1 Kings 2:1-11
Expanded Bible
The Death of David(A)
2 ·Since it was almost time [As the time approached] for David to die, he gave ·his son Solomon his last commands [this charge to Solomon]. 2 David said, “·My time to die is near [L I am going the way of all the earth]. Be ·a good and strong leader [L strong and show yourself a man]. 3 ·Obey [Observe the injunctions/requirements of] the Lord your God. ·Follow him [Walk in his ways] by obeying his demands, his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements], his laws, and his ·rules [regulations] that are written in the ·teachings [Law; L Torah] of Moses. If you do these things, you will ·be successful [prosper] in all you do and wherever you ·go [turn]. 4 And if you obey the Lord, he will ·keep the promise he made to [fulfill the word he spoke concerning] me. He said: ‘If your descendants ·live as I tell them [L are careful of their way] and ·have complete faith in me [L walk in truth/faith before me], ·a man from your family will always be king over the people [L they will never fail to have a man on the throne] of Israel.’
5 “Also, you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the two commanders of Israel’s armies: Abner son of Ner [2 Sam. 3:22–39] and Amasa son of Jether [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. ·He did this as if he and they were at war, although it was a time of peace [or…retaliating in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war]. He ·put their blood on [stained with their blood] the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. 6 ·Punish him in [L Act] the way you think is wisest, but do not let him ·die peacefully of old age [go to Sheol/the grave in peace; C the place of the dead].
7 “·Be kind [Show love] to the children of Barzillai of Gilead, and allow them to eat at your table. They ·welcomed [cared for; stood by] me when I ·ran away [fled] from your brother Absalom.
8 “And remember, Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, is here with you. He cursed ·me [L me violently/with a terrible curse] the day I went to Mahanaim [2 Sam. 16:5–19]. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I ·promised [vowed/swore to] him before the Lord, ‘Shimei, I will not ·kill you [L put you to death by the sword; 2 Sam 19:16–23].’ 9 But you should not ·leave him unpunished [consider him innocent/guiltless]. You are a wise man, and you will know what to do to him, ·but you must be sure he is killed [L and will bring his bloody gray head to Sheol/the grave; 2:6].”
10 Then David ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. 11 He had ·ruled [reigned] over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
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1 Kings 2:1-11
Amplified Bible
David’s Charge to Solomon
2 When David’s time to die approached, he gave instructions to Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am going the way of all the earth [as dust to dust]. Be strong and prove yourself a man. 3 Keep the charge of the Lord your God, [that is, fulfill your obligation to] walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in everything that you do and wherever you turn, 4 so that the Lord may fulfill His [a]promise concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful regarding their way [of life], to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and mind and with all their soul, you shall not fail to have a man (descendant) on the throne of Israel.’
5 Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah [my sister] did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and to Amasa the son of Jether, [both of] whom he murdered; [b]avenging the blood of war in [a time of] peace. And he put the [innocent] blood of war [of Abner and Amasa] on his [c]belt that was around his [d]waist, and on his sandals on his feet. 6 So act in accordance with your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in peace. 7 But be gracious and kind to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who [have the honor to] eat at your table; for they met me [with kindness] when I fled from your brother Absalom.(A) 8 And look, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim; he is the one who cursed me with a sinister curse the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan [on my return], and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 But now do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what to do to him, and you will bring his gray head down to Sheol [covered] with blood.”
Death of David
10 So David lay down with his fathers [in death] and was buried in the [e]City of David. 11 The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
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- 1 Kings 2:4 Lit His word which He spoke.
- 1 Kings 2:5 Lit he also shed.
- 1 Kings 2:5 Lit girdle. The girdle was a band about six inches wide that had clasps or fasteners in front. It was worn around the loins (the midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips) and was normally made of leather. Expensive or embroidered girdles were also worn and were made of cotton, flax or silk. The girdle also served as a kind of pocket or pouch and was used to carry personal items such as a dagger, money, or other necessary things.
- 1 Kings 2:5 Lit loins.
- 1 Kings 2:10 Not the walled city today called “Old Jerusalem” but a peninsula of land extending south from the “old city.”
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