1 W hen David’s time to die was near, he charged Solomon his son, saying,

Now the days of David came near that he should die; and he commanded Solomon his son, saying,

2 I go the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man;

“I am going the way of all the earth. You be strong therefore, and show yourself a man;

3 K eep the charge of the Lord your God, walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may do wisely and prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,

and keep the instruction of Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn yourself.

4 T hat the Lord may fulfill His promise to me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and mind and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.

Then Yahweh may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your children are careful of their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you,’ he said, ‘a man on the throne of Israel.’

5 Y ou know also what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, whom he murdered, avenging in time of peace blood shed in war, and putting innocent blood of war on the girdle on his loins and on the sandals of his feet.

“Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, even what he did to the two captains of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war on his sash that was around his waist, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

6 D o therefore according to your wisdom, but let not his hoary head go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in peace.

Do therefore according to your wisdom, and don’t let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.

7 B ut show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table; for with such kindness they met me when I fled because of Absalom your brother.

But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

8 A nd you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword.

“Behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by Yahweh, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’

9 S o do not hold him guiltless; for you are a wise man and know what you should do to him. His hoary head bring down to the grave with blood.

Now therefore don’t hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”

10 S o David slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

David slept with his fathers, and was buried in David’s city.

11 D avid reigned over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

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

Solomon sat on David his father’s throne; and his kingdom was firmly established.

13 A donijah, the son of Haggith, came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. She said, Do you come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. She said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.

14 H e said, I have something to say to you. And she said, Say on.

He said moreover, I have something to tell you.” She said, “Say on.”

15 H e said, You know that the kingdom belonged to me, and all Israel looked to me to reign. However, the kingdom has passed from me to my brother; for it was his from the Lord.

He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign. However the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother’s; for it was his from Yahweh.

16 N ow I make one request of you; do not deny me. And she said, Say on.

Now I ask one petition of you. Don’t deny me.” She said to him, “Say on.”

17 H e said, I pray you, ask King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, to give me Abishag the Shunammite to be my wife.

He said, “Please speak to Solomon the king (for he will not tell you ‘no’), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.”

18 A nd Bathsheba said, Very well; I will speak for you to the king.

Bathsheba said, “Alright. I will speak for you to the king.”

19 S o Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose to meet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set at his right hand for her, the king’s mother.

Bathsheba therefore went to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 T hen she said, I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me. The king said to her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not refuse you.

Then she said, “I ask one small petition of you; don’t deny me.” The king said to her, “Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you.”

21 S he said, Give Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah your brother to be his wife.

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

22 K ing Solomon answered his mother, And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also—for he is my elder brother— even for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah.

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.”

23 T hen King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not requested this against his own life.

Then king Solomon swore by Yahweh, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life.

24 T herefore, as the Lord lives, Who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and Who has made me a house as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.

Now therefore as Yahweh lives, who has established me, and set me on my father David’s throne, and who has made me a house as he promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.”

25 S o King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who attacked and he died.

King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell on him, so that he died.

26 A nd to Abiathar the priest the king said, Get to Anathoth to your own estate; for you deserve death, but I will not put you to death now, because you bore the ark of the Lord God before my father David and were afflicted in all my father endured.

To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you bore the Lord Yahweh’s ark before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted.”

27 S o Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, fulfilling the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

So Solomon thrust Abiathar out from being priest to Yahweh, that he might fulfill Yahweh’s word, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 W hen the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah though he had not followed Absalom, fled to the tent (tabernacle) of the Lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

This news came to Joab; for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he didn’t follow Absalom. Joab fled to Yahweh’s Tent, and held onto the horns of the altar.

29 K ing Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was at the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, strike him down.

King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to Yahweh’s Tent, and behold, he is by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, fall on him.”

30 S o Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and told Joab, The king commands, Come forth. But Joab said, No, I will die here. Then Benaiah brought the king word again, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.

Benaiah came to Yahweh’s Tent, and said to him, “Thus says the king, ‘Come out!’” He said, “No; but I will die here.” Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.”

31 T he king said to him, Do as he has said. Strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from my father’s house the innocent blood which Joab shed.

The king said to him, “Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury him; that you may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father’s house.

32 T he Lord shall return his bloody deeds upon his own head, for he fell upon two men more righteous and honorable than he and slew them with the sword, without my father knowing of it: Abner son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David didn’t know it: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah.

33 S o shall their blood return upon the head of Joab and of his descendants forever. But upon David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the Lord forever.

So their blood will return on the head of Joab, and on the head of his offspring forever. But for David, for his offspring, for his house, and for his throne, there will be peace forever from Yahweh.”

34 S o Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck and killed Joab, and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness.

Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell on him, and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35 T he king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army and put Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.

The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army; and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

36 T he king sent for Shimei and said to him, Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not leave there.

The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and live there, and don’t go anywhere else.

37 F or on the day you go out and pass over the brook Kidron, know with certainty that you shall die; your blood shall be upon your own head.

For on the day you go out and pass over the brook Kidron, know for certain that you will surely die. Your blood will be on your own head.”

38 A nd Shimei said to the king, The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

39 B ut after three years, two of Shimei’s servants ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, Behold, your servants are in Gath.

At the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.”

40 S o Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to King Achish to seek his servants, and brought them from Gath.

Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his slaves; and Shimei went, and brought his slaves from Gath.

41 I t was told Solomon that Shimei went from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.

Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again.

42 A nd the king sent for Shimei and said to him, Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, saying, Know with certainty, on the day you go out and walk abroad anywhere, you shall surely die? And you said to me, I have heard your word. It is accepted.

The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Didn’t I adjure you by Yahweh, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain, that on the day you go out, and walk anywhere else, you shall surely die?’ You said to me, ‘The saying that I have heard is good.’

43 W hy then have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the command with which I have charged you?

Why then have you not kept the oath of Yahweh, and the commandment that I have instructed you with?”

44 T he king also said to Shimei, You are aware in your own heart of all the evil you did to my father David; so the Lord will return your evil upon your own head.

The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wickedness that you did to David my father. Therefore Yahweh will return your wickedness on your own head.

45 B ut King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.

But king Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will be established before Yahweh forever.”

46 S o the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who went out and struck down Shimei, and he died. And the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.

So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell on him, so that he died. The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.