2
1 Now
the days of
David came near
that he should
die; and he
commanded Solomon
his son, saying,
2 “I
am going the
way of all
the earth. You be
strong therefore,
and show yourself
a man;
3 and
keep the
instruction of the
LORD your God,
to walk in
his ways, to
keep his statutes,
his commandments,
his ordinances,
and his
testimonies, according
to that which
is written in
the law of
Moses, that you
may prosper in
all that you
do and wherever
you turn yourself.
4 Then
the LORD may
establish his word
which he spoke
concerning me,
saying, ‘If your
children are
careful of their
way, to walk
before me in
truth with all
their heart and
with all their
soul, there shall
not fail you,’
he said, ‘a
man on the
throne of Israel.’
5 “Moreover
you know also
what Joab the
son of Zeruiah
did to me,
even what he
did to the
two captains of
the armies of
Israel, to Abner
the son of
Ner and to
Amasa the son
of Jether, whom he
killed, and shed
the blood of
war in peace,
and put the
blood of war
on his sash that
was around his
waist and in
his sandals that
were on his
feet.
6 Do
therefore according to
your wisdom,
and don’t let his
gray head go
down to Sheol
in peace.
7 But
show kindness to
the sons of
Barzillai the
Gileadite, and let
them be among
those who eat at
your table; for
so they came
to me when
I fled from Absalom
your brother.
8 “Behold,
there is with
you Shimei the
son of Gera,
the Benjamite
of Bahurim, who
cursed me with
a grievous curse
in the day
when I went
to Mahanaim; but
he came down
to meet me
at the Jordan,
and I swore
to him by
the LORD, saying, ‘I
will not put
you to death
with the sword.’
9 Now
therefore don’t hold
him guiltless, for
you are a
wise man; and
you will know
what you ought to
do to him,
and you shall
bring his gray
head down to
Sheol
with blood.”
10 David
slept with
his fathers, and
was buried in
David’s city.
11 The
days that David
reigned over
Israel were forty
years; he reigned
seven years in
Hebron, and he
reigned thirty-three
years in Jerusalem.
12 Solomon
sat on David
his father’s throne;
and his kingdom
was firmly
established.
13 Then Adonijah the
son of Haggith came
to Bathsheba
the mother of
Solomon. She said, “Do you come
peaceably?”
He said, “Peaceably.
14 He
said moreover, I
have something to
tell you.”
She said, “Say
on.”
15 He said, “You
know that the
kingdom was mine,
and that all
Israel set their
faces on me,
that I should
reign. However,
the kingdom is
turned around, and
has become
my brother’s; for
it was his
from the LORD.
16 Now
I ask one
petition of you.
Don’t deny me.”
She said to
him, “Say on.”
17 He said, “Please
speak to Solomon
the king (for
he will not
tell you ‘no’),
that he give
me Abishag the
Shunammite as wife.”
18 Bathsheba
said, “All right.
I will speak
for you to
the king.”
19 Bathsheba
therefore went to
King Solomon, to
speak to him
for Adonijah. The
king rose up
to meet her
and bowed himself
to her, and
sat down on
his throne and
caused a throne
to be set
for the king’s
mother; and she
sat on his
right hand.
20 Then
she said, “I ask
one small petition
of you; don’t deny
me.”
The king said to
her, “Ask on,
my mother, for I
will not deny
you.”
21 She said, “Let
Abishag the Shunammite
be given
to Adonijah your brother
as wife.”
22 King
Solomon answered
his mother, “Why
do you ask Abishag
the Shunammite
for Adonijah? Ask
for him the
kingdom also, for
he is my
elder brother; even
for him, and
for Abiathar the
priest, and for
Joab the son
of Zeruiah.”
23 Then
King Solomon swore
by the LORD,
saying, “God do
so to me,
and more also,
if Adonijah has
not spoken this
word against his
own life.
