1 Kings 2
2
David’s last words
1David’s time was coming to an end. So he commanded Solomon his son, 2“I’m following the path that the whole earth takes. Be strong and be a man. 3Guard what is owed to the LORD your God, walking in his ways and observing his laws, his commands, his judgments, and his testimonies, just as it is written in the Instruction from Moses. In this way you will succeed in whatever you do and wherever you go. 4So also the LORD will confirm the word he spoke to me: ‘If your children will take care to walk before me faithfully, with all their heart and all their being, then one of your own children will never fail to be on the throne of Israel.’ 5You should know what Joab, Zeruiah’s son, has done to me and what he did to the two generals of Israel, Abner, Ner’s son, and Amasa, Jether’s son. He murdered them, spilling blood at peacetime and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6So act wisely: Don’t allow him to die a peaceful death. 7As for Barzillai’s sons from Gilead, show them kindness. Let them eat with you. When I was running away from your brother Absalom, they came to me. 8Now as for this Shimei, Gera’s son—a Benjaminite from Bahurim—who is with you, he cursed me viciously when I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, ‘Surely I won’t execute you with the sword.’ 9But you don’t need to excuse him. You are wise and know what to do to him. Give him a violent death.”
10Then David lay down with his ancestors and was buried in David’s City. 11He ruled over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Solomon secures his throne
12Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his royal power was well established. 13Adonijah, Haggith’s son, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She said, “Are you coming in peace?”
He said, “Yes. 14I have something to say to you.”
She said, “Say it.”
15He said, “You know how the kingdom was mine. All Israel had appointed me as their king. Then suddenly the kingdom went to my brother as the LORD willed. 16Now I have just one request of you. Don’t refuse me!”
She said to him, “Go on.”
17Adonijah continued, “Ask King Solomon to let me marry Abishag from Shunem—he won’t refuse you.”
18Bathsheba said, “Okay; I’ll speak to the king for you.”
19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to talk with him about Adonijah. The king stood up to meet her and bowed low to her. Then he returned to his throne and had a throne set up for the queen mother. She sat to his right. 20She said, “I have just one small request for you. Don’t refuse me.”
The king said to her, “Mother, ask me. I won’t refuse you.”
21“Let Abishag from Shunem be married to your brother Adonijah,” she said.
22King Solomon replied to his mother, “Why ask only for Abishag from Shunem for Adonijah? Why not ask for the entire kingdom for him? After all, he is my older brother and has the support of Abiathar the priest and Joab, Zeruiah’s son.” 23King Solomon swore by the LORD, “May God do to me as he sees fit! Adonijah has made this request at the cost of his life! 24Now, as surely as the LORD lives—the one who supported me, put me on the throne of my father David, and provided a royal house for me exactly as he promised—Adonijah will be executed today.” 25So King Solomon sent Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son. He attacked Adonijah, and Adonijah died.
26The king said to the priest Abiathar, “Go to your fields at Anathoth, because you are a condemned man. However, I won’t kill you today because you carried the LORD’s chest in front of my father David and because you shared in all my father’s sufferings.” 27So Solomon expelled Abiathar from the LORD’s priesthood in order to fulfill the LORD’s word that was spoken against Eli’s family at Shiloh.
28Now the news reached Joab because he had supported Adonijah, though he hadn’t supported Absalom. Joab ran to the LORD’s tent and grabbed the horns of the altar. 29King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the LORD’s tent and was now beside the altar. So Solomon sent Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son, instructing him, “Go. Attack Joab!”
30Benaiah came to the LORD’s tent and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’”
Joab said, “No! I’d rather die here.”
Benaiah sent a report back to the king: “This is what Joab said and how he answered me.”
31The king said to him, “Do as he said. Attack him and then bury him. In doing this, you will remove from me and from my father’s royal house the guilt over the innocent blood that Joab shed. 32May the LORD return that bloodguilt back on his own head for attacking the two men who were better and more righteous than he was. He murdered those two with the sword: Abner, Ner’s son and Israel’s general, and Amasa, Jether’s son and Judah’s general. But my father David didn’t know about it. 33May the bloodguilt for their deaths return on Joab’s head and on the head of his family line forever. But may the LORD’s peace be on David, his family, and his royal house forever.” 34So Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son, went and attacked Joab and killed him.
Joab was buried at his home in the wilderness. 35In his place, the king gave leadership of the army to Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son. The king put the priest Zadok in Abiathar’s position. 36Then he sent for Shimei and said, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and stay in the city. Don’t leave to go anywhere else. 37If you try to leave, be advised that on the day you cross the Kidron Valley you will most certainly die. Your bloodguilt will be on your own head.”
38Shimei said to the king, “This is a good idea. Your servant will do just what my master the king said.” So Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.
39After three years, two of Shimei’s servants fled to the king of Gath, Achish, Maacah’s son. Shimei was informed, “Your servants are now in Gath.” 40Shimei saddled his donkey and went to Achish in Gath to look for his servants. Shimei then brought his servants back from Gath. 41Solomon was told that Shimei had left Jerusalem for Gath and then returned.
