David’s Dying Instructions to Solomon

As the time approached for David to die,(A) he ordered his son Solomon, “As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth.(B) Be strong and be a man,(C) and keep your obligation to the Lord your God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do(D) and wherever you turn, and so that the Lord will fulfill his promise that he made to me: ‘If your sons take care to walk faithfully before me with all their heart and all their soul,(E) you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’(F)

“You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me(G) and what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s army, Abner son of Ner(H) and Amasa son of Jether.(I) He murdered them in a time of peace to avenge blood shed in war. He spilled that blood on his own waistband and on the sandals of his feet.[a] Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head descend to Sheol in peace.

“Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table(J) because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom.(K)

“Keep an eye on Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim.(L) But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, and I swore to him by the Lord, ‘I will never kill you with the sword.’(M) So don’t let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man. You know how to deal with him to bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”

10 Then David rested with his ancestors(N) and was buried in the city of David.(O) 11 The length of time David reigned over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:5 LXX, Old Lat read on my waistband and... my feet; v. 31

David’s Final Instructions to Solomon

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

“I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. 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. 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.’

“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] Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace.[c]

“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.

“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. 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.

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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.