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.
1 Kings 2:1-11
Common English Bible
David’s last words
2 David’s time was coming to an end. So he commanded Solomon his son, 2 “I’m following the path that the whole earth takes. Be strong and be a man. 3 Guard what is owed to the Lord your God, walking in his ways and observing his laws, his commands, his judgments, and his testimonies, just as it is written in the Instruction from Moses. In this way you will succeed in whatever you do and wherever you go. 4 So also the Lord will confirm the word he spoke to me: ‘If your children will take care to walk before me faithfully, with all their heart and all their being, then one of your own children will never fail to be on the throne of Israel.’ 5 You should know what Joab, Zeruiah’s son, has done to me and what he did to the two generals of Israel, Abner, Ner’s son, and Amasa, Jether’s son. He murdered them, spilling blood at peacetime and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6 So act wisely: Don’t allow him to die a peaceful death. 7 As for Barzillai’s sons from Gilead, show them kindness. Let them eat with you. When I was running away from your brother Absalom, they came to me. 8 Now as for this Shimei, Gera’s son—a Benjaminite from Bahurim—who is with you, he cursed me viciously when I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, ‘Surely I won’t execute you with the sword.’ 9 But you don’t need to excuse him. You are wise and know what to do to him. Give him a violent death.”
10 Then David lay down with his ancestors and was buried in David’s City. 11 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
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