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1 Kings 2
New English Translation

David’s Final Words to Solomon

2 When David was close to death,[a] he told[b] Solomon his son: 2 “I am about to die.[c] Be strong and become a man! 3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you[d] by following his instructions[e] and obeying[f] his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish,[g] 4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me,[h] ‘If your descendants watch their step[i] and live faithfully in my presence[j] with all their heart and being,[k] then,’ he promised,[l] ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’[m]

5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether.[n] During peacetime he struck them down as if in battle;[o] when he shed their blood, he stained the belt on his waist and the sandals on his feet.[p] 6 Do to him what you think is appropriate,[q] but don’t let him live long and die a peaceful death.[r]

7 “Treat fairly[s] the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs,[t] because they helped me[u] when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.

8 “Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim,[v] who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim.[w] He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised[x] him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you down[y] with the sword.’ 9 But now[z] don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him;[aa] make sure he has a bloody death.”[ab]

10 Then David passed away[ac] and was buried in the City of David.[ad] 11 David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem thirty-three years.

Solomon Secures the Throne

12 Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his royal authority[ae] was firmly solidified.

13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.”[af] 14 He added,[ag] “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom[ah] was mine and all Israel considered me king.[ai] But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his.[aj] 16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.”[ak] She said, “Go ahead and ask.”[al] 17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.”[am] 18 Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine;[an] I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”

19 So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greet[ao] her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother,[ap] and she sat at his right hand. 20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor.[aq] Please don’t refuse me.”[ar] He said,[as] “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him?[at] Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23 King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely,[au] if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life![av] 24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty[aw] for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!” 25 King Solomon then sent[ax] Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah.[ay]

26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your property[az] in Anathoth. You deserve to die,[ba] but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.”[bb] 27 Solomon removed Abiathar from being a priest for the Lord, fulfilling the Lord’s message that he had pronounced against the family of Eli in Shiloh.

28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported[bc] Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he[bd] ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.[be] 29 When King Solomon heard[bf] that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada,[bg] “Go, strike him down.” 30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply.[bh] 31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family[bi] the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds.[bj] 32 May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed;[bk] behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he[bl]—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family,[bm] and his dynasty.”[bn] 34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab;[bo] he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of[bp] the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place.[bq]

36 Next the king summoned[br] Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but you may not leave there to go anywhere.[bs] 37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die. You will be responsible for your own death.”[bt] 38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable.[bu] Your servant will do as you say.”[bv] So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.[bw]

39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 42 the king summoned[bx] Shimei and said to him, “You will recall[by] that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere,[bz] know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’[ca] 43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?”[cb] 44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David.[cc] The Lord will punish you for what you did.[cd] 45 But King Solomon will be empowered,[ce] and David’s dynasty[cf] will endure permanently before the Lord.” 46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei.[cg]

