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1 Kings 2:12-46
New American Standard Bible

12 Then (A)Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.

13 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. So she said, “(B)Do you come peacefully?” And he said, “Peacefully.” 14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” 15 So he said, “You yourself know that (C)the kingdom was mine and (D)that all Israel [a]intended for me to be king; (E)however, the kingdom has turned around and become my brother’s, (F)for it was his from the Lord. 16 So now I am making one request of you; do not [b]refuse me.” And she said to him, “Speak.” 17 Then he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king—for he will not [c]refuse you—that he may give me (G)Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” 18 And Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”

Adonijah Executed

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king stood to meet her, bowed to her, and sat on his throne; then he (H)had a throne set up for the king’s mother, and (I)she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; (J)do not [d]refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not [e]refuse you.” 21 So she said, “(K)Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.” 22 But King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? (L)Request for him the kingdom as well—(M)since he is my older brother—for him, for (N)Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do so to me and more so, if Adonijah has (O)not spoken this word against his own [f]life! 24 Now then, as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and (P)has made me a house just as He [g]promised, Adonijah certainly shall be put to death today!” 25 Then King Solomon (Q)sent the order by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he [h]struck him so that he died.

26 Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “(R)Go to Anathoth to your own field, (S)for you [i]deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this [j]time, because (T)you carried the ark of the Lord [k]God before my father David, and because (U)you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” 27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, to fulfill (V)the word of the Lord, which He had spoken regarding the house of Eli in Shiloh.

Joab Executed

28 Now the news came to Joab (W)because Joab had followed Adonijah, (X)though he had not followed Absalom. So Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and (Y)took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 And it was reported to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord, and [l]was beside the altar. Then Solomon (Z)sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “(AA)Go, [m]execute him.” 30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “This is what the king has said: ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” So Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, “This is what Joab spoke, and so he answered me.” 31 And the king said to him, “(AB)Do just as he has spoken, and [n]execute him and bury him, (AC)so that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without [o]justification. 32 (AD)The Lord will return his blood on his own head, (AE)because he [p]struck two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know about it: (AF)Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and (AG)Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 (AH)So their blood shall return on the head of Joab and on the head of his [q]descendants forever; but for David and his [r]descendants, and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the Lord forever.” 34 Then (AI)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and [s]struck him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house (AJ)in the wilderness. 35 And (AK)the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed (AL)Zadok the priest (AM)in place of Abiathar.

Shimei Executed

36 Now the king sent men and summoned (AN)Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not leave there for any other place. 37 For on the day you leave and (AO)cross the [t]brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you will assuredly die; (AP)your blood will be [u]on your own head.” 38 Shimei then said to the king, “The word is good. Just as my lord the king has spoken, so your servant shall do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for many days.

39 But it came about at the end of three years, that two of Shimei’s servants ran away (AQ)to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And others told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your servants are in Gath.” 40 Then Shimei got up and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to search for his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 41 And it was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. 42 So the king sent men and summoned Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall assuredly die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’ 43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the command which I [v]imposed on you?” 44 The king also said to Shimei, “(AR)You yourself know all the evil that [w]you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore (AS)the Lord will return your evil on your own head. 45 But King Solomon will be blessed, and (AT)the throne of David will be established before the Lord forever.” 46 (AU)So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and [x]struck him so that he died.

(AV)And the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 2:15 Lit set their faces toward me
  2. 1 Kings 2:16 Lit turn away my face
  3. 1 Kings 2:17 Lit turn away your face
  4. 1 Kings 2:20 Lit turn away my face
  5. 1 Kings 2:20 Lit turn away your face
  6. 1 Kings 2:23 Lit soul
  7. 1 Kings 2:24 Lit spoke
  8. 1 Kings 2:25 Lit attacked
  9. 1 Kings 2:26 Lit are a man of death
  10. 1 Kings 2:26 Lit day
  11. 1 Kings 2:26 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  12. 1 Kings 2:29 Lit behold, beside
  13. 1 Kings 2:29 Lit attack
  14. 1 Kings 2:31 Lit attack
  15. 1 Kings 2:31 Or cause
  16. 1 Kings 2:32 Lit attacked
  17. 1 Kings 2:33 Lit seed
  18. 1 Kings 2:33 Lit seed
  19. 1 Kings 2:34 Lit attacked
  20. 1 Kings 2:37 Or wadi
  21. 1 Kings 2:37 I.e., your own responsibility
  22. 1 Kings 2:43 Lit commanded
  23. 1 Kings 2:44 Lit your heart acknowledges
  24. 1 Kings 2:46 Lit attacked
Listen to 1 Kings 2:12-46
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1 Kings 2:12-46
Holman Christian Standard Bible

12 Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingship was firmly established.(A)

Adonijah’s Foolish Request

13 Now Adonijah son of Haggith(B) came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come peacefully?”

“Peacefully,” he replied,(C) 14 and then asked, “May I talk with you?”[a]

“Go ahead,” she answered.

