1 Kings 2:26-46

Christian Standard Bible

Abiathar’s Banishment

²⁶ The king said to the priest Abiathar,^(A) “Go to your fields in Anathoth.^(B) 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^(C) and you suffered through all that my father suffered.”^{(D) 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.^(E)

Joab’s Execution

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

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

Then Solomon sent^[a] Benaiah son of Jehoiada^(I) and told him, “Go and strike him down!” ^(J)

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

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.^{(L) 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^(M) son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa^(N) son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. ³³ The responsibility for their deaths will come back to Joab and to his descendants^[b] forever, but for David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne, there will be peace from the Lord forever.”^(O)

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

Shimei’s Banishment and Execution

³⁶ Then the king summoned Shimei^(S) 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,^(T) know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head.”^(U)

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^(V) son of Maacah, king of Gath.^(W) 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.^(X) 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.”^(Y)

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.^(Z)