1 Reyes 2

Brenton's English Septuagint

1And the days of David drew near that he should die: and he Gr. answered addressed his son Solomon, saying, I go the way of all the earth:

2but be thou strong, and shew thyself a man;

3and keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep the commandments and the ordinances and the judgements which are written in the law of Moses; that thou mayest understand what thou shalt do in all things that I command thee:

4that the Lord may confirm his word which he spoke, saying, If thy children shall take heed to their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart, I promise thee, saying, there shall not Gr. be destroyed to thee fail thee a man on the throne of Israel.

5Moreover thou knowest all that Joab the son of Saruia did to me, what he did to the two captains of the forces of Israel, to Abenner the son of Ner, and to Amessai the son of Jether, that he slew them, and Gr. ordered shed the blood of war in peace, and put innocent blood on his girdle that was about his loins, and on his sandal that was on his foot.

6Therefore thou shalt deal with him according to thy wisdom, and thou shalt not bring down his grey hairs in peace to Gr. Hades the grave.

7But thou shalt deal kindly with the sons of Berzelli the Galaadite, and they shall be among those that eat at thy table; for thus they drew nigh to me when I fled from the face of thy brother Abessalom.

8And, behold, there is with thee Semei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Baurim: and he cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went into the Gr. camps camp; and he came down to Jordan to meet me, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

9But thou shalt by no means hold him guiltless, for thou art a wise man, and wilt know what thou shalt do to him, and shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave.

10And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

11And the days which David reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Chebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

12And Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was Gr. prepared established greatly.

13And Adonias the son of Aggith came in to Bersabee the mother of Solomon, and did obeisance to her: and she said, Gr. Is thine entrance peace? Dost thou enter peaceably? and he said, Peaceably:

14I have business with thee. And she said to him, Say on.

15And he said to her, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel turned their face toward me for a king; but the kingdom was turned from me and became my brother’s: for it was appointed to him from the Lord.

16And now I make one request of thee, do not turn away thy face. And Bersabee said to him, Speak on.

17And he said to her, Speak, I pray thee, to king Solomon, for he will not turn away his face from thee, and let him give me Abisag the Somanite for a wife.

18And Bersabee said, Well; I will speak for thee to the king.

19And Bersabee went in to king Solomon to speak to him concerning Adonias; and the king rose up to meet her, and kissed her, and sat on the throne, and a throne was set for the mother of the king, and she sat on his right hand.

20And she said to him, I ask of thee one little request; turn not away my face from thee. And the king said to her, Ask, my mother, and I will not reject thee.

21And she said, Let, I pray thee, Abisag the Somanite be given to Adonias thy brother to wife.

22And king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why hast thou asked Abisag for Adonias? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother, and he has for his companion Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Saruia the commander-in-chief.

23And king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, and Gr. add these things more also, if it be not that Adonias has spoken this word against his own life.

24And now as the Lord lives who has established me, and set me on the throne of my father David, and he has made me a house, as the Lord spoke, this day shall Adonias be put to death.

25So king Solomon sent by the hand of Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he slew him, and Adonias died in that day.

26And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Depart thou quickly to Anathoth to thy farm, for thou art Gr. a man of death worthy of death this day; but I will not slay thee, because thou hast borne the ark of the covenant of the Lord before my father, and because thou was afflicted in all things wherein my father was afflicted.

27And Solomon removed Abiathar from being a priest of the Lord, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke Or, against concerning the house of Heli in Selom.

28And the report came to Joab son of Saruia; for Joab had turned after Adonias, and he went not after Solomon: and Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

29And it was told Solomon, saying, Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and lo! he has hold of the horns of the altar. And king Solomon sent to Joab, saying, Gr. What has happened to thee? What ails thee, that thou hast fled to the altar? and Joab said, Because I was afraid of thee, and fled for refuge to the Lord. And Solomon sent Banaeas son of Jodae, saying, Go and slay him, and bury him.

