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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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1 Kings 2
Christian Standard Bible

David’s Dying Instructions to Solomon

2 As the time approached for David to die,(A) he ordered his son Solomon, 2 “As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth.(B) Be strong and be a man,(C) 3 and keep your obligation to the Lord your God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do(D) and wherever you turn, 4 and so that the Lord will fulfill his promise that he made to me: ‘If your sons take care to walk faithfully before me with all their heart and all their soul,(E) you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’(F)

5 “You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me(G) and what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s army, Abner son of Ner(H) and Amasa son of Jether.(I) He murdered them in a time of peace to avenge blood shed in war. He spilled that blood on his own waistband and on the sandals of his feet.[a] 6 Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head descend to Sheol in peace.

7 “Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table(J) because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom.(K)

8 “Keep an eye on Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim.(L) But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, and I swore to him by the Lord, ‘I will never kill you with the sword.’(M) 9 So don’t let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man. You know how to deal with him to bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”

10 Then David rested with his ancestors(N) and was buried in the city of David.(O) 11 The length of time David reigned over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.(P) 12 Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingship was firmly established.(Q)

Adonijah’s Foolish Request

13 Now Adonijah son of Haggith(R) came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come peacefully?”

“Peacefully,” he replied,(S) 14 and then asked, “May I talk with you?” [b]

“Go ahead,” she answered.

15 “You know the kingship was mine,”(T) he said. “All Israel expected me to be king, but then the kingship was turned over to my brother,(U) for the Lord gave it to him.(V) 16 So now I have just one request of you; don’t turn me down.”[c]

She said to him, “Go on.”

17 He replied, “Please speak to King Solomon since he won’t turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite(W) as a wife.”

18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for the king’s mother.(X) So she sat down at his right hand.(Y)

20 Then she said, “I have just one small request of you. Don’t turn me down.”

“Go ahead and ask, mother,” the king replied, “for I won’t turn you down.”

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

22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my elder brother,(Z) you might as well ask the kingship for him,(AA) for the priest Abiathar, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.”[d](AB) 23 Then King Solomon took an oath by the Lord: “May God punish me and do so severely(AC) if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life. 24 And now, as the Lord lives—the one who established me, seated me on the throne of my father David, and made me a dynasty as he promised(AD)—I swear Adonijah will be put to death today!” 25 Then King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada,(AE) who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

Abiathar’s Banishment

26 The king said to the priest Abiathar,(AF) “Go to your fields in Anathoth.(AG) Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death today, since you carried the ark of the Lord God in the presence of my father David(AH) and you suffered through all that my father suffered.”(AI) 27 So Solomon banished Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest, and it fulfilled the Lord’s prophecy he had spoken at Shiloh against Eli’s family.(AJ)

Joab’s Execution

28 The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah(AK) but not Absalom,(AL) Joab fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar.(AM)

29 It was reported to King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and is now beside the altar.”

Then Solomon sent[e] Benaiah son of Jehoiada(AN) and told him, “Go and strike him down!” (AO)

30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle and said to Joab, “This is what the king says: ‘Come out!’” (AP)

But Joab said, “No, for I will die here.”

So Benaiah took a message back to the king, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.”

31 The king said to him, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him in order to remove from me and from my father’s family the blood that Joab shed without just cause.(AQ) 32 The Lord will bring back his own blood on his head because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, without my father David’s knowledge. With his sword, Joab murdered Abner(AR) son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa(AS) son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33 The responsibility for their deaths will come back to Joab and to his descendants[f] forever, but for David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne, there will be peace from the Lord forever.”(AT)

34 Benaiah son of Jehoiada(AU) went up, struck down Joab, and put him to death. He was buried at his house in the wilderness.(AV) 35 Then the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army,(AW) and he appointed the priest Zadok in Abiathar’s place.

Shimei’s Banishment and Execution

36 Then the king summoned Shimei(AX) and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but don’t leave there and go anywhere else. 37 On the day you do leave and cross the Kidron Valley,(AY) know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head.”(AZ)

38 Shimei said to the king, “The sentence is fair; your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken.” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

39 But then, at the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish(BA) son of Maacah, king of Gath.(BB) Shimei was informed, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.” 40 So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath to search for his slaves. He went and brought them back from Gath.

41 It was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. 42 So the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you, saying, ‘On the day you leave and go anywhere else, know for sure that you will certainly die’? And you said to me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will obey.’ 43 So why have you not kept the Lord’s oath and the command that I gave you?” 44 The king also said, “You yourself know all the evil that you did to my father David.(BC) Therefore, the Lord has brought back your evil on your head, 45 but King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain established before the Lord forever.”(BD)

46 Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in Solomon’s hand.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. 2:5 LXX, Old Lat read on my waistband and... my feet; v. 31
  2. 2:14 Lit then said, “I have a word for you.”
  3. 2:16 Lit don’t make me turn my face
  4. 2:22 LXX, Vg, Syr read kingship for him, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah
  5. 2:29 LXX adds Joab a message: “What is the matter with you, that you have fled to the altar?” And Joab replied, “Because I feared you, I have fled to the Lord.” And Solomon the king sent
  6. 2:33 Lit Their blood will return on the head of Joab and on the head of his seed
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