woman from Shunem [town], to be my wife. [I am sure that] he will not refuse.”

18 And Bathsheba says, “Good; I speak to the king for you.”

Bathsheba replied, “Okay, I will speak to the king for you.”

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 Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to tell him what Adonijah wanted. The king got up [from his throne] and went to greet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne again and asked someone to bring a chair for her. So she sat down at the king’s right side.

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 she said, “I have one small thing which I want you to do; please do not say that you will not do it.” The king replied, “Mother, what do you want? I will not refuse you.”

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

She said, “Allow Abishag to be given to your [older] brother Adonijah to be his 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.”

The king replied [angrily], “What? Are you requesting me to give Abishag to Adonijah? [Does he want me] to allow him to rule the kingdom, too? Because he is my older brother, [does he think that he should be the king]? Does he think that Abiathar should be the priest [instead of Zadok], and that Joab [should be the army commander instead of Benaiah] because they supported him [when he tried to become the king]?”

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 Solomon solemnly promised, requesting Yahweh to listen, “I wish God would strike me and kill me if I do not cause Adonijah to be executed for requesting this!

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.”

Yahweh has appointed me to be the king and placed me here to rule [MTY] as my father David did. He has promised that my descendants [MTY] will be the kings of Israel. So just as surely as Yahweh lives, I solemnly promise that Adonijah will be executed today!”

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

So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to [go and] kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.

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.”

Then Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to Anathoth [town], to your land there. You deserve to be killed, but I will not execute you now, because you were the one who [supervised the men who] carried Yahweh’s Sacred Chest for David my father, and you endured all the troubles that my father endured.”

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 dismissed Abiathar from being the priest of Yahweh. By doing that he caused to happen what Yahweh had said [many years previously] at Shiloh, [that some day he would get rid] of the descendants [MTY] of Eli.

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.

Joab had not supported Absalom [when he tried to become the king], but he had supported Adonijah. So when Joab heard what had happened, he ran to the Sacred Tent, and he grasped the projections on the corners of the altar, [because he knew that no one would kill him there].

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.”

When someone told Solomon that Joab had run to the Sacred Tent and was standing alongside the altar, Solomon told Benaiah, “Go and execute Joab.”

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.”

So Benaiah went to the Sacred Tent and said to Joab, “The king commands you to come out!” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah went back to the king and reported [what he had said to Joab, and] what Joab had replied.

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;

The king replied to him, “Do what he has requested. Kill him and bury his body. If you do that, my descendants [MTY] and I will no longer be punished for what Joab did when he killed [MTY] two men who (were innocent/had not done anything that is wrong).

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;

But Yahweh will punish [MTY] Joab for attacking and killing Abner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the commander of the army of Judah, two men who were more righteous and better [DOU] men than he is. My father David did not even know that Joab [was planning to murder them].

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.”

Joab and his descendants will be punished [IDM] forever for his murdering Abner and Amasa. But things will forever go well for David’s descendants [MTY] who rule [MTY] as King David did.”

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 went [into the Sacred Tent] and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the desert [part of Judah].

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.

Then the king appointed Benaiah to be the commander of the army instead of Joab, and he appointed Zadok to be the priest instead 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;

Then the king sent [a messenger] to summon Shimei, and the king said to him, “Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Remain there and do not leave the city to go anywhere.

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.”

Be sure that the day that you leave Jerusalem and go across the Kidron Brook, you will be executed, and it will be (your own fault/what you deserve).”

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.

Shimei replied, “Your Majesty, what you say is good. I will do what you have said.” So Shimei remained in Jerusalem for several years.

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 three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away. They went to stay with Maacah’s son Achish, the king of Gath [city]. When someone told Shimei that they were 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.

he put a saddle on his donkey and [got on it and] went to Gath. He found his slaves staying with King Achish and brought them back home.

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

But someone told King Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had 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?

So the king sent [a soldier] to summon Shimei and said to him, “I told you to solemnly promise, knowing that Yahweh [MTY] was listening, that you must not leave Jerusalem. I told you [RHQ], ‘Be sure that if you ever leave Jerusalem, you will be executed.’ And you replied [RHQ] to me, ‘What you have said is good; I will do what you have said.’

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

So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?”

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,

The king also said to Shimei, “You know all the evil things that you did to my father David. So Yahweh will now punish you for the evil things that you did.

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

But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David’s descendants [MTY] to rule forever.”

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.

Then the king gave an order to Benaiah, and he went and killed Shimei. So Solomon was completely in control of the kingdom.