1 Kings 2
Complete Jewish Bible
2 The time came near for David to die; so he commissioned Shlomo his son as follows: 2 “I am going the way of all the earth. Therefore, be strong; show yourself a man. 3 Observe the charge of Adonai your God to go in his ways and keep his regulations, mitzvot, rulings and instructions in accordance with what is written in the Torah of Moshe; so that you will succeed in all you do and wherever you go. 4 If you do, Adonai will fulfill what he promised me when he said, ‘If your children pay attention to how they live, conducting themselves before me honestly with all their heart and being, you will never lack a man on the throne of Isra’el.’
5 “Moreover, you are aware of what Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah did to me, that is, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Isra’el, Avner the son of Ner and ‘Amasa the son of Yeter — he killed them, shedding the blood of war in peacetime, putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and the shoes on his feet. 6 Therefore, act according to your wisdom; don’t let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gil‘adi. Include them with those who eat at your table, because they came and stood with me when I was fleeing from Avshalom your brother.
8 “Finally, you have with you Shim‘i the son of Gera the Binyamini, from Bachurim. He laid a terrible curse on me when I was on my way to Machanayim; but he came down to meet me at the Yarden; so I swore to him by Adonai that I would not have him put to death with the sword. 9 Now, however, you should not let him go unpunished. You are a wise man, and you will know what you should do to him — you will bring his gray head down to the grave with blood.”
10 Then David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. 11 David had ruled Isra’el for forty years — seven years in Hevron and thirty-three years in Yerushalayim.
12 Shlomo sat on the throne of David his father; and his rule had become firmly established, 13 when Adoniyah the son of Haggit came to Bat-Sheva the mother of Shlomo. She asked, “Have you come as a friend?” He answered, “Yes, as a friend.” 14 Then he continued, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Go on.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom should have been mine, that all Isra’el was looking to me to be their ruler. No matter; the kingdom has turned around and become my brother’s, because Adonai gave it to him. 16 But now I ask one favor of you; don’t deny me.” “Go on,” she said. 17 He said, “Please speak to Shlomo the king — for he won’t say ‘No’ to you — and ask him to give me Avishag the Shunamit as my wife.” 18 Bat-Sheva said, “All right, I will speak to the king on your behalf.”
19 So Bat-Sheva went to King Shlomo to speak to him on behalf of Adoniyah. The king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne and had a throne set up for the king’s mother, so that she sat at his right. 20 She said, “I am asking one small favor of you; don’t deny me.” The king said to her, “Ask, mother; I won’t deny you.” 21 She said, “Let Avishag the Shunamit be given to Adoniyah your brother as his wife.” 22 King Shlomo answered his mother, “Why are you asking Avishag the Shunamit for Adoniyah? Ask the kingdom for him too! After all, he’s my older brother! Yes, for him, and for Evyatar the cohen and for Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah!” 23 Then King Shlomo swore by Adonai, “May God do terrible things to me and worse if Adoniyah hasn’t condemned himself to death with this request! 24 Now therefore, as Adonai lives, who has established me, put me on the throne of David my father and set up a dynasty for me, as he promised, Adoniyah will certainly be put to death today.” 25 King Shlomo commissioned B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, and he struck him down, so that he died.
26 To Evyatar the cohen the king said, “You, get yourself to ‘Anatot, to your own fields. You deserve to die; but I won’t put you to death just now; since you did carry the ark of Adonai Elohim before David my father; and you suffered together with my father in everything he suffered.” 27 So Shlomo forced Evyatar out of his task as cohen to Adonai, so that what Adonai had said in Shiloh about the family of ‘Eli might be fulfilled.
28 When the news came to Yo’av, he fled to the tent of Adonai and took hold of the horns of the altar; for Yo’av had given his support to Adoniyah, even though he had not supported Avshalom. 29 King Shlomo was told, “Yo’av has fled to the tent of Adonai; he’s there by the altar.” Shlomo sent B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada with the order, “Go, strike him down.” 30 B’nayah came to the tent of Adonai and said to him, “The king says: leave!” He answered, “No, I’d rather die here.” B’nayah brought the message back to the king, “This is what Yo’av said to me.” 31 The king answered him, “Do what he said — strike him down, and bury him. In this way you will take away from me and my father’s family the blood which Yo’av shed for no reason. 32 Adonai will bring his blood back on his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he — he killed them with the sword without my father David’s awareness: Avner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Isra’el, and ‘Amasa the son of Yeter, commander of the army of Y’hudah. 33 In this way their blood will return on the head of Yo’av and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his family and his throne there will be peace forever from Adonai.” 34 So B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada went up, struck him down and killed him; he was buried in his own house in the desert. 35 The king put B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada in charge of the army instead of him, and the king replaced Evyatar with Tzadok the cohen.
