I Regum 2

1 Appropinquaverunt autem dies David ut moreretur: præcepitque Salomoni filio suo, dicens:

As the time drew near for David to die, he charged his son Solomon,

2 Ego ingredior viam universæ terræ: confortare, et esto vir.

“I am about to go the way of all the earth. So be strong and prove yourself a man.

3 Et observa custodias Domini Dei tui, ut ambules in viis ejus: ut custodias cæremonias ejus, et præcepta ejus, et judicia, et testimonia, sicut scriptum est in lege Moysi: ut intelligas universa quæ facis, et quocumque te verteris:

And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordinances, and decrees, as is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn,

4 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 Israël.

and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

5 Tu quoque nosti quæ fecerit mihi Joab filius Sarviæ, quæ fecerit duobus principibus exercitus Israël, Abner filio Ner, et Amasæ filio Jether: quos occidit, et effudit sanguinem belli in pace, et posuit cruorem prælii in balteo suo qui erat circa lumbos ejus, et in calceamento suo quod erat in pedibus ejus.

Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

6 Facies ergo juxta sapientiam tuam, et non deduces canitiem ejus pacifice ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)

So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. (Sheol h7585)

7 Sed et filiis Berzellai Galaaditis reddes gratiam, eruntque comedentes in mensa tua: occurrerunt enim mihi quando fugiebam a facie Absalom fratris tui.

But show loving devotion to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, because they stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

8 Habes quoque apud te Semei filium Gera filii Jemini de Bahurim, qui maledixit mihi maledictione pessima quando ibam ad castra: sed quia descendit mihi in occursum cum transirem Jordanem, et juravi ei per Dominum, dicens: Non te interficiam gladio:

Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you. He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: ‘I will never put you to the sword.’

9 tu noli pati eum esse innoxium. Vir autem sapiens es, ut scias quæ facies ei: deducesque canos ejus cum sanguine ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)

Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You know what you ought to do to him to bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood.” (Sheol h7585)

10 Dormivit igitur David cum patribus suis, et sepultus est in civitate David.

Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

11 Dies autem quibus regnavit David super Israël, quadraginta anni sunt: in Hebron regnavit septem annis; in Jerusalem, triginta tribus.

The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

12 Salomon autem sedit super thronum David patris sui, et firmatum est regnum ejus nimis.

So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.

13 Et ingressus est Adonias filius Haggith ad Bethsabee matrem Salomonis. Quæ dixit ei: Pacificusne est ingressus tuus? Qui respondit: Pacificus.

Now Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and she asked, “Do you come in peace?” “Yes, in peace,” he replied.

14 Addiditque: Sermo mihi est ad te. Cui ait: Loquere. Et ille:

Then he said, “I have something to tell you.” “Say it,” she answered.

15 Tu, inquit, nosti, quia meum erat regnum, et me præposuerat omnis Israël sibi in regem: sed translatum est regnum, et factum est fratris mei: a Domino enim constitutum est ei.

“You know that the kingship was mine,” he said. “All Israel expected that I should reign, but the kingship has turned to my brother, for it has come to him from the LORD.

16 Nunc ergo petitionem unam precor a te: ne confundas faciem meam. Quæ dixit ad eum: Loquere.

So now I have just one request of you; do not deny me.” “State your request,” she told him.

17 Et ille ait: Precor ut dicas Salomoni regi (neque enim negare tibi quidquam potest) ut det mihi Abisag Sunamitidem uxorem.

Adonijah replied, “Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

18 Et ait Bethsabee: Bene: ego loquar pro te regi.

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

19 Venit ergo Bethsabee ad regem Salomonem ut loqueretur ei pro Adonia: et surrexit rex in occursum ejus, adoravitque eam, et sedit super thronum suum: positusque est thronus matri regis, quæ sedit ad dexteram ejus.

So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, and sat down on his throne. Then the king had a throne brought for his mother, who sat down at his right hand.

20 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.

“I have just one small request of you,” she said. “Do not deny me.” “Make your request, my mother,” the king replied, “for I will not deny you.”

21 Quæ ait: Detur Abisag Sunamitis Adoniæ fratri tuo uxor.

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

22 Responditque rex Salomon, et dixit matri suæ: Quare postulas Abisag Sunamitidem Adoniæ? postula ei et regnum: ipse est enim frater meus major me, et habet Abiathar sacerdotem, et Joab filium Sarviæ.

