1 Kings 2

1 Forsothe the daies of Dauid neiyiden, that he schulde die; and he comaundide to Salomon, his sone, and seide, Lo!

Then the dayes of Dauid drewe neere that he should die, and hee charged Salomon his sonne, saying,

2 Y entre in to the weie of al erthe; be thou coumfortid, and be thou a strong man.

I go the way of all the earth: be strong therefore, and shew thy selfe a man,

3 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.

And take heede to the charge of the Lord thy God, to walke in his wayes, and keepe his statutes, and his commandements, and his iudgements, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and in euery thing whereunto thou turnest thee,

4 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.

That the Lord may confirme his worde which hee spake vnto me, saying, If thy sonnes take heede to their way, that they walke before me in trueth, with all their hearts, and with all their soules, thou shalt not (sayd he) want one of thy posteritie vpon the throne of Israel.

5 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.

Thou knowest also what Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captaines of the hostes of Israel, vnto Abner the sonne of Ner, and vnto Amasa the sonne of Iether: whome he slewe, and shed blood of battell in peace, and put the blood of warre vpon his girdle that was about his loynes, and in his shooes that were on his feete.

6 Therfor thou schalt do by thi wisdom, and thou schalt not lede forth his hoornesse pesibli to hellis. (Sheol h7585)

Doe therefore according to thy wisdome, and let thou not his hoare head go downe to the graue in peace. (Sheol h7585)

7 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.

But shew kindnes vnto the sonnes of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among them that eate at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.

8 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,

And beholde, with thee is Shimei the sonne of Gera, the sonne of Iemini, of Bahurim, which cursed mee with an horrible curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but hee came downe to meete me at Iorden, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not slay thee with the sword.

9 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)

But thou shalt not count him innocent: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to doe vnto him: therefore thou shalt cause his hoare head to goe downe to the graue with blood. (Sheol h7585)

10 Sotheli Dauid slepte with hise fadris, and was biriede in the citee of Dauid.

So Dauid slept with his fathers, and was buried in the citie of Dauid.

11 Forsothe the daies, in whiche Dauid regnede on Israel, ben fourti yeer; in Ebron he regned seuene yeer, in Jerusalem thre and thretti yeer.

And the dayes which Dauid reigned vpon Israel, were fourtie yeeres: seuen yeeres reigned he in Hebron, and thirtie and three yeeres reigned he in Ierusalem.

12 Forsothe Salomon sat on the trone of Dauid, his fadir, and his rewme was maad stidfast greetli.

Then sate Salomon vpon the throne of Dauid his father, and his kingdome was stablished mightily.

13 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.

And Adonijah the sonne of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Salomon: and she saide, Commest thou peaceably? And hee said, Yea.

14 And he addide, A word of me is to thee. `To whom sche seide, Speke thou.

He said moreouer, I haue a sute vnto thee. And she sayd, Say on.

15 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.

Then he said, Thou knowest that the kingdome was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reigne: howbeit the kingdome is turned away, and is my brothers: for it came to him by the Lord.

16 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,

Nowe therefore I aske thee one request, refuse me not. And she said vnto him, Say on.

17 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.

And he sayd, Speake, I pray thee, vnto Salomon ye King, (for he will not say thee nay) that he giue me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

18 And Bersabee seide, Wel, Y schal speke for thee to the kyng.

And Bath-sheba sayd, Well, I will speake for thee vnto the King.

19 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.

Bath-sheba therefore went vnto King Salomon, to speake vnto him for Adonijah: and the King rose to meete her, and bowed himselfe vnto her, and sate downe on his throne: and he caused a seate to be set for the Kings mother, and she sate at his right hand.

20 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.

Then she sayd, I desire a small request of thee, say me not nay. Then the King sayde vnto her, Aske on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

21 And sche seide, Abisag of Sunam be youun wijf to Adonye, thi brother.

She sayd then, Let Abishag the Shunammite be giuen to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

22 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.

But King Salomon answered and sayd vnto his mother, And why doest thou aske Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? aske for him the kingdome also: for he is mine elder brother, and hath for him both Abiathar the Priest, and Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah.

23 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.

Then King Salomon sware by the Lord, saying, God doe so to me and more also, if Adoniiah hath not spoken this worde against his owne life.

24 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.

Now therefore as ye Lord liueth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne of Dauid my father, who also hath made me an house, as he promised, Adoniiah shall surely die this day.

25 And kyng Salomon sente bi the hond of Banaie, sone of Joiada; which Banaie killide Adonye, and he was deed.

And King Salomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and hee smote him that he dyed.