36 The king summoned Shim‘i and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Yerushalayim, and live there; don’t go outside the city walls. 37 Know for a fact that on the day you go out and cross Vadi Kidron, you will certainly die; your blood will be on your own head.” 38 Shim‘i answered the king, “What you have said is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shim‘i lived in Yerushalayim for a long time.
39 But after three years, two of Shim‘i’s slaves ran away and went to Akhish son of Ma‘akhah, king of Gat. They told Shim‘i, “Your slaves are in Gat.” 40 So Shim‘i set out, saddled his donkey and went to Akhish in Gat to look for his slaves; then Shim‘i returned, bringing his slaves from Gat.
41 Shlomo was told that Shim‘i had gone from Yerushalayim to Gat and back. 42 The king summoned Shim‘i and said to him, “Didn’t I have you swear by Adonai and forewarn you by telling you, ‘Know for a fact that on the day you leave and go anywhere outside the city, you will certainly die’? and you answered me, ‘What you’re saying is good; I hear it.’ 43 Why, then, haven’t you kept the oath of Adonai and the mitzvah I charged you with?” 44 Moreover, the king said to Shim‘i, “You know in your own heart all the terrible things you did to David my father; therefore Adonai will bring back your wickedness on your own head. 45 But King Shlomo will be blessed, and the throne of David will be established before Adonai forever.” 46 So the king gave the order to B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, and he went out and struck him down, so that he died.
Thus the kingdom was established in Shlomo’s hands.
1 Kings 2
Expanded Bible
The Death of David(A)
2 ·Since it was almost time [As the time approached] for David to die, he gave ·his son Solomon his last commands [this charge to Solomon]. 2 David said, “·My time to die is near [L I am going the way of all the earth]. Be ·a good and strong leader [L strong and show yourself a man]. 3 ·Obey [Observe the injunctions/requirements of] the Lord your God. ·Follow him [Walk in his ways] by obeying his demands, his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements], his laws, and his ·rules [regulations] that are written in the ·teachings [Law; L Torah] of Moses. If you do these things, you will ·be successful [prosper] in all you do and wherever you ·go [turn]. 4 And if you obey the Lord, he will ·keep the promise he made to [fulfill the word he spoke concerning] me. He said: ‘If your descendants ·live as I tell them [L are careful of their way] and ·have complete faith in me [L walk in truth/faith before me], ·a man from your family will always be king over the people [L they will never fail to have a man on the throne] of Israel.’
5 “Also, you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the two commanders of Israel’s armies: Abner son of Ner [2 Sam. 3:22–39] and Amasa son of Jether [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. ·He did this as if he and they were at war, although it was a time of peace [or…retaliating in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war]. He ·put their blood on [stained with their blood] the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. 6 ·Punish him in [L Act] the way you think is wisest, but do not let him ·die peacefully of old age [go to Sheol/the grave in peace; C the place of the dead].
7 “·Be kind [Show love] to the children of Barzillai of Gilead, and allow them to eat at your table. They ·welcomed [cared for; stood by] me when I ·ran away [fled] from your brother Absalom.
8 “And remember, Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, is here with you. He cursed ·me [L me violently/with a terrible curse] the day I went to Mahanaim [2 Sam. 16:5–19]. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I ·promised [vowed/swore to] him before the Lord, ‘Shimei, I will not ·kill you [L put you to death by the sword; 2 Sam 19:16–23].’ 9 But you should not ·leave him unpunished [consider him innocent/guiltless]. You are a wise man, and you will know what to do to him, ·but you must be sure he is killed [L and will bring his bloody gray head to Sheol/the grave; 2:6].”
10 Then David ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. 11 He had ·ruled [reigned] over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
12 Solomon ·became king after [L sat on the throne of] David, his father, and ·he was in firm control of [firmly established] his ·kingdom [rule].
Solomon’s Reign Begins
13 At this time Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Do you come in peace?” Bathsheba asked.
“Yes, ·this is a peaceful visit [L in peace],” Adonijah answered. 14 “I have something to say to you.”
“You may speak,” she said.
15 “You ·remember [know] that at one time the kingdom was mine,” Adonijah said. “All the people of Israel ·recognized [wanted; looked to; expected] me as their king, but ·things have changed [L the kingdom has turned]. Now my brother is the king, because ·the Lord chose him [L it was his from the Lord]. 16 Now I have one ·thing [request; favor] to ask you; please do not refuse me.”
Bathsheba answered, “What do you want?”
