I Regum 2
1 adpropinquaverant autem dies David ut moreretur praecepitque Salomoni filio suo dicens
When David [knew that he] was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:
2 ego ingredior viam universae terrae confortare et esto vir
“I am about to die [EUP], like everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as an adult should.
3 et observa custodias Domini Dei tui ut ambules in viis eius et custodias caerimonias eius et praecepta eius et iudicia et testimonia sicut scriptum est in lege Mosi ut intellegas universa quae facis et quocumque te verteris
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 ut confirmet Dominus sermones suos quos locutus est de me dicens si custodierint filii tui viam suam et ambulaverint coram me in veritate in omni corde suo et in omni anima sua non auferetur tibi vir de solio Israhel
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 tu quoque nosti quae fecerit mihi Ioab filius Sarviae quae fecerit duobus principibus exercitus Israhel Abner filio Ner et Amasa filio Iether quos occidit et effudit sanguinem belli in pace et posuit cruorem proelii in balteo suo qui erat circa lumbos eius et in calciamento suo quod erat in pedibus eius
“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.
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 sed et filiis Berzellai Galaaditis reddes gratiam eruntque comedentes in mensa tua occurrerunt enim mihi quando fugiebam a facie Absalom fratris tui
“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 habes quoque apud te Semei filium Gera filii Iemini de Baurim qui maledixit mihi maledictione pessima quando ibam ad Castra sed quia descendit mihi in occursum cum transirem Iordanem et iuravi ei per Dominum dicens non te interficiam gladio
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 tu noli pati esse eum innoxium vir autem sapiens es et scies quae facias ei deducesque canos eius cum sanguine ad infernum (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 dormivit igitur David cum patribus suis et sepultus est in civitate David
Then David died [EUP] and was buried in [that part of Jerusalem which was called] ‘The City of David’.
11 dies autem quibus regnavit David super Israhel quadraginta anni sunt in Hebron regnavit septem annis in Hierusalem triginta tribus
David had been the king of Israel for 40 years: He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem.
12 Salomon autem sedit super thronum David patris sui et firmatum est regnum eius nimis
Solomon became the ruler/king [MTY] to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.
13 et ingressus est Adonias filius Aggith ad Bethsabee matrem Salomonis quae dixit ei pacificusne ingressus tuus qui respondit pacificus
[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 addiditque sermo mihi est ad te cui ait loquere et ille
But then he said, “I have something to ask you to do.” She said, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”
15 tu inquit nosti quia meum erat regnum et me proposuerat omnis Israhel sibi in regem sed translatum est regnum et factum est fratris mei a Domino enim constitutum est ei
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 nunc ergo petitionem unam deprecor a te ne confundas faciem meam quae dixit ad eum loquere
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 et ille ait precor ut dicas Salomoni regi neque enim negare tibi quicquam potest ut det mihi Abisag Sunamitin uxorem
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 et ait Bethsabee bene ego loquar pro te regi
Bathsheba replied, “Okay, 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 eius adoravitque eam et sedit super thronum suum positus quoque est thronus matri regis quae sedit ad dexteram eius
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 dixitque ei petitionem unam parvulam ego deprecor a te ne confundas faciem meam dixit ei rex pete mater mi neque enim fas est ut avertam faciem tuam
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 quae ait detur Abisag Sunamitis Adoniae fratri tuo uxor
She said, “Allow Abishag to be given to your [older] brother Adonijah to be his wife.”
22 responditque rex Salomon et dixit matri suae quare postulas Abisag Sunamitin Adoniae postula ei et regnum ipse est enim frater meus maior me et habet Abiathar sacerdotem et Ioab filium Sarviae
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 iuravit itaque rex Salomon per Dominum dicens haec faciat mihi Deus et haec addat quia contra animam suam locutus est Adonias verbum hoc
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 et nunc vivit Dominus qui firmavit me et conlocavit super solium David patris mei et qui fecit mihi domum sicut locutus est quia hodie occidetur Adonias
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 misitque rex Salomon per manum Banaiae filii Ioiadae qui interfecit eum et mortuus est
So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to [go and] kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.
26 Abiathar quoque sacerdoti dixit rex vade in Anathot ad agrum tuum es quidem vir mortis 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 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 eiecit ergo Salomon Abiathar ut non esset sacerdos Domini ut impleretur sermo Domini quem locutus est super domum Heli in Silo
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 venit autem nuntius ad Ioab quod Ioab declinasset post Adoniam et post Absalom non declinasset fugit ergo Ioab in tabernaculum Domini et adprehendit cornu altaris
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 nuntiatumque est regi Salomoni quod fugisset Ioab in tabernaculum Domini et esset iuxta altare misitque Salomon Banaiam filium Ioiadae dicens vade interfice eum
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 venit Banaias ad tabernaculum Domini et dixit ei haec dicit rex egredere qui ait non egrediar sed hic moriar renuntiavit Banaias regi sermonem dicens haec locutus est Ioab et haec respondit mihi
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 dixitque ei rex fac sicut locutus est et interfice eum et sepeli et amovebis sanguinem innocentem qui effusus est a Ioab a me et a domo patris mei
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 et reddat Dominus sanguinem eius super caput eius quia interfecit duos viros iustos melioresque se et occidit eos gladio patre meo David ignorante Abner filium Ner principem militiae Israhel et Amasa filium Iether principem exercitus Iuda
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 et revertetur sanguis illorum in caput Ioab et in caput seminis eius in sempiternum David autem et semini eius et domui et throno illius sit pax usque in aeternum a Domino
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 ascendit itaque Banaias filius Ioiadae et adgressus eum interfecit sepultusque est in domo sua in deserto
So Benaiah went [into the Sacred Tent] and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the desert [part of Judah].
35 et constituit rex Banaiam filium Ioiadae pro eo super exercitum et Sadoc sacerdotem posuit pro 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 misit quoque rex et vocavit Semei dixitque ei aedifica tibi domum in Hierusalem et habita ibi et non egredieris inde huc atque illuc
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 quacumque autem die egressus fueris et transieris torrentem Cedron scito te interficiendum sanguis tuus erit super caput tuum
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 dixitque Semei regi bonus sermo sicut locutus est dominus meus rex sic faciet servus tuus habitavit itaque Semei in Hierusalem diebus multis
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 factum est autem post annos tres ut fugerent servi Semei ad Achis filium Maacha regem Geth nuntiatumque est Semei quod servi eius essent in Geth
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 et surrexit Semei et stravit asinum suum ivitque in Geth ad Achis ad requirendos servos suos et adduxit eos de Geth
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 nuntiatum est autem Salomoni quod isset Semei in Geth de Hierusalem et redisset
But someone told King Solomon 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 praedixi tibi quacumque die egressus ieris huc et illuc scito te esse moriturum et respondisti mihi bonus sermo audivi
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 quare ergo non custodisti iusiurandum Domini et praeceptum quod praeceperam tibi
So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?”
44 dixitque rex ad Semei tu nosti omne malum cuius tibi conscium est cor tuum quod fecisti David patri meo reddidit Dominus malitiam tuam in caput tuum
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 et rex Salomon benedictus et thronus David erit stabilis coram Domino usque in sempiternum
But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David’s descendants [MTY] to rule forever.”
46 iussit itaque rex Banaiae filio Ioiadae qui egressus percussit eum et mortuus est
Then the king gave an order to Benaiah, and he went and killed Shimei. So Solomon was completely in control of the kingdom.
