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1 Kings 2:12-46
New Living Translation

12 Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

Solomon Establishes His Rule

13 One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you come with peaceful intentions?” she asked him.

“Yes,” he said, “I come in peace. 14 In fact, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?” she asked.

15 He replied, “As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the Lord wanted it. 16 So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don’t turn me down.”

“What is it?” she asked.

17 He replied, “Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”

18 “All right,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah’s behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.

20 “I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “I hope you won’t turn me down.”

“What is it, my mother?” he asked. “You know I won’t refuse you.”

21 “Then let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem,” she replied.

22 “How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?” King Solomon demanded. “You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.”

23 Then King Solomon made a vow before the Lord: “May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request. 24 The Lord has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the Lord lives, Adonijah will die this very day!” 25 So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death.

26 Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign Lord for David my father and you shared all his hardships.” 27 So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the Lord had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli.

28 Joab had not joined Absalom’s earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah’s rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah’s death, he ran to the sacred tent of the Lord and grabbed on to the horns of the altar. 29 When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him.

30 Benaiah went to the sacred tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king orders you to come out!”

But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.”

So Benaiah returned to the king and told him what Joab had said.

31 “Do as he said,” the king replied. “Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab’s senseless murders from me and from my father’s family. 32 The Lord will repay him[a] for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the Lord grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne.”

34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 35 Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.

36 The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else. 37 On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”

38 Shimei replied, “Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

39 But three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were, 40 he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem.

41 Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. 42 So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’ 43 Then why haven’t you kept your oath to the Lord and obeyed my command?”

44 The king also said to Shimei, “You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the Lord now bring that evil on your own head. 45 But may I, King Solomon, receive the Lord’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the Lord.” 46 Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him.

So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:32 Hebrew will return his blood on his own head.
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1 Kings 2:12-46
New English Translation

Solomon Secures the Throne

12 Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his royal authority[a] was firmly solidified.

13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.”[b] 14 He added,[c] “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom[d] was mine and all Israel considered me king.[e] But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his.[f] 16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.”[g] She said, “Go ahead and ask.”[h] 17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.”[i] 18 Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine;[j] I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”

19 So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greet[k] her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother,[l] and she sat at his right hand. 20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor.[m] Please don’t refuse me.”[n] He said,[o] “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him?[p] Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23 King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely,[q] if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life![r] 24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty[s] for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!” 25 King Solomon then sent[t] Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah.[u]

26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your property[v] in Anathoth. You deserve to die,[w] but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.”[x] 27 Solomon removed Abiathar from being a priest for the Lord, fulfilling the Lord’s message that he had pronounced against the family of Eli in Shiloh.

28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported[y] Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he[z] ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.[aa] 29 When King Solomon heard[ab] that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada,[ac] “Go, strike him down.” 30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply.[ad] 31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family[ae] the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds.[af] 32 May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed;[ag] behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he[ah]—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family,[ai] and his dynasty.”[aj] 34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab;[ak] he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of[al] the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place.[am]

36 Next the king summoned[an] Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but you may not leave there to go anywhere.[ao] 37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die. You will be responsible for your own death.”[ap] 38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable.[aq] Your servant will do as you say.”[ar] So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.[as]

39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 42 the king summoned[at] Shimei and said to him, “You will recall[au] that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere,[av] know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’[aw] 43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?”[ax] 44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David.[ay] The Lord will punish you for what you did.[az] 45 But King Solomon will be empowered,[ba] and David’s dynasty[bb] will endure permanently before the Lord.” 46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei.[bc]

So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom.[bd]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 2:12 tn Or “kingship.”
  2. 1 Kings 2:13 tn Heb “[in] peace.”
  3. 1 Kings 2:14 tn Heb “and he said.”
  4. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Or “kingship.”
  5. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “set their face to me to be king.”
  6. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “and the kingdom turned about and became my brother’s, for from the Lord it became his.”
  7. 1 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
  8. 1 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “She said, ‘Speak!’”
  9. 1 Kings 2:17 tn Heb “Say to Solomon the king, for he will not turn back your face, that he might give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.”
  10. 1 Kings 2:18 tn Heb “[It is] good!”
  11. 1 Kings 2:19 tn Or “meet.”
  12. 1 Kings 2:19 tn Heb “he set up a throne for the mother of the king.”
  13. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Or “I’d like to make just one request of you.”
  14. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
  15. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “and the king said to her.”
  16. 1 Kings 2:22 tn Heb “for Adonijah.”
  17. 1 Kings 2:23 tn Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”
  18. 1 Kings 2:23 tn Heb “if with his life Adonijah has not spoken this word.”
  19. 1 Kings 2:24 tn Heb “house.”
  20. 1 Kings 2:25 tn The Hebrew text adds, “by the hand of.”
  21. 1 Kings 2:25 tn Heb “and he struck him and he died.”
  22. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Or “field.”
  23. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Heb “you are a man of death,” an idiom.
  24. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Heb “and because you suffered through all which my father suffered.”
  25. 1 Kings 2:28 tn Heb “turned after” (also later in this verse).
  26. 1 Kings 2:28 tn Heb “Joab.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  27. 1 Kings 2:28 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Joab was seeking asylum from Solomon.
  28. 1 Kings 2:29 tn Heb “and it was related to King Solomon.”
  29. 1 Kings 2:29 tn Heb “so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying.”
  30. 1 Kings 2:30 tn Heb “saying, “In this way Joab spoke and in this way he answered me.”
  31. 1 Kings 2:31 tn Heb “house.”
  32. 1 Kings 2:31 tn Heb “take away the undeserved bloodshed which Joab spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father.”
  33. 1 Kings 2:32 tn Heb “The Lord will cause his blood to return upon his head.”
  34. 1 Kings 2:32 tn Heb “because he struck down two men more innocent and better than he and he killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know.”
  35. 1 Kings 2:33 tn Heb “house.”
  36. 1 Kings 2:33 tn Heb “his throne.”
  37. 1 Kings 2:34 tn Heb “struck him and killed him.” The referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  38. 1 Kings 2:35 tn Heb “over.”
  39. 1 Kings 2:35 tc The Old Greek translation includes after v. 35 some fourteen verses that are absent from the MT.
  40. 1 Kings 2:36 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  41. 1 Kings 2:36 tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”
  42. 1 Kings 2:37 tn Heb “your blood will be upon your head.”
  43. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “Good is the word, as my master the king has spoken.”
  44. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “so your servant will do.”
  45. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “many days.”
  46. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  47. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “Is it not [true]…?” In the Hebrew text the statement is interrogative; the rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course it is.”
  48. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “here or there.”
  49. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “good is the word; I have heard.”
  50. 1 Kings 2:43 tn Heb “Why have you not kept the oath [to] the Lord and the commandment I commanded you?”
  51. 1 Kings 2:44 tn Heb “You know all the evil, for your heart knows, which you did to David my father.”
  52. 1 Kings 2:44 tn Heb “The Lord will cause your evil to return upon your head.”
  53. 1 Kings 2:45 tn Or “blessed.”
  54. 1 Kings 2:45 tn Heb “throne.”
  55. 1 Kings 2:46 tn “The king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck him down and he died.”
  56. 1 Kings 2:46 tn “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


New English Translation (NET)

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