30And Banaeas son of Jodae came to Joab to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him, Thus says the king, Come forth. And Joab said, I Gr. do not will not come forth, for I will die here. And Banaeas son of Jodae returned and spoke to the king, saying, Thus has Joab spoken, and thus has he answered me.

31And the king said to him, Go, and do to him as he has spoken, and kill him: and thou shalt bury him, and thou shalt remove this day the blood which he shed without cause, from me and from the house of my father.

32And the Lord has returned upon his own head the blood of his unrighteousness, inasmuch as he attacked two men more righteous and better than himself, and slew them with the sword, and my father David knew not of their blood, even Abenner the son of Ner the commander-in-chief of Israel, and Amessa the son of Jether the commander-in-chief of Juda.

33And their blood is returned upon his head, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but to David, and his seed, and his house, and his throne, may there be peace for ever from the Lord.

34So Banaeas son of Jodae went up, and attacked him, and slew him, and buried him in his house in the wilderness.

35And the king Gr. gave appointed Banaeas son of Jodae in his place over the host; and the kingdom was established in Jerusalem; and as for Sadoc the priest, the king appointed him to be high priest in the room of Abiathar. And Solomon son of David reigned over Israel and Juda in Jerusalem: and the Lord gave understanding to Solomon, and very much wisdom, and largeness of heart, as the sand by the sea-shore. LXX text not in Heb. has been left out. - And the wisdom of Solomon abounded exceedingly beyond the wisdom of all the ancients, and beyond all the wise men of Egypt: and he took the daughter of Pharao, and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord first, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. In seven years he made and finished them. - And Solomon had seventy thousand bearers of burdens, and eight thousand hewers of stone in the mountain: and Solomon made the sea, and the bases, and the great lavers, and the pillars, and the fountain of the court, and the brazen sea-and he built the citadel as a defence above it, he made a breach in the wall of the city of David: thus the daughter of Pharao went up out of the city of David to her house which he built for her. Then he built the citadel: and Solomon offered up three whole-burnt-offerings in the year, and peace-offerings on the altar which he built to the Lord, and he burnt incense before the Lord, and finished the house. And these are the chief persons who presided over the works of Solomon; three thousand and six hundred masters of the people that wrought the works. And he burit Assur, and Magdo, and Gazer, and upper Baethoron, and Ballath: only after he had built the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about, afterwards he built these cities. - And when David was yet living, he charged Solomon, saying, Behold, there is with thee Semei the son of Gera, of the seed of Benjamin out of Chebron: he cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went into the camp; and he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, He shall not be slain with the sword. But now do not thou hold him guiltless, for thou art a man of understanding, and thou wilt know what thou shalt do to him, and thou shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave.

36And the king called Semei, and said to him, Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and thou shalt not go out thence any whither.

37And it shall come to pass in the day Gr. of they going forth that thou shalt go forth and cross over the brook Kedron, Gr. knowing thou shalt know know assuredly that thou shalt certainly die: thy blood shall be upon thine head. And the king caused him to swear in that day.

38And Semei said to the king, Good is the word that thou hast spoken, my lord O king: thus will thy servant do. And Semei dwelt in Jerusalem three years.

39And it came to pass after the three years, that two servants of Semei ran away to Anchus son of Maacha king of Geth: and it was told Semei, saying, Behold, thy servants are in Geth.

40And Semei rose up, and saddled his ass, and went to Geth to Anchus to seek out his servants: and Semei went, and brought his servants out of Geth.

41And it was told Solomon, saying, Semei is gone out of Jerusalem to Geth, and has brought back his servants.

42And the king sent and called Semei, and said to him, Did I not adjure thee by the Lord, and testify to thee, saying, In whatsoever day thou shalt go out of Jerusalem, and go to the right or left, know certainly that thou shalt assuredly die?

43And why hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment which I commanded Gr. against thee thee?

