Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 2
2
1And the days of Dawiḏ drew near to die, and he commanded Shelomoh his son, saying,
2“I am going the way of all the earth. And you shall be strong, and be a man.
3“And guard the Charge of יהוה your Elohim: to walk in His ways, to guard His laws, His commands, His right-rulings, and His witnesses, as it is written in the Torah of Mosheh, so that you do wisely all that you do and wherever you turn;
4so that יהוה does establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons guard their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their being,’ saying, ‘there is not to cease a man of yours on the throne of Yisra’ĕl.’
5“And also, you know what Yo’aḇ son of Tseruyah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Yisra’ĕl, to Aḇnĕr son of Nĕr and Amasa son of Yether, that he killed them, and shed the blood of battle in peace, and put the blood of battle on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet.
6“So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his grey hair go down to She’ol in peace.
7“But show loving-commitment to the sons of Barzillai the Gil‛aḏite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Aḇshalom your brother.
8“And see, with you is Shim‛i son of Gĕra, the Binyamite from Baḥurim, who cursed me with a grievous cursing in the day when I went to Maḥanayim. But he came down to meet me at the Yardĕn, and I swore to him by יהוה, saying, ‘I shall not put you to death with the sword.’
9“And now, do not leave him unpunished, for you are a wise man and know what you should do to him, and shall bring his grey hair down to She’ol with blood.”
10And Dawiḏ slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of Dawiḏ.
11And the days that Dawiḏ reigned over Yisra’ĕl was forty years. He reigned seven years in Ḥeḇron, and in Yerushalayim he reigned thirty-three years.
12And Shelomoh sat on the throne of his father Dawiḏ. And his reign was firmly established.
13And Aḏoniyahu son of Ḥaggith came to Bathsheḇa the mother of Shelomoh, and she said, “Do you come in peace?” And he said, “Peace.”
14And he said, “I have a word for you,” and she said, “Speak.”
15And he said, “You know that the reign was mine, and all Yisra’ĕl had set their faces toward me, that I should reign. But the reign has been turned around, and has become my brother’s, for it was his from יהוה.
16“And now, I am making one request of you, do not refuse me.” And she said to him, “Say it.”
17And he said, “Please speak to Sovereign Shelomoh – for he would not refuse you – to give me Aḇishaḡ the Shunammite as wife.”
18And Bathsheḇa said, “Good, let me speak for you to the sovereign.”
19And Bathsheḇa came to Sovereign Shelomoh, to speak to him for Aḏoniyahu. And the sovereign rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the sovereign’s mother. So she sat at his right hand.
20And she said, “I am making one small request of you, do not refuse me.” And the sovereign said to her, “Ask it, my mother, for I do not refuse you.”
21Then she said, “Let Aḇishaḡ the Shunammite be given to Aḏoniyahu your brother as wife.”
22And Sovereign Shelomoh answered and said to his mother, “Now why do you ask Aḇishaḡ the Shunammite for Aḏoniyahu? Ask for him the reign also – for he is my older brother – for him, and for Eḇyathar the priest, and for Yo’aḇ son of Tseruyah.”
23And Sovereign Shelomoh swore by יהוה, saying, “Elohim does so to me, and more also, if Aḏoniyahu has not spoken this word against his own life!
24“And now, as יהוה lives, who established me and set me on the throne of Dawiḏ my father, and who has made me a house, as He promised, Aḏoniyahu shall be put to death today!”
25And Sovereign Shelomoh sent by the hand of Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa, and he fell upon him, and he died.
26Then the sovereign said to Eḇyathar the priest, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you deserve death. But I do not put you to death at this time, because you did bear the ark of the Master יהוה before my father Dawiḏ, and because you were afflicted in all my father was afflicted in.”
27So Shelomoh dismissed Eḇyathar from being priest to יהוה, to fill the word of יהוה which He spoke concerning the house of Ěli at Shiloh.
28And news came to Yo’aḇ, for Yo’aḇ had turned aside after Aḏoniyah, though he did not turn aside after Aḇshalom. And Yo’aḇ fled to the Tent of יהוה, and took hold of the horns of the slaughter-place.
29And the report came to Sovereign Shelomoh that Yo’aḇ had fled to the Tent of יהוה, and see, he is by the slaughter-place. Then Shelomoh sent Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa, saying, “Go, fall on him.”
30So Benayahu came to the Tent of יהוה and said to him, “Thus said the sovereign, ‘Come out!’ ” And he said, “No, for here I die.” And Benayahu brought back word to the sovereign, saying, “Thus said Yo’aḇ, and thus he answered me.”