17 “I know King Solomon will ·do anything you ask him [not refuse you],” Adonijah continued. “Please ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite [1 Kin. 1:3–4] to be my wife.”
18 “Very well,” she answered. “I will speak to the king for you.”
19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. When Solomon saw her, he stood up to meet her, then bowed down, and sat on the throne. He told some servants to bring another throne for his mother. Then she sat down at his right ·side [hand].
20 Bathsheba said, “I have one small thing to ask you. Please do not ·refuse me [turn me down].”
“Ask, mother,” the king answered. “I will not ·refuse you [turn you down].”
21 So she said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to ·marry [be given to] your brother Adonijah.”
22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask me to give him Abishag? ·Why don’t you also [You may as well] ask for him to become the king since he is my older brother? Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah ·would support him [are on his side]!”
23 Then King Solomon ·swore [vowed; promised] by the name of the Lord, saying, “May God ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; L do to me, and even more] if ·this doesn’t cost Adonijah [Adonijah doesn’t pay for this request/word with] his life! 24 By the Lord who has ·given me [established/confirmed me on] the throne that belonged to my father David and who has kept his promise and ·given the kingdom to me and my people [established my dynasty; L made me a house; 2 Sam. 7], Adonijah will die today!” 25 Then King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went and ·killed [struck down] Adonijah.
26 King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “·I should kill you too [You deserve to die], but ·I will allow you to go back [go] to your fields in Anathoth. I will not kill you at this time, because you helped carry the Ark of the Lord God ·while marching with [for; before] my father David. And I know you shared in all the hard times with him.” 27 Then Solomon ·removed [dismissed; banished] Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest. ·This happened as the Lord had said it would […in order to fulfill the word of the Lord], when he was speaking in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his ·descendants [L house; 1 Sam. 2:34–36].
28 When Joab heard about what had happened, he was afraid. He had supported Adonijah but not Absalom. So Joab ·ran [fled] to the Tent of the Lord [C in which the Ark was kept] and took hold of the ·corners [horns; 1:50] of the altar. 29 Someone told King Solomon that Joab had run to the Tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah to go and kill him.
30 Benaiah went into the Tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’”
But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.”
So Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said. 31 Then the king ordered Benaiah, “Do as he says! Kill him there and bury him. Then my ·family [L father’s house] and I will ·be free of the guilt of Joab, who has killed innocent people [L have taken away the blood Joab shed without cause]. 32 Without my father knowing it, he killed two men who were ·much [more righteous and] better than he was—Abner son of Ner, the commander of Israel’s army [2 Sam. 3:22–39], and Amasa son of Jether, the commander of Judah’s army [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. So the Lord will ·pay him back [L bring his blood on his own head] for those deaths. 33 Joab and his ·family [descendants] will ·be forever guilty for their deaths [L have their blood on their heads forever], but there will be peace from the Lord for David, his descendants, his ·family [L house], and his throne forever.”
34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada killed Joab, and he was buried near his home in the ·desert [wilderness]. 35 The king then ·made [appointed] Benaiah son of Jehoiada commander of the army in Joab’s place. He also ·made [appointed] Zadok the new high priest in Abiathar’s place.
36 Next the king sent for Shimei. Solomon said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Don’t leave the city. 37 The very day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley [C bordering Jerusalem], ·someone will kill you [L you will surely die], and ·it will be your own fault [L your blood will be on your own head].”
38 So Shimei answered the king, “·I agree with what you say [Your sentence/demand/word is fair]. I will do what you say, my master and king.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem ·for a long time [L many days].
39 But three years later two of Shimei’s ·slaves [servants] ran away to Achish king of Gath, who was the son of Maacah. Shimei heard that his ·slaves [servants] were in Gath, 40 so he put his saddle on his donkey and went to Achish at Gath to find them. Then he brought them back from Gath.
41 Someone told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. 42 So Solomon sent for Shimei and said, “I made you ·promise [vow; swear] in the name of the Lord not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you ·if you went out anywhere you would [L that on the day you left you would surely] die, and you ·agreed to what I said [said, “The sentence/demand/word is fair”]. 43 Why did you break your ·promise [vow; oath] to the Lord and disobey my command?” 44 The king also said, “You know the ·many wrong [evil; wicked] things you did to my father David, so now the Lord will ·punish you for those wrongs [L return your evil on your own head]. 45 But the Lord will bless ·me [L King Solomon] and ·make the rule of David safe [establish/secure the throne of David] before the Lord forever.”
46 Then the king ordered Benaiah to kill Shimei, and he did. Now ·Solomon was in full control of his kingdom [L the kingdom was established/secured in Solomon’s hands].
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.