44And the king said to Semei, Thou knowest all thy mischief which thy heart knows, which thou didst to David my father: and the Lord has recompensed thy mischief on thine own head.

45And king Solomon is blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever.

46And Solomon commanded Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he went forth and slew him. - And king Solomon was very prudent and wise: and Juda and Israel were very many, as the sand which is by the sea for multitude, eating, and drinking, and rejoicing: (2:46BA) and Solomon was chief in all the kingdoms, and they brought gifts, and served Solomon all the days of his life. (2:46CA) And Solomon began to open the domains of Libanus, (2:46DA) and he built Thermae in the wilderness. (2:46EA) And this was the Gr. dinner daily provision of Solomon, thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of ground meal, ten choice calves, and twenty oxen from the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides stags, and does, and choice fed birds. (2:46FA) For he ruled in all the country Gr. beyond on this side the river, from Raphi unto Gaza, over all the kings on this side the river: (2:46GA) and he was at peace on all sides round about; and Juda and Israel dwelt Gr. trusting in confidence; See Heb. safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, eating and drinking and feasting, from Dan even to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon. - And these were the princes of Solomon; Azariu son of Sadoc the priest, and Orniu son of Nathan chief of the officers, and he went to his house; and Suba the scribe, and Basa son of Achithalam recorder, and Abi son of Joab commander-in-chief, and Achire son of Edrai was over the levies, and Banaeas son of Jodae over the household and over the brickwork, and Cachur the son of Nathan was counsellor. - And Solomon had forty thousand brood mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horses. (2:46KA) And he reigned over all the kings from the river and to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt: (2:46LA) so Solomon the son of David reigned over Israel and Juda in Jerusalem. 4) Gr. ran5) Or, tributes

Reina-Valera 1909

1Y LLEGÁRONSE los días de David para morir, y mandó á Salomón su hijo, diciendo:

2Yo voy el camino de toda la tierra: esfuérzate, y sé varón.

3Guarda la ordenanza de Jehová tu Dios, andando en sus caminos, y observando sus estatutos y mandamientos, y sus derechos y sus testimonios, de la manera que está escrito en la ley de Moisés, para que seas dichoso en todo lo que hicieres, y en todo aquello á que te tornares;

4Para que confirme Jehová la palabra que me habló, diciendo: Si tus hijos guardaren su camino, andando delante de mí con verdad, de todo su corazón, y de toda su alma, jamás, dice, faltará á ti varón del trono de Israel.

5Y ya sabes tú lo que me ha hecho Joab hijo de Sarvia, lo que hizo á dos generales del ejército de Israel, á Abner hijo de Ner, y á Amasa hijo de Jether, los cuales él mató, derramando en paz la sangre de guerra, y poniendo la sangre de guerra en su talabarte que tenía sobre sus lomos, y en sus zapatos que tenía en sus pies.

6Tú pues harás conforme á tu sabiduría; no dejarás descender sus canas á la huesa en paz.

7Mas á los hijos de Barzillai Galaadita harás misericordia, que sean de los convidados á tu mesa; porque ellos vinieron así á mí, cuando iba huyendo de Absalom tu hermano.

8También tienes contigo á Semei hijo de Gera, hijo de Benjamín, de Bahurim, el cual me maldijo con una maldición fuerte el día que yo iba á Mahanaim. Mas él mismo descendió á recibirme al Jordán, y yo le juré por Jehová, diciendo: Yo no te mataré á cuchillo.

9Empero ahora no lo absolverás: que hombre sabio eres, y sabes cómo te has de haber con él: y harás descender sus canas con sangre á la sepultura.

10Y David durmió con sus padres, y fué sepultado en la ciudad de David.

11Los días que reinó David sobre Israel fueron cuarenta años: siete años reinó en Hebrón, y treinta y tres años reinó en Jerusalem.

12Y se sentó Salomón en el trono de David su padre, y fué su reino firme en gran manera.