31And the sovereign said to him, “Do as he has said, and fall upon him. And you shall bury him, so that you take away from me and from the house of my father the blood which Yo’aḇ shed without cause.
32“Thus יהוה shall return his blood on his head, because he had fallen on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, while my father Dawiḏ did not know it: Aḇnĕr son of Nĕr, commander of the army of Yisra’ĕl, and Amasa son of Yether, commander of the army of Yehuḏah.
33“So shall their blood return upon the head of Yo’aḇ and upon the head of his seed forever. But upon Dawiḏ and his seed, upon his house and his throne, there is to be peace forever from יהוה.”
34Then Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa went up and fell upon him and put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
35And the sovereign put Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa in his place over the army, and the sovereign put Tsaḏoq the priest in the place of Eḇyathar.
36And the sovereign sent and called for Shim‛i, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Yerushalayim and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere.
37“And it shall be, on the day you go out and pass over the wadi Qiḏron, know for certain that you shall die – your blood is on your own head.”
38And Shim‛i said to the sovereign, “The word is good. As my master the sovereign has said, so your servant does.” So Shim‛i dwelt in Yerushalayim many days.
39And it came to be at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shim‛i fled to Aḵish son of Ma‛aḵah, sovereign of Gath. And they informed Shim‛i, saying, “See, your slaves are in Gath!”
40And Shim‛i rose up, and saddled his donkey, and went to Aḵish at Gath to look for his slaves. And Shim‛i went and brought his slaves from Gath.
41And Shelomoh was told that Shim‛i had gone from Yerushalayim to Gath and had come back.
42So the sovereign sent and called for Shim‛i, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by יהוה, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you leave to go anywhere, you shall certainly die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’
43“And why have you not guarded the oath of יהוה and the command that I gave you?”
44The sovereign also said to Shim‛i, “You shall know all the evil that your heart has known, that you did to my father Dawiḏ. And יהוה shall return your evil on your own head.
45“But Sovereign Shelomoh is blessed, and the throne of Dawiḏ is established before יהוה forever.”
46So the sovereign commanded Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa, and he went out and fell on him, and he died. And the reign was established in the hand of Shelomoh.
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Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 2: TS2009
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Copyright© 1993 – 2015 by the Institute for Scripture Research (ISR). All rights reserved.
1 Kings 2
2
David’s Dying Instructions to Solomon
1As the time approached for David to die, # Gn 47:29; Nm 27:13 he instructed his son Solomon, 2“As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth. # Jos 23:14 Be strong and be courageous like a man, # Jos 1:6-7,9 3and keep your obligation to the Lord your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do # Dt 29:9; 1Ch 22:12-13 and wherever you turn, 4and so that the Lord will carry out His promise that He made to me: ‘If your sons are careful to walk faithfully before Me with their whole mind and heart, # Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37 you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’ # 2Sm 7:12-13; 1Kg 8:25; 9:5
5“You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me # 2Sm 18:5,12,14 and what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s army, Abner son of Ner # 2Sm 3:27 and Amasa son of Jether. # 2Sm 20:10 He murdered them in a time of peace to avenge blood shed in war. He spilled that blood on his own waistband and on the sandals of his feet. # LXX, Old Lat read on my waistband and . . . my feet ; v. 31 6Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head descend to Sheol in peace.
7“Show loyalty to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table # 2Sm 9:7; 19:28 because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom. # 2Sm 19:31-39
8“Keep an eye on Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim. # 2Sm 16:5-13 But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, and I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will never kill you with the sword.’ # 2Sm 19:16-23 9So don’t let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man. You know how to deal with him to bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”
10Then David rested with his fathers # Ac 2:29; 13:36 and was buried in the city of David. # 2Sm 5:7 11The length of time David reigned over Israel was 40 years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem. # 2Sm 5:4-5; 1Ch 29:27 12Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingship was firmly established. # 1Kg 2:46; 1Ch 17:14
Adonijah’s Foolish Request
13Now Adonijah son of Haggith # 1Kg 1:5,51-53 came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come peacefully? ”
“Peacefully,” he replied, # 1Sm 16:4-5 14and then asked, “May I talk with you? ” # Lit then said, “I have a word for you.”
“Go ahead,” she answered.
