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

And draw near do the days of David to die, and he chargeth Solomon his son, saying,

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

`I am going in the way of all the earth, and thou hast been strong, and become 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 kept the charge of Jehovah thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commands, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that thou dost wisely all that thou dost, and whithersoever thou turnest,

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.

so that Jehovah doth establish His word which He spake unto me, saying, If thy sons observe their way to walk before Me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul; saying, There is not cut off a man of thine from 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.

`And also, thou hast known that which he did to me -- Joab son of Zeruiah -- that which he did to two heads of the hosts of Israel, to Abner son of Ner, and to Amasa son of Jether -- that he slayeth them, and maketh the blood of war in peace, and putteth the blood of war in his girdle, that on his loins, and in his sandals that 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.

and thou hast done according to thy wisdom, and dost not let his old age go down in peace to Sheol.

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.

`And to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite thou dost do kindness, and they have been among those eating at thy table, for so they drew near unto me in my fleeing from the face of Absalom thy 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.

`And lo, with thee Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, and he reviled me -- a grievous reviling -- in the day of my going to Mahanaim; and he hath come down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swear to him by Jehovah, saying, I do not put thee to death by 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.

and now, acquit him not, for a wise man thou, and thou hast known that which thou dost to him, and hast brought down his old age with blood to Sheol.'

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

And David lieth down with his fathers, and is buried in the city of David,

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

and the days that David hath reigned over Israel forty years, in Hebron he hath reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem he hath reigned thirty and three years.

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

And Solomon hath sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom is established greatly,

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

and Adonijah son of Haggith cometh in unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, and she saith, `Is thy coming peace?' and he saith, `Peace.'

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

And he saith, `I have a word unto thee,' and she saith, `Speak.'

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.

And he saith, `Thou hast known that the kingdom was mine, and towards me set their faces had all Israel for reigning, and the kingdom is turned round about, and is my brother's, for from Jehovah it was his;

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

and now, one petition I am asking of thee -- turn not back my face;' and she saith unto him, `Speak.'

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.

And he saith, `Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, for he doth not turn back thy face, and he doth give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.'

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

And Bath-Sheba saith, `Good; I do speak for thee unto 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.

And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto king Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king riseth to meet her, and boweth himself to her, and sitteth on his throne, and placeth a throne for the mother of the king, and she sitteth at 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.

And she saith, `One small petition I ask of thee, turn not back my face;' and the king saith to her, `Ask, my mother, for I do not turn back thy face.'

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

And she saith, `Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother for a 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.

And king Solomon answereth and saith to his mother, `And why art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? also ask for him the kingdom -- for he mine elder brother -- even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab 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.

And king Solomon sweareth by Jehovah, saying, `Thus doth God to me, and thus He doth add -- surely against his soul hath Adonijah spoken this word;

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.

and now, Jehovah liveth, who hath established me, and causeth me to sit on the throne of David my father, and who hath made for me an house as He spake -- surely to-day is Adonijah put to death.'

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

And king Solomon sendeth by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he falleth upon him, and he dieth.

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.

And to Abiathar the priest said the king, `To Anathoth go, unto thy fields; for a man of death thou, but in this day I do not put thee to death, because thou hast borne the ark of the Lord Jehovah before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all that my father was afflicted in.'

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.

And Solomon casteth out Abiathar from being priest to Jehovah, to fulfil the word of Jehovah which He spake 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.

And the report hath come unto Joab -- for Joab hath turned aside after Adonijah, though after Absalom he did not turn aside -- and Joab fleeth unto the tent of Jehovah, and layeth hold on 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.

And it is declared to king Solomon that Joab hath fled unto the tent of Jehovah, and lo, near the altar; and Solomon sendeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, `Go, fall upon 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.

And Benaiah cometh in unto the tent of Jehovah, and saith unto him, `Thus said the king, Come out;' and he saith, `Nay, but here I die.' And Benaiah bringeth back the king word, saying, `Thus spake Joab, yea, 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.

And the king saith to him, `Do as he hath spoken, and fall upon him, and thou hast buried him, and turned aside the causeless blood which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father;

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.

and Jehovah hath turned back his blood on his own head, who hath fallen on two men more righteous and better than he, and slayeth them with the sword, -- and my father David knew not -- Abner son of Ner, head of the host of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, head of the host 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.

yea, turned back hath their blood on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed to the age; and for David, and for his seed, and for his house, and for his throne, there is peace unto the age, from Jehovah.'

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.

And Benaiah son of Jehoiada goeth up and falleth upon him, and putteth him to death, and he is 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.

and the king putteth Benaiah son of Jehoiada in his stead over the host, and Zadok the priest hath the king put in the stead 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.

And the king sendeth and calleth for Shimei, and saith to him, `Build for thee a house in Jerusalem, and thou hast dwelt there, and dost not go out thence any where;

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.

and it hath been, in the day of thy going out, and thou hast passed over the brook Kidron, thou dost certainly know that thou dost surely die -- thy blood is on thy 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.

And Shimei saith to the king, `The word good; as my lord the king hath spoken so doth thy servant do;' and Shimei dwelleth 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.

And it cometh to pass, at the end of three years, that flee do two of the servants of Shimei unto Achish son of Maachah, king of Gath, and they declare to Shimei, saying, `Lo, thy servants 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.

and Shimei riseth, and saddleth his ass, and goeth to Gath, unto Achish, to seek his servants, and Shimei goeth and bringeth his servants from Gath.

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

And it is declared to Solomon that Shimei hath gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and doth return,

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.

and the king sendeth and calleth for Shimei, and saith unto him, `Have I not caused thee to swear by Jehovah -- and I testify against thee, saying, In the day of thy going out, and thou hast gone anywhere, thou dost certainly know that thou dost surely die; and thou sayest unto me, The word I have heard good?

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

and wherefore hast thou not kept the oath of Jehovah, and the charge that I charged upon thee?'

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.

And the king saith unto Shimei, `Thou hast known all the evil that thy heart hath known, which thou didest to David my father, and Jehovah hath turned back thine evil on thy head,

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

and king Solomon blessed, and the throne of David is established before Jehovah unto the age.'

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.

And the king chargeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he goeth out and falleth on him, and he dieth, and the kingdom is established in the hand of Solomon.