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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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 2:1 tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”
  2. 1 Kings 2:1 tn Or “commanded.”
  3. 1 Kings 2:2 tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”
  4. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “keep the charge of the Lord your God.”
  5. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”
  6. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Or “keeping.”
  7. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”
  8. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “then the Lord will establish his word which he spoke to me, saying.”
  9. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “guard their way.”
  10. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”
  11. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Or “soul.”
  12. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “saying.”
  13. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”
  14. 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”
  15. 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”
  16. 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.
  17. 1 Kings 2:6 tn Heb “according to your wisdom.”
  18. 1 Kings 2:6 tn Heb “and do not bring down his grey hair in peace [to] Sheol.”
  19. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “do loyalty with”; or “act faithfully toward.”
  20. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “and let them be among the ones who eat [at] your table.”
  21. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “thus drew near to.”
  22. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “Look, with you is Shimei….”
  23. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “and he cursed me with a horrible curse on the day I went to Mahanaim.”
  24. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Or “swore an oath to.”
  25. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “kill you.”
  26. 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.
  27. 1 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “what you should do to him.”
  28. 1 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”
  29. 1 Kings 2:10 tn Heb “and David lay down with his fathers.”
  30. 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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1 Kings 2:1-11
English Standard Version

David's Instructions to Solomon

2 (A)When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 (B)“I am about to go the way of all the earth. (C)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 rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, (D)that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may (E)establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, (F)‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, (G)to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, (H)you shall not lack[a] a man on the throne of Israel.’

5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah (I)did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, (J)Abner the son of Ner, (K)and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging[b] in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war[c] on the belt around his[d] waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6 Act therefore (L)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 (M)Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be (N)among those who eat at your table, (O)for with such loyalty[e] they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8 And there is also with you (P)Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day (Q)when I went to Mahanaim. (R)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 do not hold him guiltless, (S)for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall (T)bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”

The Death of David

10 (U)Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in (V)the city of David. 11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was (W)forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 2:4 Hebrew there shall not be cut off for you
  2. 1 Kings 2:5 Septuagint; Hebrew placing
  3. 1 Kings 2:5 Septuagint innocent blood
  4. 1 Kings 2:5 Septuagint my; twice in this verse
  5. 1 Kings 2:7 Or steadfast love
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