1 Kings 2
Lexham English Bible
David’s Instructions for Solomon
2 The days of David came near for him to die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the world. Be strong and be courageous.[a] 3 You shall keep the charge of Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies, as are written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and everywhere you turn, 4 so that Yahweh may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed of their way, to walk before me in faithfulness, with all their heart and with all their soul, no man of yours will be cut off from the throne of Israel.’”
5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me when he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner son of Ner and to Amasa son of Jether, and he murdered them and put the blood of war in a time of peace. He put the blood of war on the leather belt that was on his waist and on the sandals which were on his feet. 6 You must act according to your wisdom, but you must not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace. 7 Regarding the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, you shall do loyal love and let them be among those who eat at your table, because they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8 And look, Shimei the son of Gera the son of the Benjaminite from Bahurim is with you. Now he cursed me severely[b] when I went to Mahanaim, but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, so I swore to him by Yahweh, ‘I surely will not kill you with the sword.’ 9 So then, do not leave him unpunished, for you are a wise man, and you will know what you must do to him. You must bring his grey hair down to Sheol with blood.”
10 Then David slept with his ancestors[c] and was buried in the city of David. 11 The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 Then Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
Adonijah’s Persistence
13 Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and she said, “Are you coming in peace?”[d] He said, “Peace.” 14 Then he said, “May I have a word with you?”[e] Then she said, “Go on.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingship was mine and that all Israel had set their face toward me as king, but the kingship turned around and became my brother’s, for it was from Yahweh for him to have it. 16 Now one request I am asking from you, and you must not refuse me.”[f] Then she said to him, “Go on.” 17 He said, “Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, so that he will give to me Abishag the Shunnamite as wife.” 18 Then Bathsheba said, “Very well, I will speak to the king concerning you.”
Solomon’s Responses to Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei
19 Bathsheba came to King Solomon to speak to him concerning Adonijah, and the king got up to meet her, bowed down to her, and then sat on his throne. Then he set up a throne for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. 20 She said, “I have one small request I am asking from you. Do not refuse me.”[g] The king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”[h] 21 Then she said, “Let Abishag the Shunnamite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.” 22 King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Why are you asking Abishag the Shunnamite for Adonijah? Ask for him also the kingdom, for he is my brother, older than I; and ask for him also Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.” 23 Then King Solomon swore by Yahweh, saying, “Thus may God do to me and thus may he add, if Adonijah hasn’t spoken this thing at the expense of his life. 24 So then, as Yahweh lives,[i] who has established me and seated me on the throne of my father David and who has established for me a dynasty as he promised, then surely Adonijah will be put to death today.” 25 King Solomon sent through the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, so he struck him, and he died.
26 To Abiathar the priest, the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your field, for you deserve to die,[j] but on this day I will not kill you, for you carried the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father, and because you endured hardship in all the hardship that my father endured.” 27 So Solomon banished Abiathar from being priest to Yahweh, thus fulfilling the word which Yahweh had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
28 When the message came to Joab (now Joab had supported[k] Adonijah but had not supported[l] Absalom), he fled to the tent of Yahweh and grasped the horns of the altar. 29 It was told to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of Yahweh and was beside the altar. So Solomon sent word to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go and fall upon him.” 30 So Benaiah went to the tent of Yahweh, and he said to him, “Thus says the king: ‘Come out.’” And he said, “No, for I want to die here.” So Benaiah returned a word to the king, saying, “Thus Joab spoke, and thus he answered me.” 31 Then the king said to him, “Do as he spoke; fall upon him and bury him, and so you shall remove the innocent blood that Joab shed from on me and from on the house of my father. 32 Yahweh will return his blood on his head, because he fell upon two men, more righteous and better than he, and he killed them with the sword, even though my father did not know it; namely Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 And their blood will return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever, but for David and his descendants and for his house and his throne, there will be peace forever from Yahweh.” 34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, and he fell on him and killed him, and he was buried in his house in the wilderness. 35 Then the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.
36 Then the king sent and summoned Shimei, and he said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but you must not go out anywhere whatsoever[m] from there. 37 It shall happen that on the day you go out and cross over the Wadi[n] Kidron, know for certain that you will surely die.[o] Your blood will be on your head.” 38 Shimei said to the king, “The word is good that my lord the king has spoken to me; thus will your servant do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.