15“You know the kingship was mine,” # 1Kg 1:11 he said. “All Israel expected me to be king, but then the kingship was turned over to my brother, # 1Kg 1:38-46 for the Lord gave it to him. # 1Ch 23:9-10; 28:5,7; Dn 2:21; 4:17; Jn 19:11; Rm 13:1 16So now I have just one request of you; don’t turn me down.” # Lit don’t make me turn my face
She said to him, “Go on.”
17He replied, “Please speak to King Solomon since he won’t turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite # 1Kg 1:3-4,15 as a wife.”
18“Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”
19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for the king’s mother. # 2Sm 15:16; 1Kg 15:13 So she sat down at his right hand. # Ps 110:1; Mt 20:21
20Then she said, “I have just one small request of you. Don’t turn me down.”
“Go ahead and ask, mother,” the king replied, “for I won’t turn you down.”
21So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”
22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my elder brother, # 1Kg 1:6; 1Ch 3:2,5 you might as well ask the kingship for him, # 2Sm 16:20-22 for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.” # LXX, Vg, Syr read kingship for him, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah # 1Kg 1:7 23Then Solomon took an oath by the Lord: “May God punish me and do so severely # Ru 1:17; 1Sm 3:17 if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life. 24And now, as the Lord lives, the One who established me, seated me on the throne of my father David, and made me a dynasty as He promised # 2Sm 7:11-13 — I swear Adonijah will be put to death today! ” 25Then King Solomon gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, # 1Kg 1:8,26,38 who struck down Adonijah, and he died.
Abiathar’s Banishment
26The king said to Abiathar the priest, # 1Kg 1:7,19 “Go to your fields in Anathoth. # Jos 21:18; Jr 1:1 Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death today, since you carried the ark of the Lord God in the presence of my father David # 2Sm 15:24-25,29 and you suffered through all that my father suffered.” # 1Sm 22:20-23; 2Sm 19:11 27So Solomon banished Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest, and it fulfilled the Lord’s prophecy He had spoken at Shiloh against Eli’s family. # 1Sm 2:31-35
Joab’s Execution
28The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah # 1Kg 1:7 but not Absalom, # 2Sm 18:1-5 Joab fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar. # Ex 21:12-14; 1Kg 1:50
29It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and is now beside the altar.” Then Solomon sent # LXX adds Joab a message: “What is the matter with you, that you have fled to the altar?” And Joab replied, “Because I feared you, I have fled to the Lord.” And Solomon the king sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada # 1Kg 1:8 and told him, “Go and strike him down! ” # Ex 12:12,14; 2Sm 3:27; 18:14; 20:10
30So Benaiah went to the tabernacle and said to Joab, “This is what the king says: ‘Come out! ’ ” # Ex 21:14
But Joab said, “No, for I will die here.”
So Benaiah took a message back to the king, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.”
31The king said to him, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him in order to remove from me and from my father’s house the blood that Joab shed without just cause. # Nm 35:33; Dt 21:8-9 32The Lord will bring back his own blood on his head because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, without my father David’s knowledge. With his sword, Joab murdered Abner # 2Sm 3:26-27 son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa # 2Sm 20:8-10 son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33Their blood will come back on Joab’s head and on the head of his descendants forever, but for David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne, there will be peace from the Lord forever.” # 2Sm 3:28-29
34Benaiah son of Jehoiada # 2Kg 2:25 went up, struck down Joab, and put him to death. He was buried at his house in the wilderness. # 2Sm 2:32 35Then the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, # 1Kg 4:4 and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.
Shimei’s Banishment and Execution
36Then the king summoned Shimei # 2Sm 16:5-13; 1Kg 2:8-9 and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but don’t leave there and go anywhere else. 37On the day you do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, # Jn 18:1 know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head.” # Gn 2:17; 2Sm 1:16
38Shimei said to the king, “The sentence is fair; your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken.” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.
39But then, at the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish # 1Sm 27:2 son of Maacah, king of Gath. # Jos 13:3; 1Sm 6:16-17; 21:10 Shimei was informed, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.” 40So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath to search for his slaves. He went and brought them back from Gath.
41It was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. 42So the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you, saying, ‘On the day you leave and go anywhere else, know for sure that you will certainly die’? And you said to me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will obey.’ 43So why have you not kept the Lord’s oath and the command that I gave you? ” 44The king also said, “You yourself know all the evil that you did to my father David. # 1Kg 2:8-9 Therefore, the Lord has brought back your evil on your head, 45but King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain established before the Lord forever.” # 2Sm 7:13
46Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in Solomon’s hand. # 1Kg 2:12; 2Ch 1:1
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