26 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.

Then the King sayd vnto Abiathar the Priest, Go to Anathoth vnto thine owne fieldes: for thou art worthy of death: but I will not this day kill thee, because thou barest the Arke of the Lord God before Dauid my father, and because thou hast suffered in all, wherein my father hath bene afflicted.

27 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.

So Salomon cast out Abiathar from being Priest vnto the Lord, that he might fulfill the wordes of the Lord, which he spake against the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 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.

Then tidings came to Ioab: (for Ioab had turned after Adoniiah, but he turned not after Absalom) and Ioab fled vnto the Tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the hornes of the altar.

29 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.

And it was tolde king Salomon, that Ioab was fled vnto the Tabernacle of the Lord, and beholde, he is by the altar. Then Salomon sent Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, saying, Goe, fall vpon him.

30 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.

And Benaiah came to the Tabernacle of the Lord, and sayd vnto him, Thus sayth the King, Come out. And he sayde, Nay, but I will die here. Then Benaiah brought the King worde againe, saying, Thus sayd Ioab, and thus he answered me.

31 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.

And the King sayde vnto him, Doe as he hath sayd, and smite him, and bury him, that thou mayest take away the blood, which Ioab shed causelesse, from me and from the house of my father.

32 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.

And the Lord shall bring his blood vpon his owne head: for he smote two men more righteous and better then he, and slew them with the sword, and my father Dauid knew not: to wit, Abner the sonne of Ner, captaine of the hoste of Israel, and Amasa the sonne of Iether captaine of the hoste of Iudah.

33 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.

Their blood shall therefore returne vpon the head of Ioab, and on the head of his seede for euer: but vpon Dauid, and vpon his seede, and vpon his house, and vpon his throne shall there be peace for euer from the Lord.

34 Therfor Banaie, sone of Joiada, stiede, and asailide, and killide Joab; and Joab was biried in his hows in deseert.

So Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada went vp, and smote him, and slewe him, and he was buryed in his owne house in the wildernesse.

35 And the kyng ordeynede Banaie, sone of Joiada, on the oost for hym; and the kyng puttide Sadoch preest for Abiathar.

And the King put Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada in his roume ouer the hoste: and the King set Zadok the Priest in the roume of Abiathar.

36 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;

Afterwarde the King sent, and called Shimei, and sayde vnto him, Buylde thee an house in Ierusalem, and dwell there, and depart not thence any whither.

37 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.

For that day that thou goest out, and passest ouer the riuer of Kidron, knowe assuredly, that thou shalt dye the death: thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head.

38 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.

And Shimei sayd vnto the King, The thing is good: as my lord the King hath sayd, so wil thy seruant doe. So Shimei dwelt in Ierusalem many dayes.

39 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.

And after three yeres two of the seruants of Shimei fled away vnto Achish sonne of Maachah King of Gath: and they tolde Shimei, saying, Behold, thy seruants be in Gath.

40 And Semey roos, and sadlide his asse, and yede to Achis, in to Geth, to seke hise seruauntis; and brouyte hem ayen fro Geth.

And Shimei arose, and sadled his asse, and went to Gath to Achish, to seeke his seruantes: and Shimei went, and brought his seruants from Gath.

41 Forsothe it was teld to kyng Salomon, that Semey hadde go to Geth fro Jerusalem, and hadde come ayen.

And it was tolde Salomon, that Shimei had gone from Ierusalem to Gath, and was come againe.

42 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?

And the King sent and called Shimei, and sayde vnto him, Did I not make thee to sweare by the Lord, and protested vnto thee, saying, That day that thou goest out, and walkest any whither, knowe assuredly that thou shalt dye the death? And thou saydest vnto mee, The thing is good, that I haue heard.

43 Whi therfor keptist thou not the ooth of the Lord, and the comaundement which Y comaundide to thee?

Why then hast thou not kept the othe of the Lord, and the commandement wherewith I charged thee?

44 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.

The King sayde also to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickednes whereunto thine heart is priuie, that thou diddest to Dauid my father: the Lord therefore shall bring thy wickednesse vpon thine owne head.

45 And kyng Salomon schal be blessid; and the trone of Dauid schal be stable bifor the Lord til in to with outen ende.

And let King Salomon be blessed, and the throne of Dauid stablished before the Lord for euer.

46 Therfor the kyng comaundide to Banaie, sone of Joiada; and he assailide, and smoot Semey, and he was deed.

So the King comanded Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada: who went out and smote him that he dyed. And the kingdome was established in the hand of Salomon.