24 Now
therefore as the
LORD lives, who
has established me
and set me
on my father
David’s throne,
and who has
made me a
house as he
promised, surely Adonijah
shall be put
to death today.”
25 King
Solomon sent
Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada; and
he fell on
him, so that
he died.
26 To Abiathar
the priest the
king said, “Go to
Anathoth, to your
own fields, for
you are worthy of
death. But I
will not at
this time put
you to death,
because you bore
the Lord
GOD’s ark before
David my father,
and because you
were afflicted in
all in which
my father was
afflicted.”
27 So
Solomon thrust Abiathar
out from being
priest to the
LORD, that he
might fulfill the
LORD’s word which
he spoke
concerning the
house of Eli
in Shiloh.
28 This
news came to
Joab; for Joab
had followed Adonijah,
although he didn’t
follow Absalom. Joab
fled to the
LORD’s Tent, and
held onto the
horns of the
altar.
29 King
Solomon was told,
“Joab has fled
to the LORD’s Tent;
and behold, he
is by the
altar.” Then
Solomon sent
Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, fall on him.”
30 Benaiah
came to the
LORD’s Tent, and
said to him, “The
king says, ‘Come
out!’ ”
He said, “No;
but I will
die here.”
Benaiah brought
the king word
again, saying, “This
is what Joab
said, and this
is how he
answered me.”
31 The
king said to
him, “Do as
he has said,
and fall on
him, and bury
him, that you
may take away
the blood, which
Joab shed without
cause, from me
and from
my father’s house.
32 The
LORD will return
his blood on
his own head,
because he fell
on two men
more righteous and
better than he,
and killed them
with the sword,
and my father
David didn’t know
it: Abner the son
of Ner, captain
of the army
of Israel, and
Amasa the son
of Jether, captain
of the army
of Judah.
33 So
their blood will
return on the
head of Joab
and on the
head of his
offspring
forever. But for
David, for his
offspring, for his
house, and for
his throne, there
will be peace
forever from the
LORD.”
34 Then
Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada went
up and fell
on him, and
killed him; and
he was buried
in his own house
in the wilderness.
35 The
king put Benaiah
the son of
Jehoiada in his
place over the
army; and the
king put Zadok
the priest in
the place
of Abiathar.
36 The
king sent and
called for Shimei,
and said to
him, “Build
yourself a house
in Jerusalem, and
live there,
and don’t go anywhere
else.
37 For
on the day
you go out
and pass over
the brook Kidron,
know for certain
that you will
surely die. Your
blood will be
on your own
head.”
38 Shimei
said to the
king, “What you
say is good.
As my lord the
king has said,
so will your
servant do.”
Shimei lived in
Jerusalem many
days.
39 At
the end of
three years, two
of Shimei’s slaves
ran away to Achish,
son of Maacah,
king of Gath.
They told Shimei,
saying, “Behold, your
slaves are in
Gath.”
40 Shimei
arose, saddled his
donkey, and went
to Gath to Achish
to seek his
slaves; and Shimei
went and brought
his slaves from
Gath.
41 Solomon
was told that
Shimei had gone
from Jerusalem to
Gath, and had
come again.
42 The
king sent and
called for Shimei,
and said to
him, “Didn’t I
adjure you by
the LORD and
warn you, saying,
‘Know for certain
that on the
day you go
out and
walk anywhere else,
you shall surely
die’? You said
to me, ‘The
saying that I
have heard is
good.’
43 Why
then have you
not kept the
oath of the
LORD and the
commandment that I
have instructed
you with?”
44 The
king said moreover to
Shimei, “You know
in your heart
all the wickedness
that you did
to David my father.
Therefore the LORD
will return your
wickedness on
your own head.
45 But
King Solomon will
be blessed, and
David’s throne
will be
established before
the LORD forever.”
46 So
the king commanded
Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada; and
he went out,
and fell on
him, so that
he died. The
kingdom was
established in the
hand of Solomon.