39 It happened that at the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves fled to Achish, son of Maacah, the king of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, “Your slaves are here in Gath.” 40 So Shimei got up and saddled his donkey, and he went to Gath, to Achish, to search for his slaves. So Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. 41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, 42 the king sent and summoned Shimei, and he said to him, “Did I not make you swear by Yahweh? I warned you, saying, ‘On the day you go out and you go anywhere whatsoever,[p] know for certain that you will surely die.’[q] And you said to me, ‘The word is good; I accept.’ 43 Why have you not kept the oath of Yahweh and the command which I commanded you?” 44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You know all the evil which your heart knows, what you did to David my father. Now Yahweh will return the evil on your head, 45 but King Solomon will be blessed and the throne of David will be established before Yahweh forever.” 46 Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him, and he died. So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 2:2 Literally “as a man”
- 1 Kings 2:8 Literally “cursed me with a curse”
- 1 Kings 2:10 Or “fathers”
- 1 Kings 2:13 Literally “Is peace your coming?”
- 1 Kings 2:14 Literally “A word is for me to you”
- 1 Kings 2:16 Literally “not turn my face”
- 1 Kings 2:20 Literally “not turn my face”
- 1 Kings 2:20 Literally “not turn your face”
- 1 Kings 2:24 Literally “the life of Yahweh”
- 1 Kings 2:26 Literally “you are a man of death”
- 1 Kings 2:28 Literally “had turned after”
- 1 Kings 2:28 Literally “had not turned after”
- 1 Kings 2:36 Literally “where and where”
- 1 Kings 2:37 A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
- 1 Kings 2:37 Literally “dying you will die”
- 1 Kings 2:42 Literally “where and where”
- 1 Kings 2:42 Literally “dying you will die”
1 Kings 2
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
David’s Instruction to Solomon
2 When David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 4 that the Lord may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.’
5 “Moreover you know also what Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Ama′sa the son of Jether, whom he murdered, avenging[a] in time of peace blood which had been shed in war, and putting innocent blood[b] upon the girdle about my[c] loins, and upon the sandals on my[d] feet. 6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. 7 But deal loyally with the sons of Barzil′lai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Ab′salom your brother. 8 And there is also with you Shim′e-i the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahu′rim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahana′im; but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for you are a wise man; you will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”
Death of David
10 Then David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was firmly established.
Solomon Consolidates His Reign
13 Then Adoni′jah the son of Haggith came to Bathshe′ba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.” 14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Say on.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign; however the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord. 16 And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Say on.” 17 And he said, “Pray ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Ab′ishag the Shu′nammite as my wife.” 18 Bathshe′ba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.”
19 So Bathshe′ba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adoni′jah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a seat brought for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Let Ab′ishag the Shu′nammite be given to Adoni′jah your brother as his wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Ab′ishag the Shu′nammite for Adoni′jah? Ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother, and on his side are Abi′athar[e] the priest and Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah.” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adoni′jah his life! 24 Now therefore as the Lord lives, who has established me, and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adoni′jah shall be put to death this day.” 25 So King Solomon sent Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada; and he struck him down, and he died.
26 And to Abi′athar the priest the king said, “Go to An′athoth, to your estate; for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you bore the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you shared in all the affliction of my father.” 27 So Solomon expelled Abi′athar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling the word of the Lord which he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
28 When the news came to Jo′ab—for Jo′ab had supported Adoni′jah although he had not supported Ab′salom—Jo′ab fled to the tent of the Lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar. 29 And when it was told King Solomon, “Jo′ab has fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar,” Solomon sent Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” 30 So Benai′ah came to the tent of the Lord, and said to him, “The king commands, ‘Come forth.’” But he said, “No, I will die here.” Then Benai′ah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Jo′ab, and thus he answered me.” 31 The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him; and thus take away from me and from my father’s house the guilt for the blood which Jo′ab shed without cause. 32 The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds upon his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and slew with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Ama′sa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 So shall their blood come back upon the head of Jo′ab and upon the head of his descendants for ever; but to David, and to his descendants, and to his house, and to his throne, there shall be peace from the Lord for evermore.” 34 Then Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada went up, and struck him down and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35 The king put Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada over the army in place of Jo′ab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abi′athar.
36 Then the king sent and summoned Shim′e-i, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and do not go forth from there to any place whatever. 37 For on the day you go forth, and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die; your blood shall be upon your own head.” 38 And Shim′e-i said to the king, “What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shim′e-i dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
39 But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shim′e-i’s slaves ran away to Achish, son of Ma′acah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shim′e-i, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath,” 40 Shim′e-i arose and saddled an ass, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his slaves; Shim′e-i went and brought his slaves from Gath. 41 And when Solomon was told that Shim′e-i had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, 42 the king sent and summoned Shim′e-i, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and solemnly admonish you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go forth and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘What you say is good; I obey.’ 43 Why then have you not kept your oath to the Lord and the commandment with which I charged you?” 44 The king also said to Shim′e-i, “You know in your own heart all the evil that you did to David my father; so the Lord will bring back your evil upon your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever.” 46 Then the king commanded Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died.
