大卫对所罗门的叮嘱

大卫临终时,叮嘱他儿子所罗门说: “我要走世人都必走的那条路了。你要刚强,做大丈夫。 你要遵从你的上帝耶和华的话,遵行祂的道,照摩西的律法遵守上帝的律例、诫命、典章和法度。这样,你无论做什么、去哪里都必亨通, 耶和华必履行给我的应许,祂对我说,‘如果你的子孙谨慎自守,忠心地事奉我,你的王朝必世代相传。’

“你知道洗鲁雅的儿子约押怎样对我,他杀了以色列的两名元帅——尼珥的儿子押尼珥和益帖的儿子亚玛撒。他在太平的时候把他们当作战场的敌手杀害,腰带和鞋子上沾满了他们的血。 你要用智慧处置他,不可让他安享天年。

“你要恩待基列人巴西莱的众子,让他们成为你的座上宾,因为我逃避你哥哥押沙龙的时候,他们曾接待我。

“别放过巴户琳的便雅悯人基拉的儿子示每。我逃亡到玛哈念的时候,他曾用恶毒的话咒骂我。后来他到约旦河迎接我的时候,我曾凭耶和华起誓不杀他。 但你不要放过他。你是个聪明人,应该知道怎样处置他。你要让他白头落地,不得善终。”

10 大卫与祖先同眠后,葬在大卫城。 11 他做以色列王四十年,在希伯仑做王七年,在耶路撒冷做王三十三年。 12 所罗门继承大卫的王位,国势强盛。

所罗门巩固王位

13 一天,哈姬的儿子亚多尼雅来见所罗门的母亲拔示芭,拔示芭问他:“你是为平安而来吗?”亚多尼雅说:“是为平安而来。” 14 又说:“我有事禀告。”拔示芭说:“你说吧。” 15 亚多尼雅说:“你知道,王位本该是我的,整个以色列原指望我做王。不料,王位归了我兄弟,因为这是上帝的旨意。 16 现在我有一个请求,请你不要推辞。”拔示芭说:“你说吧。” 17 他说:“请你求所罗门王将那书念女子雅比莎赐我为妻,他不会拒绝你。” 18 拔示芭说:“好吧,我会为你向王请求。”

19 拔示芭就为亚多尼雅的事去见所罗门王,王离座迎接,向她下拜,然后坐回位上,命人在自己右边为她摆设座位。 20 拔示芭说:“我有一件小事求你,请你不要推辞。”王说:“母亲请说,我必不推辞。” 21 拔示芭说:“请将书念女子雅比莎赐给你哥哥亚多尼雅为妻。”

22 所罗门王回答说:“为何只为亚多尼雅求书念女子雅比莎呢?你也为他求整个国家吧!他是我哥哥,又有亚比亚他祭司和洗鲁雅的儿子约押支持。” 23 所罗门王就凭耶和华起誓说:“亚多尼雅若不为他这样的要求付出性命,愿上帝重重地惩罚我。 24 耶和华让我稳稳地坐在父亲大卫的宝座上,照祂的应许为我建立了王朝,我凭永活的耶和华起誓,亚多尼雅今天必被处死。” 25 于是,所罗门王命令耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅杀死亚多尼雅。

26 王对亚比亚他祭司说:“你回亚拿突的老家去吧。你本是该死的,但我念你在我父大卫面前抬过主耶和华的约柜,曾经与我父亲患难与共,才饶你一命。” 27 所罗门就罢免了亚比亚他的职位,不许他再做耶和华的祭司。这事应验了耶和华在示罗所说的有关以利家的预言。

28 约押虽然没有支持押沙龙,但却支持了亚多尼雅。他听见风声,就逃进圣幕,抓住祭坛的角。 29 有人把这消息告诉所罗门王,说约押已经逃进圣幕,躲在祭坛旁边。所罗门就派耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅去杀他。 30 比拿雅来到耶和华的圣幕,对约押说:“王吩咐你出来!”约押却回答说:“不,我要死在这里。”比拿雅回去禀告王。

31 王说:“你就照他的话成全他吧,你要埋葬他,把他滥杀无辜的罪从我和我父亲家清除。 32 耶和华要让他血债血还。因为他背着我父亲杀了两名比他良善正直的人,即尼珥的儿子以色列元帅押尼珥和益帖的儿子犹大元帅亚玛撒。 33 所以,杀这二人的血债必永远归到约押和他后代身上。愿耶和华的平安永远伴随大卫和他的后代、他的家、他的国。” 34 耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅就去把约押杀死,葬在旷野约押自己的墓地。 35 王委派耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅替代约押为元帅,命撒督祭司代替亚比亚他。

