1 Kings 2:1-11
New American Standard Bible
David’s Command to Solomon
2 As David’s [a](A)time to die drew near, he commanded his son Solomon, saying, 2 “(B)I am going the way of all the earth. So (C)be strong, and [b]prove yourself a man. 3 Do your duty to the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to [c]keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, (D)according to what is written in the Law of Moses, so that (E)you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 so that (F)the Lord may fulfill His [d]promise which He spoke regarding me, saying, ‘(G)If your sons are careful about their way, (H)to walk before Me in [e]truth with all their heart and all their soul, [f](I)you shall not be deprived of a man to occupy the throne of Israel.’
5 “Now you yourself also know what Joab the (J)son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to (K)Abner the son of Ner and to (L)Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also [g]shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt that was on his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. 6 (M)So act as your wisdom dictates, and do not let his gray hair go down to [h]Sheol in peace. 7 However, (N)show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and (O)let them be among those who eat at your table; (P)for [i]they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8 And behold, you have with you (Q)Shimei the son of Gera the Benjaminite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a painful curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when (R)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 But now do not leave him unpunished, (S)for you are a wise man; and you will know what to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to [j]Sheol with blood.”
Death of David
10 Then (T)David [k]lay down with his fathers, and he was buried in (U)the city of David. 11 Now (V)the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: in Hebron he reigned for (W)seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 2:1 Lit days
- 1 Kings 2:2 Lit become a man
- 1 Kings 2:3 Or carefully perform
- 1 Kings 2:4 Lit word
- 1 Kings 2:4 Or faithfulness
- 1 Kings 2:4 Lit there shall not be cut off to you a man from upon
- 1 Kings 2:5 Lit brought blood...on peace
- 1 Kings 2:6 I.e., the netherworld
- 1 Kings 2:7 Lit so they came near to me
- 1 Kings 2:9 I.e., the netherworld
- 1 Kings 2:10 I.e., died
1 Kings 2:1-11
International Standard Version
David Instructs Solomon
2 As David’s time to die approached, he addressed his son Solomon with these words:
2 “I’m headed down the road that everyone who lives on earth travels, so be strong and demonstrate that you’re a grown man 3 by keeping the charge that the Lord your God entrusted to you. Live life his way, keep his statutes, his commands, his ordinances, and his testimonies, just as they’re written down in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in everything you do and wherever you go,[a] 4 and so that the Lord may fulfill his promise that he spoke about me when he said, ‘If your sons pay attention to how they live by walking truthfully in my presence with all their heart and with all their soul, you will never lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
5 “Furthermore, you’re aware of what Zeruiah’s son Joab did to me and to those two commanders of the armies of Israel, Ner’s son Abner and Jether’s son Amasa, whom he killed, and how he shed the blood of wartime during times of peace, staining the very belt he wears around his waist and the sandals he wears on his feet. 6 So act consistently with your wisdom, and don’t let him die as a peaceful old man.[b] 7 Be gracious to the descendants of Barzillai the Gileadite, and provide for them in your household,[c] because they helped me when I had to run from your brother Absalom.
8 “Pay attention now! You have with you Gera’s son Shimei the descendant of Benjamin from Bahurim. He cursed me violently that day when I had to leave for Mahanaim. When he visited me at the Jordan River,[d] I made an oath to the Lord and told him, ‘I won’t execute you with a sword.’ 9 But don’t let him off unpunished, since you’re a wise man and you’ll know what you need to do to him. Find a way that he dies in his old age[e] by shedding his blood.”
David Dies and Solomon Consolidates His Reign(A)
10 After this, David died, as had[f] his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. 11 David had reigned over Israel for 40 years. He reigned in Hebron for seven years and in Jerusalem for 33 years.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 2:3 Lit. turn
- 1 Kings 2:6 Lit. let his gray hair descend to Sheol in peace
- 1 Kings 2:7 Lit. them at your table
- 1 Kings 2:8 The Heb. lacks River
- 1 Kings 2:9 Lit. Bring his gray hair down to Sheol
- 1 Kings 2:10 Lit. David slept with
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