So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom.[ch]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 2:1 tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”
  2. 1 Kings 2:1 tn Or “commanded.”
  3. 1 Kings 2:2 tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”
  4. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “keep the charge of the Lord your God.”
  5. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”
  6. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Or “keeping.”
  7. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”
  8. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “then the Lord will establish his word which he spoke to me, saying.”
  9. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “guard their way.”
  10. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”
  11. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Or “soul.”
  12. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “saying.”
  13. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”
  14. 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”
  15. 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”
  16. 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “and he shed the blood of battle on his belt which is on his waist and on his sandal[s] which are on his feet.” That is, he covered himself with guilt and his guilt was obvious to all who saw him.
  17. 1 Kings 2:6 tn Heb “according to your wisdom.”
  18. 1 Kings 2:6 tn Heb “and do not bring down his grey hair in peace [to] Sheol.”
  19. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “do loyalty with”; or “act faithfully toward.”
  20. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “and let them be among the ones who eat [at] your table.”
  21. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “thus drew near to.”
  22. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “Look, with you is Shimei….”
  23. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “and he cursed me with a horrible curse on the day I went to Mahanaim.”
  24. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Or “swore an oath to.”
  25. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “kill you.”
  26. 1 Kings 2:9 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek and the Vulgate have here “you” rather than “now.” The two words are homonyms in Hebrew.
  27. 1 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “what you should do to him.”
  28. 1 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”
  29. 1 Kings 2:10 tn Heb “and David lay down with his fathers.”
  30. 1 Kings 2:10 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  31. 1 Kings 2:12 tn Or “kingship.”
  32. 1 Kings 2:13 tn Heb “[in] peace.”
  33. 1 Kings 2:14 tn Heb “and he said.”
  34. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Or “kingship.”
  35. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “set their face to me to be king.”
  36. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “and the kingdom turned about and became my brother’s, for from the Lord it became his.”
  37. 1 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
  38. 1 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “She said, ‘Speak!’”
  39. 1 Kings 2:17 tn Heb “Say to Solomon the king, for he will not turn back your face, that he might give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.”
  40. 1 Kings 2:18 tn Heb “[It is] good!”
  41. 1 Kings 2:19 tn Or “meet.”
  42. 1 Kings 2:19 tn Heb “he set up a throne for the mother of the king.”
  43. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Or “I’d like to make just one request of you.”
  44. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
  45. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “and the king said to her.”
  46. 1 Kings 2:22 tn Heb “for Adonijah.”
  47. 1 Kings 2:23 tn Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”
  48. 1 Kings 2:23 tn Heb “if with his life Adonijah has not spoken this word.”
  49. 1 Kings 2:24 tn Heb “house.”
  50. 1 Kings 2:25 tn The Hebrew text adds, “by the hand of.”
  51. 1 Kings 2:25 tn Heb “and he struck him and he died.”
  52. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Or “field.”
  53. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Heb “you are a man of death,” an idiom.
  54. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Heb “and because you suffered through all which my father suffered.”
  55. 1 Kings 2:28 tn Heb “turned after” (also later in this verse).
  56. 1 Kings 2:28 tn Heb “Joab.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  57. 1 Kings 2:28 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Joab was seeking asylum from Solomon.
  58. 1 Kings 2:29 tn Heb “and it was related to King Solomon.”
  59. 1 Kings 2:29 tn Heb “so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying.”
  60. 1 Kings 2:30 tn Heb “saying, “In this way Joab spoke and in this way he answered me.”
  61. 1 Kings 2:31 tn Heb “house.”
  62. 1 Kings 2:31 tn Heb “take away the undeserved bloodshed which Joab spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father.”
  63. 1 Kings 2:32 tn Heb “The Lord will cause his blood to return upon his head.”
  64. 1 Kings 2:32 tn Heb “because he struck down two men more innocent and better than he and he killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know.”
  65. 1 Kings 2:33 tn Heb “house.”
  66. 1 Kings 2:33 tn Heb “his throne.”
  67. 1 Kings 2:34 tn Heb “struck him and killed him.” The referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  68. 1 Kings 2:35 tn Heb “over.”
  69. 1 Kings 2:35 tc The Old Greek translation includes after v. 35 some fourteen verses that are absent from the MT.
  70. 1 Kings 2:36 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  71. 1 Kings 2:36 tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”
  72. 1 Kings 2:37 tn Heb “your blood will be upon your head.”
  73. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “Good is the word, as my master the king has spoken.”
  74. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “so your servant will do.”
  75. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “many days.”
  76. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  77. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “Is it not [true]…?” In the Hebrew text the statement is interrogative; the rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course it is.”
  78. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “here or there.”
  79. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “good is the word; I have heard.”
  80. 1 Kings 2:43 tn Heb “Why have you not kept the oath [to] the Lord and the commandment I commanded you?”
  81. 1 Kings 2:44 tn Heb “You know all the evil, for your heart knows, which you did to David my father.”
  82. 1 Kings 2:44 tn Heb “The Lord will cause your evil to return upon your head.”
  83. 1 Kings 2:45 tn Or “blessed.”
  84. 1 Kings 2:45 tn Heb “throne.”
  85. 1 Kings 2:46 tn “The king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck him down and he died.”
  86. 1 Kings 2:46 tn “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”
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列王纪上 2
Chinese New Version (Traditional)

大衛給所羅門的遺訓

2 大衛的死期近了，就囑咐他的兒子所羅門說： 2 “我現在要走世人必走的路了，你當堅強作大丈夫， 3 謹守耶和華你　神所吩咐的，遵行他的道，按摩西律法所寫的，謹守他的律例、誡命、典章和法度；這樣，無論你作甚麼，無論你往哪裡去，都可以亨通。 4 這樣，耶和華必堅立他所說有關我的話，說：‘如果你的子孫謹慎自己所行的，一心一意、誠誠實實行在我面前，就不斷有人坐以色列的王位了。’ 5 你也要知道洗魯雅的兒子約押對我所行的，就是對以色列的兩個元帥：尼珥的兒子押尼珥和益帖的兒子亞瑪撒所行的。他殺了他們，在和平的時候流他們的血，像作戰時一樣，把戰爭的血染在他腰間所束的帶子上和腳上所穿的鞋子上。 6 所以你要憑你的智慧而行，不要讓他白髮到老，平平安安下到陰間。 7 但是你要恩待基列人巴西萊的眾子，使他們與你同席吃飯，因為我逃避你哥哥押沙龍的時候，他們拿食物來迎接我。 8 與你在一起的有巴戶琳的便雅憫人基拉的兒子示每；我往瑪哈念去的那天，他用狠毒的咒語咒罵我。後來他下到約旦河來迎接我的時候，我就指著耶和華向他起誓，說：‘我必不用刀殺死你。’ 9 現在，你不要以他為無罪，你是個聰明人，你必知道該怎樣待他，使他白髮蒼蒼流血下到陰間。”

大衛逝世

10 大衛與他的列祖同睡，葬在大衛城裡。 11 大衛作以色列王四十年：在希伯崙作王七年；在耶路撒冷作王三十三年。 12 於是所羅門坐在他父親的王位上，他的國非常穩固。

