1 A s David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying,

When David’s time to die was near, he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2 “ I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.

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

3 K eep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,

Keep 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,

4 s o that the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘ If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

That 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.

5 “ Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet.

You 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.

6 S o act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace.

Do therefore according to your wisdom, but let not his hoary head go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) 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 they assisted me when I fled from 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 with such kindness they met me when I fled because of Absalom your brother.

8 B ehold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’

And 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.

9 N ow therefore, do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.” Death of David

So 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.

10 T hen David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.

So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

11 T he days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.

David reigned over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

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

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

13 N ow Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “ Do you come peacefully?” And he said, “Peacefully.”

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

14 T hen he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.”

He said, I have something to say to you. And she said, Say on.

15 S o he said, “You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Israel expected me to be king; however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord.

He 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.

16 N ow I am making one request of you; do not refuse me.” And she said to him, “Speak.”

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

17 T hen he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.”

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

18 B athsheba said, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.” Adonijah Executed

And Bathsheba said, Very well; I will speak for you to the king.

19 S o Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right.

So 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.

20 T hen she said, “I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”

Then 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.

21 S o she said, “ Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.”

She said, Give Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah your brother to be his wife.

22 K ing Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him also the kingdom— for he is my older brother—even for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!”

King 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.

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

Then 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.

24 N ow therefore, 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, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.”

Therefore, 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.

25 S o King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.

So King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who attacked and he died.

26 T hen to Abiathar the priest the king said, “ Go to Anathoth to your own field, for you deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.”

And 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.

27 S o Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. Joab Executed

So 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.

28 N ow the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar.

When 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.

29 I t was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “ Go, fall upon him.”

King 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.

30 S o Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “Thus the king has said, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me.”

So 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.

31 T he king said to him, “ Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause.

The 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.

32 T he Lord will return his blood on his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

The 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.

33 S o shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but to David and his descendants and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the Lord forever.”

So 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.

34 T hen Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness.

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

35 T he king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. Shimei Executed

The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army and put Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.

36 N ow the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any place.

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

37 F or on the day you go out and cross over the brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

For 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.

38 S himei then said to the king, “The word is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

And 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.

39 B ut it came about at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your servants are in Gath.”

But 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.

40 T hen Shimei arose and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to look for his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath.

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

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

It was told Solomon that Shimei went from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.

42 S o the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’

And 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.

43 W hy then have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the command which I have laid on you?”

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

44 T he king also said to Shimei, “ You know all the evil which you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore the Lord shall return your evil on your own head.

The 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.

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

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

46 S o the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him so that he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.

So 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.