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1 Kings 2
New Living Translation

David’s Final Instructions to Solomon

2 As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon:

2 “I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. 3 Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. 4 If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’

5 “And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace,[a] staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood.[b] 6 Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace.[c]

7 “Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table, for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

8 “And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the Lord that I would not kill him. 9 But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.[d]”

10 Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. 11 David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 12 Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

Solomon Establishes His Rule

13 One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you come with peaceful intentions?” she asked him.

“Yes,” he said, “I come in peace. 14 In fact, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?” she asked.

15 He replied, “As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the Lord wanted it. 16 So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don’t turn me down.”

“What is it?” she asked.

17 He replied, “Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”

18 “All right,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah’s behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.

20 “I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “I hope you won’t turn me down.”

“What is it, my mother?” he asked. “You know I won’t refuse you.”

21 “Then let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem,” she replied.

22 “How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?” King Solomon demanded. “You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.”

23 Then King Solomon made a vow before the Lord: “May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request. 24 The Lord has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the Lord lives, Adonijah will die this very day!” 25 So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death.

26 Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign Lord for David my father and you shared all his hardships.” 27 So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the Lord had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli.

28 Joab had not joined Absalom’s earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah’s rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah’s death, he ran to the sacred tent of the Lord and grabbed on to the horns of the altar. 29 When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him.

30 Benaiah went to the sacred tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king orders you to come out!”

But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.”

So Benaiah returned to the king and told him what Joab had said.

31 “Do as he said,” the king replied. “Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab’s senseless murders from me and from my father’s family. 32 The Lord will repay him[e] for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the Lord grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne.”

34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 35 Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.

36 The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else. 37 On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”

38 Shimei replied, “Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

39 But three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were, 40 he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem.

41 Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. 42 So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’ 43 Then why haven’t you kept your oath to the Lord and obeyed my command?”

44 The king also said to Shimei, “You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the Lord now bring that evil on your own head. 45 But may I, King Solomon, receive the Lord’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the Lord.” 46 Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him.

So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.

Footnotes

  1. 2:5a Or He murdered them during a time of peace as revenge for deaths they had caused in time of war.
  2. 2:5b As in some Greek and Old Latin manuscripts; Hebrew reads with the blood of war.
  3. 2:6 Hebrew don’t let his white head go down to Sheol in peace.
  4. 2:9 Hebrew how to bring his white head down to Sheol in blood.
  5. 2:32 Hebrew will return his blood on his own head.
Close LSB

1 Kings 2
Legacy Standard Bible

David’s Command to Solomon

2 Then David’s [a](A)time to die drew near, so he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 “(B)I am going the way of all the earth. (C)So you shall be strong, and be a man. 3 And you shall keep the responsibility given by Yahweh your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, (D)according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that (E)you may be prosperous in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 so that (F)Yahweh may establish His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘(G)If your sons keep their way, (H)to walk before Me in [b]truth with all their heart and with all their soul, He said, [c](I)you shall not have a man cut off from the throne of Israel.’

5 “Now you also know what Joab the (J)son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to (K)Abner the son of Ner, and to (L)Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also [d]shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt [e]about his [f]waist, and on his sandals [g]on his feet. 6 (M)So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace. 7 But (N)show lovingkindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and (O)let them be among those who eat at your table; (P)for they [h]assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8 Behold, (Q)there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a [i]violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when (R)he came down to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by Yahweh, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 So now, do not let him go unpunished, (S)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.”

The Death of David

10 Then (T)David slept with his fathers and was buried in (U)the city of David. 11 (V)And the [j]time which David reigned over Israel was forty years; in Hebron he reigned (W)seven years and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. 12 And (X)Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

Adonijah’s Request

13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “(Y)Do you come peacefully?” And he said, “Peacefully.” 14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” 15 So he said, “You know that (Z)the kingdom was mine and (AA)that all Israel [k]expected me to be king; (AB)however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, (AC)for it was his from Yahweh. 16 So now, I am making one request of you; do not [l]turn me away.” And she said to him, “Speak.” 17 Then he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not [m]turn you away, that he may give me (AD)Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” 18 And Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”

Adonijah Put to Death

19 So 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 (AE)had a throne set for the king’s mother, and (AF)she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; (AG)do not turn [n]me away.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not turn [o]you away.” 21 So she said, “(AH)Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.” 22 Then King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? (AI)Ask for him also the kingdom—(AJ)for he is my older brother—even for him, for (AK)Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!” 23 Then King Solomon swore by Yahweh, saying, “May God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has (AL)not spoken this word against his own [p]life. 24 So now, as Yahweh lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and (AM)who has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25 So King Solomon (AN)sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.

26 Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “(AO)Go to Anathoth to your own field, (AP)for you [q]deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because (AQ)you carried the ark of Lord Yahweh before my father David, and because (AR)you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” 27 So Solomon drove Abiathar away from being priest to Yahweh, in order to fulfill (AS)the word of Yahweh, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

Joab Put to Death

28 Now the news came to Joab, (AT)for Joab had followed Adonijah, (AU)although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of Yahweh and (AV)took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of Yahweh, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon (AW)sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “(AX)Go, fall upon him.” 30 So Benaiah came to the tent of Yahweh 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.” 31 And the king said to him, “(AY)Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, (AZ)that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause. 32 (BA)And Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, (BB)because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, but my father David did not know it: (BC)Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and (BD)Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 (BE)So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his seed forever; but to David and his seed and his house and his throne, may there be peace from Yahweh forever.” 34 Then (BF)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house (BG)in the wilderness. 35 (BH)And the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed (BI)Zadok the priest (BJ)in the place of Abiathar.

Shimei Put to Death

36 Then the king sent and called for (BK)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. 37 Now it will be on the day you go out and (BL)cross over the [r]brook Kidron, that you will know for certain that you shall surely die; (BM)your blood shall be on your own head.” 38 Shimei 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.

39 But it happened at the end of three years, that two of the slaves of Shimei ran away (BN)to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.” 40 Then Shimei arose and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to search for his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. 41 And it was told to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. 42 So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by Yahweh and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you go out and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’ 43 Why then have you not kept the oath of Yahweh, and the command which I have commanded you?” 44 The king also said to Shimei, “(BO)You know all the evil which [s]you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore (BP)Yahweh shall return your evil on your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and (BQ)the throne of David shall be established before Yahweh forever.” 46 (BR)So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him so that he died.

(BS)Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 2:1 Lit days
  2. 1 Kings 2:4 Or faithfulness
  3. 1 Kings 2:4 Lit there shall not be cast off to you a man from before Me
  4. 1 Kings 2:5 Lit made
  5. 1 Kings 2:5 Lit that was about
  6. 1 Kings 2:5 Lit loins
  7. 1 Kings 2:5 Lit that were on
  8. 1 Kings 2:7 Lit came near to
  9. 1 Kings 2:8 Or grievous
  10. 1 Kings 2:11 Lit days
  11. 1 Kings 2:15 Lit set their faces on me
  12. 1 Kings 2:16 Lit turn away my face
  13. 1 Kings 2:17 Lit turn away your face
  14. 1 Kings 2:20 Lit my face
  15. 1 Kings 2:20 Lit your face
  16. 1 Kings 2:23 Lit soul
  17. 1 Kings 2:26 Lit are a man of death
  18. 1 Kings 2:37 Or wadi
  19. 1 Kings 2:44 Lit your heart acknowledges
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