1 Kings
2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged
Solomon his son, saying,
2:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew
thyself a man;
2:3 And 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:
2:4 That 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.
2:5 Moreover 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.
2:6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down
to the grave in peace.
2:7 But 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.
2:8 And, 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.
2:9 Now 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.
2:10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
2:11 And 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.
2:12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom
was established greatly.
2:13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon.
And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
2:14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say
on.
2:15 And 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.
2:16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him,
Say on.
2:17 And 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.
2:18 And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
2:19 Bathsheba 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.
2:20 Then 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.
2:21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy
brother to wife.
2:22 And 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.
2:23 Then 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.
2:24 Now 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.
2:25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he
fell upon him that he died.
2:26 And 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.
2:27 So 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.
2:28 Then 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.
2:29 And 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.
2:30 And 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.
2:31 And 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.
2:32 And 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.
2:33 Their 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.
2:34 So 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.
2:35 And 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.
2:36 And 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.
2:37 For 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.
2:38 And 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.
2:39 And 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.
2:40 And 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.
2:41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and
was come again.
2:42 And 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.
2:43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment
that I have charged thee with?
2:44 The 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;
2:45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be
established before the LORD for ever.
2:46 So 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.