42The king sent for Shimei and asked him, “Didn’t I make you swear a solemn pledge by the LORD? And didn’t I swear to you, ‘If you try to leave and go anywhere, be advised that on that very day you will most certainly die’? You said to me, ‘This is a good idea. I agree to it.’ 43Why didn’t you keep your solemn promise to the LORD and the command that I gave you?” 44The king said further, “You know quite well all the evil that you did to my father David. May the LORD return your evil on your own head. 45However, may King Solomon be blessed and David’s throne be secure before the LORD forever.” 46Then the king commanded Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son, who went and attacked Shimei, and he died.
In these ways royal power was handed over to Solomon.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
3 Kings 2
2
1And the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged his son Solomon, saying:
2I am going the way of all flesh. Take thou courage, and shew thyself a man.
3And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and observe his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayest understand all thou dost, and whithersoever thou shalt turn thyself.
4That the Lord may confirm his words, which he hath spoken of me, saying: If thy children shall take heed to their ways, and shall walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from thee a man on the throne of Israel.
5Thou knowest also what Joab the son of Sarvia hath done to me, what he did to the two captains of the army of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether: whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war on his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
6Do therefore according to thy wisdom: and let not his hoary head go down to hell in peace.
7But shew kindness to the sons of Berzellai the Galaadite, and let them eat at thy table: for they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom thy brother.
8Thou hast also with thee Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse, when I went to the camp; but because he came down to meet me when I passed over the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying: I will not kill thee with a sword.
9Do not thou hold him guiltless. But thou art a wise man, and knowest what to do with him: and thou shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to hell.
10So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
11And the days that David reigned in Israel, were forty years. In Hebron he reigned seven years, in Jerusalem thirty-three.
12And Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly.
13And Adonias the son of Haggith came to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon. And she said to him: Is thy coming peaceable? he answered: Peaceable.
14And he added: I have a word to speak with thee. She said to him: Speak. And he said:
15Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had preferred me to be their king: but the kingdom is transferred, and is become my brother's; for it was appointed him by the Lord.
16Now therefore I ask one petition of thee: turn not away my face. And she said to him: Say on.
17And he said: I pray thee speak to king Solomon (for he cannot deny thee any thing) to give me Abisag the Sunamitess to wife.
18And Bethsabee said: Well, I will speak for thee to the king.
19Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne. And a throne was set for the king's mother: and she sat on his right hand.
20And she said to him: I desire one small petition of thee; do not put me to confusion. And the king said to her: My mother, ask; for I must not turn away thy face.
21And she said: Let Abisag the Sunamitess be given to Adonias thy brother to wife.
22And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother: Why dost thou ask Abisag the Sunamitess for Adonias? Ask for him also the kingdom: for he is my elder brother, and hath Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Sarvia.
23Then king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying: So and so may God do to me, and add more, if Adonias hath not spoken this word against his own life.
24And now, as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and placed me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as he promised, Adonias shall be put to death this day.
25And king Solomon sent by the hand of Banaias the son of Joiada, who slew him: and he died.
26And the king said also to Abiathar the priest: Go to Anathoth to thy lands, for indeed thou art worthy of death. But I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst carry the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and hast endured trouble in all the troubles my father endured.
27So Solomon cast out Abiathar from being the priest of the Lord, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke concerning the house of Heli in Silo.
28And the news came to Joab, because Joab had turned after Adonias, and had not turned after Solomon. And Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord and laid hold on the horn of the altar.
29And it was told king Solomon, that Joab was fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and was by the altar. And Solomon sent Banaias the son of Joiada, saying: Go, kill him.
30And Banaias came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him: Thus saith the king: Come forth. And he said: I will not come forth, but here I will die. Banaias brought word back to the king, saying: Thus saith Joab, and thus he answered me.
31And the king said to him: Do as he hath said: and kill him, and bury him. And thou shalt remove the innocent blood which hath been shed by Joab, from me, and from the house of my father.
32And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, because he murdered two men, just and better than himself; and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it: Abner the son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, general of the army of Juda.
33And their blood shall return the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever. But to David and his seed and his house, and to his throne be peace for ever from the Lord.
34So Banaias the son of Joiada went up, and setting upon him slew him: and he was buried in his house in the desert.
35And the king appointed Banaias the son of Joiada in his room over the army: and Sadoc the priest he put in the place of Abiathar.
36The king also sent, and called for Semei, and said to him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there; and go not out from thence any whither.
37For on what day soever thou shalt go out and shalt pass over the brook Cedron, know that thou shalt be put to death. Thy blood shall be upon thy own head.
38And Semei said to the king: The saying is good. As my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Semei dwelt in Jerusalem, many days.
39And it came to pass after three years, that the servants of Semei ran away to Achis the son of Maacha the king of Geth: and it was told Semei that his servants were gone to Geth.
40And Semei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Achis to Geth to seek his servants: and he brought them out of Geth.
41And it was told Solomon that Semei had gone from Jerusalem to Geth, and was come back.
42And sending he called for him, and said to him: Did I not protest to thee by the Lord, and tell thee before: On what day soever thou shalt go out and walk abroad any whither, know that thou shalt die? And thou answeredst me: The word that I have heard is good.
43Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I laid upon thee?
44And the king said to Semei: Thou knowest all the evil, of which thy heart is conscious, which thou didst to David my father. The Lord hath returned thy wickedness upon thy own head.
45And king Solomon shall be blessed: and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever.
46So the king commanded Banaias the son of Joiada. And he went out and struck him, and he died.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.