So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 2:5 Gk: Heb placing
- 1 Kings 2:5 Gk: Heb blood of war
- 1 Kings 2:5 Gk: Heb his
- 1 Kings 2:5 Gk: Heb his
- 1 Kings 2:22 Gk Syr Vg: Heb and for him and for Abiathar
1 Reyes 2
Biblia del Jubileo
2 Llegaron los días de David para morir, y mandó a Salomón su hijo, diciendo:
2 Yo voy por el camino de toda la tierra; esfuérzate, y sé varón.
3 Guarda la ordenanza del SEÑOR tu Dios, andando en sus caminos, y guardando sus estatutos y mandamientos, y sus derechos, y sus testimonios de la manera que está escrito en la ley de Moisés, para que tengas entendimiento en todo lo que hicieres, y en todo aquello que emprendieres;
4 para que confirme el SEÑOR la palabra que me habló, diciendo: Si tus hijos guardaren su camino, andando delante de mí con verdad, de todo su corazón, y de toda su alma, jamás, dice, faltará a ti varón del trono de Israel.
5 Y ya sabes tú lo que me ha hecho Joab hijo de Sarvia, lo que hizo a dos generales del ejército de Israel, a Abner hijo de Ner, y a Amasa hijo de Jeter, los cuales él mató, derramando en paz la sangre de guerra, y poniendo la sangre de guerra en su talabarte que tenía sobre sus lomos, y en sus zapatos que tenía en sus pies.
6 Tú pues harás conforme a tu sabiduría; no dejarás descender sus canas al Seol en paz.
7 Mas a los hijos de Barzilai, el galaadita harás misericordia, que sean de los convidados a tu mesa; porque ellos vinieron así a mí, cuando iba huyendo de Absalón tu hermano.
8 También tienes contigo a Simei hijo de Gera, hijo de Benjamín, de Bahurim, el cual me maldijo con una maldición fuerte el día que yo iba a Mahanaim. Mas él mismo descendió a recibirme al Jordán, y yo le juré por el SEÑOR, diciendo: Yo no te mataré a espada.
9 Pero ahora no lo absolverás; que hombre sabio eres, y sabes cómo has de hacer con él; y harás descender sus canas con sangre al Seol.
10 Y David durmió con sus padres, y fue sepultado en la ciudad de David.
11 Los días que reinó David sobre Israel fueron cuarenta años; siete años reinó en Hebrón, y treinta y tres años reinó en Jerusalén.
12 Y se sentó Salomón en el trono de David su padre, y fue su reino firme en gran manera.
13 ¶ Entonces Adonías hijo de Haguit vino a Betsabé madre de Salomón; y ella dijo: ¿Es tu venida de paz? Y él respondió: Sí, de paz.
14 En seguida dijo: Una palabra tengo que decirte. Y ella dijo: Di.
15 Y él dijo: Tú sabes que el reino era mío, y que todo Israel había puesto en mí su rostro, para que yo reinara; mas el reino fue traspasado, y vino a mi hermano; porque por el SEÑOR era suyo.
16 Y ahora yo te hago una petición: no me hagas volver mi rostro. Y ella le dijo: Habla.
17 El entonces dijo: Yo te ruego que hables al rey Salomón (porque él no te hará volver tu rostro) para que me dé a Abisag, la sunamita por mujer.
18 Y Betsabé dijo: Bien; yo hablaré por ti al rey.
19 Y vino Betsabé al rey Salomón para hablarle por Adonías. Y el rey se levantó a recibirla, y se inclinó a ella, y volvió a sentarse en su trono, e hizo poner una silla a la madre del rey, la cual se sentó a su diestra.
20 Y ella dijo: Una pequeña petición pretendo de ti; no me hagas volver mi rostro. Y el rey le dijo: Pide, madre mía, que yo no te haré volver el rostro.
21 Y ella dijo: Dese Abisag, la sunamita por mujer a tu hermano Adonías.
22 Y el rey Salomón respondió, y dijo a su madre: ¿Por qué pides a Abisag, la sunamita para Adonías? Demanda también para él el reino, porque él es mi hermano mayor; y tiene también a Abiatar, el sacerdote, y a Joab hijo de Sarvia.
