¹⁸ On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.”

²⁸ Absalom^(A) ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high^(B) spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.^(C)” ²⁹ So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.

¹⁴ Joab^(A) said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. ¹⁵ And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.^(B)

¹⁶ Then Joab^(C) sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them. ¹⁷ They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up^(D) a large heap of rocks^(E) over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.

¹⁸ During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley^(F) as a monument^(G) to himself, for he thought, “I have no son^(H) to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

²² King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag^(A) the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother^(B)—yes, for him and for Abiathar^(C) the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”

²³ Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,^(D) if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! ²⁴ And now, as surely as the Lord lives—he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised^(E)—Adonijah shall be put to death today!” ²⁵ So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah^(F) son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.^(G)

Athaliah and Joash^(A)

11 When Athaliah^(B) the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.