1 Kings 2:1-11
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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 2:1 tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”
- 1 Kings 2:1 tn Or “commanded.”
- 1 Kings 2:2 tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”
- 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “keep the charge of the Lord your God.”
- 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”
- 1 Kings 2:3 tn Or “keeping.”
- 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”
- 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “then the Lord will establish his word which he spoke to me, saying.”
- 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “guard their way.”
- 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”
- 1 Kings 2:4 tn Or “soul.”
- 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “saying.”
- 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”
- 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”
- 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”
- 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.
- 1 Kings 2:6 tn Heb “according to your wisdom.”
- 1 Kings 2:6 tn Heb “and do not bring down his grey hair in peace [to] Sheol.”
- 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “do loyalty with”; or “act faithfully toward.”
- 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “and let them be among the ones who eat [at] your table.”
- 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “thus drew near to.”
- 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “Look, with you is Shimei….”
- 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “and he cursed me with a horrible curse on the day I went to Mahanaim.”
- 1 Kings 2:8 tn Or “swore an oath to.”
- 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “kill you.”
- 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.
- 1 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “what you should do to him.”
- 1 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”
- 1 Kings 2:10 tn Heb “and David lay down with his fathers.”
- 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.
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