15 “You know the kingship was mine,”(D) he said. “All Israel expected me to be king, but then the kingship was turned over to my brother,(E) for the Lord gave it to him.(F) 16 So now I have just one request of you; don’t turn me down.”[b]

She said to him, “Go on.”

17 He replied, “Please speak to King Solomon since he won’t turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite(G) as a wife.”

18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for the king’s mother.(H) So she sat down at his right hand.(I)

20 Then she said, “I have just one small request of you. Don’t turn me down.”

“Go ahead and ask, mother,” the king replied, “for I won’t turn you down.”

21 So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”

22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my elder brother,(J) you might as well ask the kingship for him,(K) for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.”[c](L) 23 Then Solomon took an oath by the Lord: “May God punish me and do so severely(M) if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life. 24 And now, as the Lord lives, the One who established me, seated me on the throne of my father David, and made me a dynasty as He promised(N)—I swear Adonijah will be put to death today!” 25 Then King Solomon gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada,(O) who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

Abiathar’s Banishment

26 The king said to Abiathar the priest,(P) “Go to your fields in Anathoth.(Q) Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death today, since you carried the ark of the Lord God in the presence of my father David(R) and you suffered through all that my father suffered.”(S) 27 So Solomon banished Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest, and it fulfilled the Lord’s prophecy He had spoken at Shiloh against Eli’s family.(T)

Joab’s Execution

28 The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah(U) but not Absalom,(V) Joab fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar.(W)

29 It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and is now beside the altar.” Then Solomon sent[d] Benaiah son of Jehoiada(X) and told him, “Go and strike him down!”(Y)

30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle and said to Joab, “This is what the king says: ‘Come out!’”(Z)

But Joab said, “No, for I will die here.”

So Benaiah took a message back to the king, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.”

31 The king said to him, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him in order to remove from me and from my father’s house the blood that Joab shed without just cause.(AA) 32 The Lord will bring back his own blood on his head because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, without my father David’s knowledge. With his sword, Joab murdered Abner(AB) son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa(AC) son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33 Their blood will come back on Joab’s head and on the head of his descendants forever, but for David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne, there will be peace from the Lord forever.”(AD)

34 Benaiah son of Jehoiada(AE) went up, struck down Joab, and put him to death. He was buried at his house in the wilderness.(AF) 35 Then the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army,(AG) and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.

Shimei’s Banishment and Execution

36 Then the king summoned Shimei(AH) and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but don’t leave there and go anywhere else. 37 On the day you do leave and cross the Kidron Valley,(AI) know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head.”(AJ)

38 Shimei said to the king, “The sentence is fair; your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken.” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

39 But then, at the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish(AK) son of Maacah, king of Gath.(AL) Shimei was informed, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.” 40 So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath to search for his slaves. He went and brought them back from Gath.

41 It was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. 42 So the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you, saying, ‘On the day you leave and go anywhere else, know for sure that you will certainly die’? And you said to me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will obey.’ 43 So why have you not kept the Lord’s oath and the command that I gave you?” 44 The king also said, “You yourself know all the evil that you did to my father David.(AM) Therefore, the Lord has brought back your evil on your head, 45 but King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain established before the Lord forever.”(AN)

46 Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in Solomon’s hand.(AO)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 2:14 Lit then said, “I have a word for you.”
  2. 1 Kings 2:16 Lit don’t make me turn my face
  3. 1 Kings 2:22 LXX, Vg, Syr read kingship for him, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah
  4. 1 Kings 2:29 LXX adds Joab a message: “What is the matter with you, that you have fled to the altar?” And Joab replied, “Because I feared you, I have fled to the Lord.” And Solomon the king sent
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