13Entonces Adonía hijo de Haggith vino á Bath-sheba madre de Salomón; y ella dijo: ¿Es tu venida de paz? Y él respondió: Sí, de paz.

14En seguida dijo: Una palabra tengo que decirte. Y ella dijo: Di.

15Y él dijo: Tú sabes que el reino era mío, y que todo Israel había puesto en mí su rostro, para que yo reinara: mas el reino fué traspasado, y vino á mi hermano; porque por Jehová era suyo.

16Y ahora yo te hago una petición: no me hagas volver mi rostro. Y ella le dijo: Habla.

17El entonces dijo: Yo te ruego que hables al rey Salomón, (porque él no te hará volver tu rostro,) para que me dé á Abisag Sunamita por mujer.

18Y Bath-sheba dijo: Bien; yo hablaré por ti al rey.

19Y vino Bath-sheba al rey Salomón para hablarle por Adonía. Y el rey se levantó á recibirla, é inclinóse á ella, y volvió á sentarse en su trono, é hizo poner una silla á la madre del rey, la cual se sentó á su diestra.

20Y ella dijo: Una pequeña petición pretendo de ti; no me hagas volver mi rostro. Y el rey le dijo: Pide, madre mía, que yo no te haré volver el rostro.

21Y ella dijo: Dése Abisag Sunamita por mujer á tu hermano Adonía.

22Y el rey Salomón respondió, y dijo á su madre: ¿Por qué pides á Abisag Sunamita para Adonía? Demanda también para él el reino, porque él es mi hermano mayor; y tiene también á Abiathar sacerdote, y á Joab hijo de Sarvia.

23Y el rey Salomón juró por Jehová, diciendo: Así me haga Dios y así me añada, que contra su vida ha hablado Adonía esta palabra.

24Ahora pues, vive Jehová, que me ha confirmado y me ha puesto sobre el trono de David mi padre, y que me ha hecho casa, como me había dicho, que Adonía morirá hoy.

25Entonces el rey Salomón envió por mano de Benaía hijo de Joiada, el cual dió sobre él, y murió.

26Y á Abiathar sacerdote dijo el rey: Vete á Anathoth á tus heredades, que tú eres digno de muerte; mas no te mataré hoy, por cuanto has llevado el arca del Señor Jehová delante de David mi padre, y además has sido trabajado en todas las cosas en que fué trabajado mi padre.

27Así echó Salomón á Abiathar del sacerdocio de Jehová, para que se cumpliese la palabra de Jehová que había dicho sobre la casa de Eli en Silo.

28Y vino la noticia hasta Joab: porque también Joab se había adherido á Adonía, si bien no se había adherido á Absalom. Y huyó Joab al tabernáculo de Jehová, y asióse á los cornijales del altar.

29Y fué hecho saber á Salomón que Joab había huído al tabernáculo de Jehová, y que estaba junto al altar. Entonces envió Salomón á Benaía hijo de Joiada, diciendo: Ve, y da sobre él.

30Y entró Benaía al tabernáculo de Jehová, y díjole: El rey ha dicho que salgas. Y él dijo: No, sino aquí moriré. Y Benaía volvió con esta respuesta al rey, diciendo: Así habló Joab, y así me respondió.

31Y el rey le dijo: Haz como él ha dicho; mátale y entiérralo, y quita de mí y de la casa de mi padre la sangre que Joab ha derramado injustamente.

32Y Jehová hará tornar su sangre sobre su cabeza: que él ha muerto dos varones más justos y mejores que él, á los cuales mató á cuchillo sin que mi padre David supiese nada: á Abner hijo de Ner, general del ejército de Israel, y á Amasa hijo de Jether, general de ejército de Judá.

33La sangre pues de ellos recaerá sobre la cabeza de Joab, y sobre la cabeza de su simiente para siempre: mas sobre David y sobre su simiente, y sobre su casa y sobre su trono, habrá perpetuamente paz de parte de Jehová.