亞多尼雅求娶亞比煞為妻

13 哈及的兒子亞多尼雅去見所羅門的母親拔示巴，拔示巴問他：“你來是為和平嗎？”他回答：“是為和平來的。” 14 他又說：“我有話對你說。”拔示巴說：“你說吧！” 15 亞多尼雅說：“你知道這國位原是我的，以色列眾人都希望我作王；不料國位反歸了我的弟弟，因為他得著國位是出於耶和華。 16 現在我有一事請求你，請你不要拒絕。”拔示巴對他說：“你說吧！” 17 他說：“求你向所羅門王說，請他把書念的女子亞比煞賜給我作妻子，因為他必不會拒絕你。” 18 拔示巴說：“好吧，我必為你向王請求。”

亞多尼雅自取滅亡

19 於是拔示巴去見所羅門王，為亞多尼雅的事向他請求。王起來迎接她，向她下拜，然後坐在自己的王座上，又吩咐人為王的母親擺設一個座位；她就坐在王的右邊。 20 拔示巴說：“我有一件小事求你，請不要拒絕我。”王對她說：“母親，你說吧，我必不會拒絕你。” 21 拔示巴說：“請把書念的女子亞比煞賜給你哥哥亞多尼雅作妻子。” 22 所羅門王回答他母親，說：“你為甚麼要為亞多尼雅求書念的女子亞比煞呢？你也可以為他求這個國位，因為他是我的哥哥，又有亞比亞他祭司和洗魯雅的兒子約押擁護他。” 23 於是所羅門王指著耶和華起誓，說：“如果亞多尼雅不因說了這話而送命，願　神懲罰我，並且加倍懲罰我。 24 現在，我指著永活的耶和華─那位堅立了我，使我坐在我父親大衛的王位上，又照他所應許，為我建立家室的─起誓，今天亞多尼雅必被處死！” 25 於是，所羅門王差派耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅去擊殺亞多尼雅，他就死了。

亞比亞他被革職

26 王對亞比亞他祭司說：“你回亞拿突自己的田地去吧！你本來是該死的，但我今天不殺死你，因為你在我父親大衛面前抬過主耶和華的約櫃，又與我父親同受一切苦難。” 27 所羅門就罷免了亞比亞他，不准他作耶和華的祭司，這樣就應驗了耶和華在示羅所說有關以利家的話。

約押被處死

28 約押雖然沒有擁護過押沙龍，但曾擁護亞多尼雅；這消息傳到約押那裡，他就逃到耶和華的帳幕裡去，抓緊祭壇的角。 29 有人告訴所羅門王約押逃到耶和華的帳幕裡去了，現在就在祭壇的旁邊。於是所羅門差派耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅去說：“你去把他殺死。” 30 比拿雅來到耶和華的帳幕那裡，對約押說：“王這樣吩咐說：‘你出來！’”約押說：“我不出去！我要死在這裡。”於是比拿雅回覆王說：“約押這樣說，他這樣回答我。” 31 王對比拿雅說：“你照著約押的話行吧！殺死他，把他埋葬，好叫約押所流無辜人的血，從我和我父的家除去。 32 耶和華必使約押流無辜人的血的罪歸到他自己頭上，因為他擊殺了兩個比他又公義又良善的人，就是用刀殺了以色列的元帥尼珥的兒子押尼珥，和猶大的元帥益帖的兒子亞瑪撒，這事我的父親大衛一點都不知道。 33 願流這二人的血的罪歸到約押和他後裔的頭上，直到永遠；但大衛和他的後裔，他的家和他的國卻要從耶和華那裡得享平安，直到永遠。” 34 於是耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅上去擊殺他，把他殺死，葬在曠野約押自己的家中。 35 王任命耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅取代約押統領軍隊；又任命撒督祭司取代亞比亞他的職位。

示每違命與死亡

36 王派人去把示每召來，對他說：“你要為自己在耶路撒冷建造一座房屋，住在那裡，不可從那裡出來到任何別的地方去。 37 你必須知道，你哪一天出來，越過汲淪溪，你哪一天就要死。你流人血的罪必歸到你自己的頭上。” 38 示每對王說：“這話很好，我主我王怎麼說，你僕人就照著行。”於是示每在耶路撒冷住了很久。

39 三年以後，示每的兩個僕人逃到迦特王瑪迦的兒子亞吉那裡。有人告訴示每說：“你的僕人在迦特。” 40 於是示每起來，預備好自己的騾子，就往迦特亞吉王那裡去尋找他的僕人。示每去了，又把他的僕人從迦特帶回來。 41 有人告訴所羅門示每離開耶路撒冷往迦特去，又回來了。 42 王就派人把示每召來，對他說：“我不是叫你指著耶和華起誓，並且警告你：‘你必須知道，你哪一天出去到任何別的地方，你哪一天就要死’嗎？你也對我說過：‘這話很好，我必聽從。’ 43 現在你為甚麼不遵守你向耶和華所起的誓，和我吩咐你的命令呢？” 44 王又對示每說：“你自己知道你心裡的一切惡事，就是你向我父親大衛所行的；現在耶和華要把你的罪歸到你的頭上。 45 所羅門王卻要蒙福，大衛的王位必在耶和華眼前得堅立，直到永遠。” 46 於是王命令耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅，比拿雅就出去擊殺示每，示每就死了。這樣，所羅門就鞏固了他的國。

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