1 Kings 2:1-9

Legacy Standard Bible

David’s Command to Solomon

2 Then David’s ^[a](A)time to die drew near, so he commanded Solomon his son, saying, ² “^(B)I am going the way of all the earth. ^(C)So you shall be strong, and be a man. ³ And you shall keep the responsibility given by Yahweh your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, ^(D)according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that ^(E)you may be prosperous in all that you do and wherever you turn, ⁴ so that ^(F)Yahweh may establish His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘^(G)If your sons keep their way, ^(H)to walk before Me in ^[b]truth with all their heart and with all their soul, He said, ^[c](I)you shall not have a man cut off from the throne of Israel.’

⁵ “Now you 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 ^[d]shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt ^[e]about his ^[f]waist, and on his sandals ^[g]on his feet. ^6 (M)So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace. ⁷ But ^(N)show lovingkindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and ^(O)let them be among those who eat at your table; ^(P)for they ^[h]assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother. ⁸ Behold, ^(Q)there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a ^[i]violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when ^(R)he came down to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by Yahweh, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ ⁹ So now, do not let him go unpunished, ^(S)for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.”