34Entonces Benaía hijo de Joiada subió, y dió sobre él, y matólo; y fué sepultado en su casa en el desierto.

35Y el rey puso en su lugar á Benaía hijo de Joiada sobre el ejército: y á Sadoc puso el rey por sacerdote en lugar de Abiathar.

36Después envió el rey, é hizo venir á Semei, y díjole: Edifícate una casa en Jerusalem, y mora ahí, y no salgas de allá á una parte ni á otra;

37Porque sabe de cierto que el día que salieres, y pasares el torrente de Cedrón, sin duda morirás, y tu sangre será sobre tu cabeza.

38Y Semei dijo al rey: La palabra es buena; como el rey mi señor ha dicho, así lo hará tu siervo. Y habitó Semei en Jerusalem muchos días.

39Pero pasados tres años, aconteció que se le huyeron á Semei dos siervos á Achîs, hijo de Maachâ, rey de Gath. Y dieron aviso á Semei, diciendo: He aquí que tus siervos están en Gath.

40Levantóse entonces Semei, y enalbardó su asno, y fué á Gath, á Achîs, á procurar sus siervos. Fué pues Semei, y volvió sus siervos de Gath.

41Díjose luego á Salomón como Semei había ido de Jerusalem hasta Gath, y que había vuelto.

42Entonces el rey envió, é hizo venir á Semei, y díjole: ¿No te conjuré yo por Jehová, y te protesté, diciendo: El día que salieres, y fueres acá ó acullá, sabe de cierto que has de morir? Y tú me dijiste: La palabra es buena, yo la obedezco.

43¿Por qué pues no guardaste el juramento de Jehová, y el mandamiento que yo te impuse?

44Dijo además el rey á Semei: Tú sabes todo el mal, el cual tu corazón bien sabe, que cometiste contra mi padre David; Jehová pues, ha tornado el mal sobre tu cabeza.

45Y el rey Salomón será bendito, y el trono de David será firme perpetuamente delante de Jehová.

46Entonces el rey mandó á Benaía hijo de Joiada, el cual salió é hirióle; y murió. Y el reino fué confirmado en la mano de Salomón.

King James Version

1Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

3And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

4That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

5Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

6Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

7But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

8And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

9Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

10So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

11And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

12Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

13And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

14He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.

15And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.

16And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.

17And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

18And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.

19Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

21And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

22And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

23Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.

24Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.

25And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.

26And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

27So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

29And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.

30And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.

31And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

32And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

33Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.

34So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

36And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.

37For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

38And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

39And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.

40And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

41And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.

42And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.

43Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?

44The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;

45And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.

46So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

World English Bible

1Now 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;

3and 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.

4Then 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.

6Do therefore according to your wisdom, and don’t let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.

7But 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.’

9Now 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.”

10David slept with his fathers, and was buried in David’s city.

11The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

12Solomon sat on David his father’s throne; and his kingdom was firmly established.

13Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. She said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.

14He said moreover, I have something to tell you.” She said, “Say on.”

15He 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.

16Now I ask one petition of you. Don’t deny me.” She said to him, “Say on.”

17He said, “Please speak to Solomon the king (for he will not tell you ‘no’), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.”

18Bathsheba said, “All right. I will speak for you to the king.”

19Bathsheba 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.

20Then 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.”

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

22King 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.”

23Then 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.

24Now 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.”

25King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell on him, so that he died.

26To 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.”

27So 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.

28This 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.

29King 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.”

30Benaiah 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.”

31The 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.

32The 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.

33So 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.”

34Then 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.

35The 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.

36The 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.

37For 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.”

38Shimei 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.

39At 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.”

40Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his slaves; and Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath.

41Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again.

42The 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.’

43Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD and the commandment that I have instructed you with?”

44The 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.

45But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will be established before the LORD forever.”

46So 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.