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David’s Dying Instructions to Solomon
2 As the time approached for David to die,(A) he instructed his son Solomon, 2 “As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth.(B) Be strong and be courageous like a man,(C) 3 and keep your obligation to the Lord your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do(D) and wherever you turn, 4 and so that the Lord will carry out His promise that He made to me: ‘If your sons are careful to walk faithfully before Me with their whole mind and heart,(E) you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’(F)
5 “You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me(G) and what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s army, Abner son of Ner(H) and Amasa son of Jether.(I) He murdered them in a time of peace to avenge blood shed in war. He spilled that blood on his own waistband and on the sandals of his feet.[a] 6 Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head descend to Sheol in peace.
7 “Show loyalty to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table(J) because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom.(K)
8 “Keep an eye on Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim.(L) But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, and I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will never kill you with the sword.’(M) 9 So don’t let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man. You know how to deal with him to bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”
10 Then David rested with his fathers(N) and was buried in the city of David.(O) 11 The length of time David reigned over Israel was 40 years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem.(P) 12 Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingship was firmly established.(Q)
Adonijah’s Foolish Request
13 Now Adonijah son of Haggith(R) came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come peacefully?”
“Peacefully,” he replied,(S) 14 and then asked, “May I talk with you?”[b]
“Go ahead,” she answered.
15 “You know the kingship was mine,”(T) he said. “All Israel expected me to be king, but then the kingship was turned over to my brother,(U) for the Lord gave it to him.(V) 16 So now I have just one request of you; don’t turn me down.”[c]
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(W) 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.(X) So she sat down at his right hand.(Y)
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,(Z) you might as well ask the kingship for him,(AA) for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.”[d](AB) 23 Then Solomon took an oath by the Lord: “May God punish me and do so severely(AC) 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(AD)—I swear Adonijah will be put to death today!” 25 Then King Solomon gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada,(AE) who struck down Adonijah, and he died.
Abiathar’s Banishment
26 The king said to Abiathar the priest,(AF) “Go to your fields in Anathoth.(AG) 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(AH) and you suffered through all that my father suffered.”(AI) 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.(AJ)
Joab’s Execution
28 The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah(AK) but not Absalom,(AL) Joab fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar.(AM)
29 It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and is now beside the altar.” Then Solomon sent[e] Benaiah son of Jehoiada(AN) and told him, “Go and strike him down!”(AO)
30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle and said to Joab, “This is what the king says: ‘Come out!’”(AP)
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.(AQ) 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(AR) son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa(AS) 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.”(AT)
34 Benaiah son of Jehoiada(AU) went up, struck down Joab, and put him to death. He was buried at his house in the wilderness.(AV) 35 Then the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army,(AW) and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.
Shimei’s Banishment and Execution
36 Then the king summoned Shimei(AX) 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,(AY) know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head.”(AZ)
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(BA) son of Maacah, king of Gath.(BB) 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.(BC) 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.”(BD)
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.(BE)
The Lord Appears to Solomon
3 Solomon made an alliance[f] with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter.(BF) Solomon brought her to live in the city of David(BG) until he finished building his palace,(BH) the Lord’s temple,(BI) and the wall surrounding Jerusalem.(BJ) 2 However, the people were sacrificing on the high places,(BK) because until that time a temple for the Lord’s name(BL) had not been built.
Lying to the Holy Spirit
5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.(A)
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart(B) to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds from the field? 4 Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God!” 5 When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard.(C) 6 The young men got up, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.(D)
7 There was an interval of about three hours; then his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 “Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the field for this price?”
“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!”(E)
10 Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband. 11 Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.
Apostolic Signs and Wonders
12 Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles.(F) By common consent they would all meet in Solomon’s Colonnade.(G) 13 None of the rest dared to join them, but the people praised them highly.(H) 14 Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow(I) might fall on some of them. 16 In addition, a large group came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
In and Out of Prison
17 Then the high priest took action. He and all his colleagues, those who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.(J) 18 So they arrested[a] the apostles and put them in the city jail.(K) 19 But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, brought them out, and said,(L) 20 “Go and stand in the temple complex, and tell the people all about this life.”(M) 21 In obedience to this, they entered the temple complex at daybreak and began to teach.
The Apostles on Trial Again
When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full Senate of the sons of Israel—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.(N) 22 But when the temple police got there, they did not find them in the jail, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 As[b] the commander of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, as to what could come of this.
25 Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple complex and teaching the people.” 26 Then the commander went with the temple police and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them.(O) 27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28 “Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name?(P) And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!”(Q)
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,(R) whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a tree.(S) 31 God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.(T) 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit(U) whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Gamaliel’s Advice
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.(V) 34 A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men[c] to be taken outside for a little while.(W) 35 He said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re going to do to these men. 36 Not long ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about 400 men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his partisans were dispersed and came to nothing.(X) 37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following.[d] That man also perished, and all his partisans were scattered. 38 And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown;(Y) 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” So they were persuaded by him.(Z) 40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.(AA) 41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name.[e](AB) 42 Every day in the temple complex, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Psalm 125
Israel’s Stability
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.(A)
2 Jerusalem—the mountains surround her.
And the Lord surrounds His people,
both now and forever.(B)
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.(C)
4 Do what is good, Lord, to the good,
to those whose hearts are upright.(D)
5 But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the Lord will banish them with the evildoers.(E)
Peace be with Israel.(F)
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.(A)
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