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23 Juravit itaque rex Salomon per Dominum, dicens: Hæc faciat mihi Deus, et hæc addat, quia contra animam suam locutus est Adonias verbum hoc.

Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.

24 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.

And now, as surely as the LORD lives—the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised—surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

25 Misitque rex Salomon per manum Banaiæ filii Jojadæ, qui interfecit eum, et mortuus est.

So King Solomon sent the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

26 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.

Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death at this time, since you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered through all that my father suffered.”

27 Ejecit ergo Salomon Abiathar ut non esset sacerdos Domini, ut impleretur sermo Domini quem locutus est super domum Heli in Silo.

So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and thus fulfilled the word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli.

28 Venit autem nuntius ad Joab, quod Joab declinasset post Adoniam, et post Salomonem non declinasset: fugit ergo Joab in tabernaculum Domini, et apprehendit cornu altaris.

When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar.

29 Nuntiatumque est regi Salomoni quod fugisset Joab in tabernaculum Domini, et esset juxta altare: misitque Salomon Banaiam filium Jojadæ, dicens: Vade, interfice eum.

It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar.” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down!”

30 Et venit Banaias ad tabernaculum Domini, et dixit ei: Hæc dicit rex: Egredere. Qui ait: Non egrediar, sed hic moriar. Renuntiavit Banaias regi sermonem, dicens: Hæc locutus est Joab, et hæc respondit mihi.

And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me.”

31 Dixitque ei rex: Fac sicut locutus est, et interfice eum, et sepeli: et amovebis sanguinem innocentem qui effusus est a Joab, a me, et a domo patris mei.

And the king replied, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so remove from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood that Joab shed.

32 Et reddet Dominus sanguinem ejus super caput ejus, quia interfecit duos viros justos, melioresque se: et occidit eos gladio, patre meo David ignorante, Abner filium Ner principem militiæ Israël, et Amasam filium Jether principem exercitus Juda:

The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.

33 et revertetur sanguis illorum in caput Joab, et in caput seminis ejus in sempiternum. David autem et semini ejus, et domui, et throno illius, sit pax usque in æternum a Domino.

Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever.”

34 Ascendit itaque Banaias filius Jojadæ, et aggressus eum interfecit: sepultusque est in domo sua in deserto.

So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and killed him. He was buried at his own home in the wilderness.

35 Et constituit rex Banaiam filium Jojadæ pro eo super exercitum, et Sadoc sacerdotem posuit pro Abiathar.

And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.

36 Misit quoque rex, et vocavit Semei: dixitque ei: Ædifica tibi domum in Jerusalem, et habita ibi: et non egredieris inde huc atque illuc.

Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else.

37 Quacumque autem die egressus fueris, et transieris torrentem Cedron, scito te interficiendum: sanguis tuus erit super caput tuum.

On the day you go out and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

38 Dixitque Semei regi: Bonus sermo: sicut locutus est dominus meus rex, sic faciet servus tuus. Habitavit itaque Semei in Jerusalem diebus multis.

“The sentence is fair,” Shimei replied. “Your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken.” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

39 Factum est autem post annos tres ut fugerent servi Semei ad Achis filium Maacha regem Geth: nuntiatumque est Semei quod servi ejus issent in Geth.

After three years, however, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.”

40 Et surrexit Semei, et stravit asinum suum, ivitque ad Achis in Geth ad requirendum servos suos, et adduxit eos de Geth.

So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves, and he brought them back from Gath.

41 Nuntiatum est autem Salomoni quod isset Semei in Geth de Jerusalem, et rediisset.

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

42 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?

the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, ‘On the day you leave and go elsewhere, know for sure that you will die’? And you told me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will comply.’

43 quare ergo non custodisti jusjurandum Domini, et præceptum quod præceperam tibi?

So why have you not kept your oath to the LORD and the command that I gave you?”

44 Dixitque rex ad Semei: Tu nosti omne malum cujus tibi conscium est cor tuum, quod fecisti David patri meo: reddidit Dominus malitiam tuam in caput tuum:

The king also said, “You know in your heart all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore the LORD will bring your evil back upon your head.

45 et rex Salomon benedictus, et thronus David erit stabilis coram Domino usque in sempiternum.

But King Solomon will be blessed and David’s throne will remain secure before the LORD forever.”

46 Jussit itaque rex Banaiæ filio Jojadæ, qui egressus, percussit eum, et mortuus est.

Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon.