1 Kings 2

1 As the day of David's death approached, he commanded Solomon his son, saying,

Now the days of David drew near that he should die. And he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2 “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.

I am going the way of all the earth. Be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man,

3 Keep the commands of Yahweh your God to walk in his ways, to obey his statutes, his commandments, his decisions, and his covenant decrees, being careful to do what is written in the law of Moses, so you may prosper in all you do, wherever you go,

and keep the charge of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou may prosper in all that thou do, and wherever thou turn thyself.

4 so that Yahweh may fulfill his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons carefully watch their conduct, to walk before me faithfully with all their heart and with all their soul, you will never cease to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

That Jehovah may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If thy sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee a man on the throne of Israel.

5 You know also what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner son of Ner, and to Amasa son of Jether, whom he killed. He shed the blood of war in peace and put the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the shoes on his feet.

Moreover thou also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, even what he did to the two captains of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his belt that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

6 Deal with Joab by the wisdom you have learned, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. (Sheol h7585)

Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and do not let his hoar head go down to Sheol in peace. (Sheol h7585)

7 However, show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those who eat at thy table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.

8 Look, there is with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. Shimei came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by Yahweh, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'

And, behold, there is with thee 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 Jehovah, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

9 Now therefore do not let him go free from punishment. You are a wise man, and you will know what you ought to do to him. You will bring his gray head down to the grave with blood.” (Sheol h7585)

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

10 Then David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David.

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

11 The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. He had reigned for seven years in Hebron and for thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

And 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 on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was established greatly.

13 Then Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. She said, “Do you come peacefully?” He replied, “Peacefully.”

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Do thou come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” So she replied, “Speak.”

He said moreover, I have something to say to thee. And she said, Say on.

15 Adonijah said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel expected me to be king. But things changed, and the kingdom was given to my brother, for it was his from Yahweh.

And he said, Thou know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign. However the kingdom is turned about, and has become my brother's, for it was his from Jehovah.

16 Now I have one request of you, and do not turn away from my face.” Bathsheba said to him, “Speak.”

And now I ask one petition of thee; do not deny me. And she said to him, Say on.

17 He said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not turn away from your face, so that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

And he said, Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king (for he will not say no thee), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

18 Bathsheba said, “Very well, I will speak to the king.”

And Bathsheba said, Well, I will speak for thee to the king.

19 Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne and had a throne brought for the king's mother. She sat at his right hand.

Bathsheba therefore went to king Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And 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 Then she said, “I wish to ask one small request of you, for you will not turn away from my face.” The king answered her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not turn away from your face.”

Then she said, I ask one small petition of thee; do not deny me. And the king said to her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not deny thee.

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

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

22 King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Why do you not ask the kingdom for him also, for he is my elder brother—for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah?”

And king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why do thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my elder brother, even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

23 Then King Solomon swore by Yahweh, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life.

Then king Solomon swore by Jehovah, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life.

24 Now therefore as Yahweh 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 will be put to death today.”

Now therefore as Jehovah 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 So King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Benaiah found Adonijah and put him to death.

And king Solomon sent by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he fell upon him so that he died.

26 Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields. You are worthy of death, but I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father and suffered in every way my father suffered.”

And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Get thee to Anathoth, to thine own fields, for thou are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou bore the ark of the lord Jehovah before David my father, and because thou were afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to Yahweh, that he might fulfill the word of Yahweh, which he had spoken concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.

So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest to Jehovah, that he might fulfill the word of Jehovah, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 The news came to Joab, for Joab had supported Adonijah, though he had not supported Absalom. So Joab fled to the tent of Yahweh and took hold of the horns of the altar.

And the news came to Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he did not turn after Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of Jehovah, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

29 It was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of Yahweh and was now beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, execute him.”

And it was told king Solomon, Joab has fled to the tent of Jehovah, and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.

30 So Benaiah came to the tent of Yahweh and said to him, “The king says, 'Come out.'” Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah returned to the king, saying, “Joab said he wanted to die at the altar.”

And Benaiah came to the tent of Jehovah, and said to him, Thus says the king, Come forth. And he said, No, but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.

31 The king said to him, “Do as he has said. Kill him and bury him so that you may take away from me and from my father's house the blood that Joab shed without cause.

And the king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall upon him, and bury him, that thou may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house.

32 May Yahweh return his blood on his own head, because he attacked two men more righteous and better than himself and killed them with the sword, Abner son of Ner, the captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, the captain of the army of Judah, without my father David knowing it.

And Jehovah will return his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know it, namely, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah.

33 So may their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But to David and his descendants, and to his house, and to his throne, may there be peace forever from Yahweh.”

So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed forever. But to David, and to his seed, and to his house, and to his throne, there shall be peace forever from Jehovah.

34 Then Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and attacked Joab and killed him. He was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and killed him. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35 The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and he put Zadok the priest in Abiathar's place.

And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the army. And the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

36 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any other place.

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Build for thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth from there anywhere.

37 For on the day you go out, and pass over the Kidron Valley, know you for certain that you will surely die. Your blood will be on your own head.”

For on the day thou go out, and pass over the brook Kidron, know thou for certain that thou shall surely die; thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

38 So Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good. As my master the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for many days.

And Shimei said to the king, The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

39 But at the end of three years, two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maacah, the king of Gath. So they told Shimei, saying, “See, your servants are in Gath.”

And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants are in Gath.

40 Then Shimei arose, saddled his donkey and went to Achish in Gath to seek his servants. He went and brought his servants back from Gath.

And 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 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,

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

42 the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by Yahweh and testify to you, saying, 'Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any other place, you will surely die'? Then you said to me, 'What you say is good.'

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Did I not adjure thee by Jehovah, and protest to thee, saying, Know for certain, that on the day thou go out, and walk abroad anywhere, thou shall surely die? And thou said to me, The saying that I have heard is good.

43 Why then have you not kept your oath to Yahweh and the command that I gave you?”

Why then have thou not kept the oath of Jehovah, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?

44 The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wickedness that you did to my father David. Therefore Yahweh will return your wickedness on your own head.

The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou know all the iniquity which thy heart is privy to, what thou did to David my father. Therefore Jehovah shall return thy iniquity upon thine own head.

45 But King Solomon will be blessed and the throne of David will be established before Yahweh forever.”

But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before Jehovah forever.

46 Then the king gave a command to Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He went out and put Shimei to death. So the rule was well established in Solomon's hand.

So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And he went out, and fell upon him so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.