36 王又派人将示每召来,对他说:“你要在耶路撒冷建屋居住,不得出城去其他地方。 37 你哪天越过汲沦溪,哪天必死无疑,你的死是咎由自取。” 38 示每说:“好,仆人必照我主我王说的做。”示每就一直住在耶路撒冷。 39 过了三年,示每的两个仆人逃到迦特王玛迦的儿子亚吉那里。示每知道后, 40 就备上驴到迦特的亚吉那里找他的仆人,并把他们带了回来。

41 所罗门听说示每从耶路撒冷前往迦特,已经返回, 42 就派人召来示每,问道:“我不是叫你凭耶和华起誓不离开耶路撒冷吗?我警告过你,你哪天离开这里,哪天必死无疑。当时你也同意。 43 现在你为何不守你向耶和华起的誓,不遵行我的命令?” 44 王又说:“你以前如何恶待我父大卫,你自己心里明白,现在耶和华要追究你的罪行了。 45 但所罗门王必蒙祝福,大卫的王位在耶和华面前必永远稳固。”

46 于是,王命令耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅杀死示每。这样所罗门的江山得以稳固。

Now the days of Dovid drew near that he should die; and he charged Sh’lomo Bno, saying,

I go the derech kol ha’aretz; be thou chazak therefore, and show thyself a man;

And be shomer over the mishmeret (requirement, charge) of Hashem Eloheicha, to walk in His derakhim, to be shomer over His chukkot (decrees), and His mitzvot, and His mishpatim (ordinances), and His edot (testimonies), as it is written in the Torat Moshe, so that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and wherever thou turnest;

So that Hashem may uphold His Davar (Word, Promise) which He spoke concerning me, saying, If thy banim are shomer over their derech, to walk before Me in emes with all their lev and with all their nefesh, there shall not yikaret l’cha (be cut off of you, fail thee) Ish on the Kisse Yisroel.

Moreover thou knowest also what Yoav Ben Tzeruyah did to me, and what he did to the two sarim of the Tzivos Yisroel (Armies of Yisroel), unto Avner Ben Ner, and unto Amasa Ben Yeter, whom he killed, and the shefach dahm of war in shalom (peacetime), and put the dahm of milchamah (war) upon his khagorah (sword belt) that was about his loins, and on his na’alayim (sandals) that were on his raglayim.

Do therefore according to thy chochmah, and let not his gray head go down to Sheol in shalom.

But show chesed unto the Bnei Barzillai the Gileadi, and let them be of those that eat at thy shulchan; for so they stood by me when I fled from before Avshalom achicha.

And, hinei, thou hast with thee Shime’i Ben Gera the Binyamini of Bachurim, which cursed me with a kelalah (curse) nimretzet (grievous, strong) on the day when I went to Machanayim; but he came down to meet me at Yarden, and I swore a shevu’ah to him by Hashem, saying, I will not put thee to death with the cherev.

Now therefore hold him not guiltless; for thou art an ish chacham, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his gray head bring thou down with dahm to She’ol.

10 So Dovid slept with his avot, and was buried in Ir Dovid.

11 And the yamim that Dovid reigned as Melech over Yisroel were arba’im shanah; sheva shanim reigned he in Chevron, and shloshim v’shalosh shanim reigned he in Yerushalayim.

12 Then sat Sh’lomo upon the Kisse Dovid Aviv; and Malchuso was firmly established.

13 And Adoniyah Ben Chaggit came to Bat-Sheva Em Sh’lomo. And she said, Comest thou in shalom? And he said, Shalom.

14 He said moreover, I have davar to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.

15 And he said, Thou hast da’as that the meluchah (kingdom, monarchy) was mine, and that kol Yisroel set their faces on me, that I should reign as Melech; howbeit the meluchah has veered, and is become my brother’s; for it was his from Hashem.

16 And now I ask thee one she’elah: refuse me not. And she said unto him, Say on.

17 And he said, Speak, now, unto Sh’lomo HaMelech, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Avishag HaShunammit as isha.

18 And Bat-Sheva said, Tov; I will speak for thee unto HaMelech.

19 Bat-Sheva therefore went unto HaMelech Sh’lomo, to speak unto him for Adoniyah. And HaMelech rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his kisse, and caused a kisse to be set for Em HaMelech; and she sat on his yamin (right hand).

20 Then she said, I desire one small she’elah of thee; now, say me not nay. And HaMelech said unto her, Ask on, immi: for I will not say thee nay.

21 And she said, Let Avishag HaShunammit be given to Adoniyah thy brother as isha.

22 And HaMelech Sh’lomo answered and said unto immo, And why dost thou request Avishag HaShunammite for Adoniyah? Ask for him the meluchah also; for he is achi hagadol; even for him, for Evyatar HaKohen, and for Yoav Ben Tzeruyah.

