1 Kings 2:35-46

Complete Jewish Bible

³⁵The king put B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada in charge of the army instead of him, and the king replaced Evyatar with Tzadok the cohen.

³⁶The king summoned Shim‘i and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Yerushalayim, and live there; don’t go outside the city walls. ³⁷Know for a fact that on the day you go out and cross Vadi Kidron, you will certainly die; your blood will be on your own head.” ³⁸Shim‘i answered the king, “What you have said is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shim‘i lived in Yerushalayim for a long time.

³⁹But after three years, two of Shim‘i’s slaves ran away and went to Akhish son of Ma‘akhah, king of Gat. They told Shim‘i, “Your slaves are in Gat.” ⁴⁰So Shim‘i set out, saddled his donkey and went to Akhish in Gat to look for his slaves; then Shim‘i returned, bringing his slaves from Gat.

⁴¹Shlomo was told that Shim‘i had gone from Yerushalayim to Gat and back. ⁴²The king summoned Shim‘i and said to him, “Didn’t I have you swear by Adonai and forewarn you by telling you, ‘Know for a fact that on the day you leave and go anywhere outside the city, you will certainly die’? and you answered me, ‘What you’re saying is good; I hear it.’ ⁴³Why, then, haven’t you kept the oath of Adonai and the mitzvah I charged you with?” ⁴⁴Moreover, the king said to Shim‘i, “You know in your own heart all the terrible things you did to David my father; therefore Adonai will bring back your wickedness on your own head. ⁴⁵But King Shlomo will be blessed, and the throne of David will be established before Adonai forever.” ⁴⁶So the king gave the order to B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, and he went out and struck him down, so that he died.