23 Y el rey Salomón juró por el SEÑOR, diciendo: Así me haga Dios y así me añada, que contra su vida ha hablado Adonías esta palabra.
24 Ahora pues, vive el SEÑOR, que me ha confirmado y me ha puesto sobre el trono de David mi padre, y que me ha hecho casa, como me había dicho, que Adonías morirá hoy.
25 Entonces el rey Salomón envió por mano de Benaía hijo de Joiada, él lo hirió, y murió.
26 ¶ Y a Abiatar, el sacerdote dijo el rey: Vete a Anatot a tus heredades, que tú eres digno de muerte; mas no te mataré hoy, por cuanto has llevado el arca del Señor DIOS delante de David mi padre, y además has sido afligido en todas las cosas en que fue afligido mi padre.
27 Así echó Salomón a Abiatar del sacerdocio del SEÑOR, para que se cumpliera la palabra del SEÑOR que había dicho sobre la casa de Elí en Silo.
28 Y vino la noticia hasta Joab; porque también Joab se había adherido a Adonías, si bien no se había adherido a Absalón. Y huyó Joab al tabernáculo del SEÑOR, y tomó los cuernos del altar.
29 Y fue hecho saber a Salomón que Joab había huido al tabernáculo del SEÑOR, y que estaba junto al altar. Entonces envió Salomón a Benaía hijo de Joiada, diciendo: Ve, y mátale.
30 Y entró Benaía al tabernáculo del SEÑOR, y le dijo: El rey ha dicho que salgas. Y él dijo: No, sino que aquí moriré. Y Benaía volvió con esta respuesta al rey, diciendo: Así habló Joab, y así me respondió.
31 Y el rey le dijo: Haz como él ha dicho; mátale y entiérralo, y quita de mí y de la casa de mi padre la sangre que Joab ha derramado injustamente.
32 Y el SEÑOR hará tornar su sangre sobre su cabeza; que él ha dado muerte a dos varones más justos y mejores que él, a los cuales mató a espada sin que mi padre David supiera nada: a Abner hijo de Ner, general del ejército de Israel, y a Amasa hijo de Jeter, general del ejército de Judá.
33 La sangre, pues, de ellos recaerá sobre la cabeza de Joab, y sobre la cabeza de su simiente perpetuamente; mas sobre David y sobre su simiente, y sobre su casa y sobre su trono, habrá perpetuamente paz de parte del SEÑOR.
34 Entonces Benaía hijo de Joiada subió, y lo hirió, y lo mató; y fue sepultado en su casa en el desierto.
35 Y el rey puso en su lugar a Benaía hijo de Joiada sobre el ejército; y a Sadoc puso el rey por sacerdote en lugar de Abiatar.
36 ¶Después envió el rey, e hizo venir a Simei, y le dijo: Edifícate una casa en Jerusalén, y mora ahí, y no salgas de allá a una parte ni a otra;
37 porque sabe de cierto que el día que salieres, y pasares el arroyo de Cedrón, sin duda morirás, y tu sangre será sobre tu cabeza.
38 Y Simei dijo al rey: La palabra es buena; como el rey mi señor ha dicho, así lo hará tu esclavo. Y habitó Simei en Jerusalén muchos días.
39 Pero pasados tres años, aconteció que le huyeron a Simei dos esclavos a Aquis, hijo de Maaca, rey de Gat. Y dieron aviso a Simei, diciendo: He aquí que tus esclavos están en Gat.
40 Se levantó entonces Simei, y enalbardó su asno, y fue a Gat, a Aquis, a buscar a sus esclavos. Fue, pues, Simei, y trajo a sus esclavos de Gat.
41 Y fue dicho a Salomón como Simei había ido de Jerusalén hasta Gat, y que había vuelto.
42 Entonces el rey envió, e hizo venir a Simei, y le dijo: ¿No te conjuré yo por el SEÑOR, y te protesté, diciendo: El día que salieres, y fueres acá o allá, sabe de cierto que has de morir? Y tú me dijiste: La palabra es buena, yo la obedezco.
43 ¿Por qué pues no guardaste el juramento del SEÑOR, y el mandamiento que yo te mandé?
44 Dijo además el rey a Simei: Tú sabes todo el mal, el cual tu corazón bien sabe, que cometiste contra mi padre David; el SEÑOR pues, ha tornado el mal sobre tu cabeza.
45 Y el rey Salomón será bendito, y el trono de David será firme perpetuamente delante del SEÑOR.
46 Entonces el rey mandó a Benaía hijo de Joiada, el cual salió y lo hirió; y murió. Y el reino fue confirmado en la mano de Salomón.
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