23 Then HaMelech Sh’lomo swore a shevu’a by Hashem, saying, Elohim do so to me, and more also, if Adoniyah have not spoken this davar against his own nefesh.

24 Now therefore, Hashem Chai (as Hashem liveth), which hath established me, and set me on the Kisse Dovid Avi, and who hath made me a Bayit ([Davidic] Dynasty), as He promised, Adoniyah shall be executed this day.

25 And HaMelech Sh’lomo sent by the yad Benayah Ben Yehoyada; and he struck him that he died.

26 And unto Evyatar (Abiathar) HaKohen said HaMelech, Get thee to Anatot, unto thine own sadot; for ish mavet atah (You are a man deserving of death); but I will not this day put thee to death, because thou borest the Aron Adonoi Hashem before Dovid Avi, and because thou hast shared hardship in all wherein Avi endured hardship [See 2Ti 4:5 OJBC].

27 So Sh’lomo thrust out Evyatar (Abiathar) from being Kohen unto Hashem; in order to fulfill the Devar Hashem, which He had spoken at Shiloh concerning the Bais Eli [See 1Sm 2:30-35].

28 Then news came to Yoav; for Yoav had inclined after Adoniyah, though he turned not to take sides with Avshalom. And Yoav fled unto the Ohel Hashem, and caught hold the karnot HaMizbe’ach.

29 And it was told Melech Sh’lomo that Yoav was fled unto the Ohel Hashem; and, hinei, he is beside the Mizbe’ach. Then Sh’lomo sent Benayah Ben Yehoyada, saying, Go, fall upon him.

30 And Benayah came to the Ohel Hashem, and said unto him, Thus saith HaMelech, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benayah brought HaMelech word again, saying, Thus said Yoav, and thus he answered me.

31 And HaMelech said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away from me the demei chinnam (innocent blood), the shefach dahm of Yoav, even from against the Bais Avi.

32 And Hashem shall return his dahm upon his own rosh, who fell upon two anashim more tzadikim and tovim than he, and killed them with the cherev, Dovid Avi not knowing thereof: Avner Ben Ner, Sar Tzava Yisroel, and Amasa Ben Yeter, Sar Tzava Yehudah.

33 Let their dahm therefore turn back upon the rosh Yoav, and upon the rosh of his zera l’olam; but upon Dovid, and upon his Zera, and upon his Bais, and upon his Kisse, let there be shalom ad olam from Hashem.

34 So Benayah Ben Yehoyada went up, and fell upon him, and executed him; and he was buried in his bais (house, i.e., in court or garden of his house) in the midbar.

35 And in his place HaMelech put Benayah Ben Yehoyada in charge of the Tzava (Army); and Tzadok HaKohen did HaMelech put in the place of Evyatar.

36 And HaMelech sent and summoned Shime’i, and said unto him, Build thee a bayit in Yerushalayim, and dwell there, and go not go out from there anywhere.

37 For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the Kidron Valley, thou shalt know for certain that mot tamut (thou shalt surely die); thy dahm shall be upon thine own rosh.

38 And Shime’i said unto HaMelech, Tov HaDavar (good is the word); just as adoni HaMelech hath said, so will thy eved do. And Shime’i dwelt in Yerushalayim yamim rabbim.

39 And it came to pass at the end of shalosh shanim, that two of the avadim of Shime’i ran away unto Achish Ben Maachah Melech Gat. And they told Shime’i, saying, Hinei, thy avadim are in Gat.

40 And Shime’i arose, and saddled his chamor, and went to Gat to Achish to search for his avadim; and Shime’i went, and brought back his avadim from Gat.

41 And it was told Sh’lomo that Shime’i had gone from Yerushalayim to Gat, and had returned.

42 And HaMelech sent and summoned Shime’i, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear a shevu’ah by Hashem, and adjured thee [i.e., under oath], saying, Know for a certain, on the yom thou goest out, and walkest abroad any place whatever [outside Yerushalayim] that mot tamut (thou shalt surely die)? And thou saidst unto me, Tov HaDavar Sha’ma’ti (The good word I will hear, I will obey).

43 Why then hast thou not been shomer over the Shevuat Hashem, and the Mitzvah that I have charged thee with?

44 HaMelech said moreover to Shime’i, Thou knowest all the ra’ah which thine lev is privy to, that thou didst to Dovid Avi; therefore Hashem shall return thy ra’ah upon thine own rosh;

45 And HaMelech Sh’lomo baruch, and the Kisse Dovid shall be nakhon (secure) before Hashem ad olam.

46 So HaMelech commanded Benayah Ben Yehoyada, who went and fell upon him, that he died. The mamlachah was established in the yad Sh’lomo.