1 Kings 2

David’s Advice to Solomon—1 Chronicles 29:26–30

1 When David was about to die, he instructed his son Solomon,2 “I’m about to leave this world. Be strong and mature.3 Fulfill your duty to the Lord your God. Obey his directions, laws, commands, rules, and written instructions as they are recorded in Moses’ Teachings. Then you’ll succeed in everything you do wherever you may go.

4 You’ll succeed because the Lord will keep the promise he made to me: ‘If your descendants are faithful to me with all their hearts and lives, you will never fail to have an heir on the throne of Israel.’
5 “You know what Joab (Zeruiah’s son) did to me and to the two commanders of Israel’s army—Abner, son of Ner, and Amasa, son of Jether. Joab killed them. When there was peace, he shed blood as if it were wartime. With their blood he stained the belt around his waist and the shoes on his feet.

6 Use your wisdom. Don’t let that gray-haired, old man go to his grave peacefully.
7 “Be kind to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead. Let them eat at your table. They helped me when I was fleeing from your brother Absalom.8 “Shimei, son of Gera from Bahurim in Benjamin, is still with you. He cursed me repeatedly when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came to meet me at the Jordan River, I took an oath by the Lord and said, ‘As long as I’m king, I won’t have you killed.’

9 Now, don’t let him go unpunished. You are wise and know what to do to him: Put that gray-haired, old man into his grave by slaughtering him.”
10 David lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.

11 He ruled as king of Israel for 40 years. He ruled for 7 years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem.

Solomon Establishes His Authority

12 Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his power was firmly established.13 Then Adonijah, son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Is this a friendly visit?” she asked.“Yes,” he answered.

14 Then he added, “I have a matter to discuss with you.”
“What is it?” she asked.15 He said, “You know the kingship was mine. All Israel expected me to be their king. But the kingship has been turned over to my brother because the Lord gave it to him.

16 Now I want to ask you for one thing. Don’t refuse me.”
“What is it?” she asked.17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon to give me Abishag from Shunem as my wife. He will not refuse you.”18 “Very well,” Bathsheba answered. “I will talk to the king for you.”19 Bathsheba went to King Solomon to talk to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to meet her and bowed down in front of her. Then he sat on his throne. He had a throne brought for his mother, and she sat at his right side.20 “I’m asking you for one little thing,” she said. “Don’t refuse me.”“Ask, Mother,” the king told her. “I won’t refuse you.”21 She replied, “Let Abishag from Shunem be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”22 King Solomon then said, “Why do you ask that Abishag from Shunem be given to Adonijah? That would be the same as giving him the kingship. After all, he is my older brother. The priest Abiathar and Joab (Zeruiah’s son) are supporting him.”23 King Solomon took an oath by the Lord and said, “May God strike me dead if Adonijah doesn’t pay with his life for this request!24 The Lord set me on my father David’s throne and gave me a dynasty as he promised. So I solemnly swear, as the Lord who has established me lives, that Adonijah will be put to death today.”

25 King Solomon gave this task to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada. Benaiah attacked and killed Adonijah.
26 The king told the priest Abiathar, “Go to your land in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I won’t kill you at this time because you carried the ark of the Almighty Lord ahead of my father David and because you shared all my father’s sufferings.”

27 So Solomon removed Abiathar as the Lord’s priest and fulfilled the Lord’s word spoken at Shiloh about Eli’s family.
28 The news reached Joab. (He had supported Adonijah, although he hadn’t supported Absalom.) So Joab fled to the Lord’s tent and clung to the horns of the altar.

29 After King Solomon heard that Joab had fled to the altar in the tent of the Lord, Solomon sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, to kill Joab.
30 When Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord, he told Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out.’ ”“No,” Joab answered, “I’ll die here.”So Benaiah reported to the king what Joab had said and how he had answered.31 The king answered, “Do as he said. Kill him, and bury him. You can remove the innocent blood—the blood which Joab shed—from me and my father’s family.32 The Lord will repay him for the slaughter he caused. Joab killed two honorable men who were better than he was. He used his sword to kill Abner (who was the son of Ner and the commander of Israel’s army) and Amasa (who was the son of Jether and the commander of Judah’s army). Joab did this without my father’s knowledge.

33 The responsibility for their blood will fall on Joab and his descendants forever. But may David, his descendants, family, and throne always receive peace from the Lord.”
34 Then Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, went and attacked Joab, killed him, and buried him at his home in the desert.

35 The king then appointed Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, to replace Joab as commander of the army. King Solomon also replaced Abiathar with the priest Zadok.
36 The king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem, and stay there. Don’t leave the city to go anywhere else.

37 But the day you leave and cross the brook in the Kidron Valley, you can be certain that you will die. You will be responsible for your own death.”
38 “Very well,” Shimei answered. “I’ll do just what Your Majesty said.”So Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.39 But after three years, two of Shimei’s slaves fled to Gath’s King Achish, son of Maacah. Shimei was told that his slaves were in Gath,

40 so he saddled his donkey and went to Achish in Gath to search for his slaves. Shimei went to Gath and got his slaves.
41 After Solomon heard that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and back,42 he summoned Shimei. Solomon asked him, “Didn’t I make you take an oath by the Lord? Didn’t I warn you that if you left the city to go anywhere, you could be certain that you would die? Didn’t you say to me, ‘Very well. I’ll do just what you said’?43 Why didn’t you keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?44 Shimei, you know in your heart all the evil that you did to my father David. The Lord is going to pay you back for the evil you have done.

45 But King Solomon is blessed, and David’s dynasty will always be firmly established by the Lord.”
46 Then the king gave orders to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada. He went to attack and kill Shimei.Solomon’s power as king was now firmly established.

1 Kings 2

David’s Final Words to Solomon

1 When David was close to death,t he toldt Solomon his son:2 “I am about to die.t Be strong and become a man!3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned yout by following his instructionst and obeyingt his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish,t

4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me,t ‘If your descendants watch their stept and live faithfully in my presencet with all their heart and being,t then,’ he promised,t ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’t
5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether.t During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle;t when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet.t

6 Do to him what you think is appropriate,t but don’t let him live long and die a peaceful death.t

7 “Treat fairlyt the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs,t because they helped met when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.
8 “Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim,t who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim.t He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promisedt him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you downt with the sword.’

9 But nows don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him;t make sure he has a bloody death.”t
10 Then David passed awayt and was buried in the city of David.s

11 David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalems thirty-three years.

Solomon Secures the Throne

12 Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his royal authorityt was firmly solidified.
13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.”t14 He added,t “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.”15 He said, “You know that the kingdomt was mine and all Israel considered me king.t But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his.t16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.”t She said, “Go ahead and ask.”t17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.”t

18 Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine,t I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”
19 So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greett her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother,t and she sat at his right hand.20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor.t Please don’t refuse me.”t He said,t “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.”21 She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”

22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him?t Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
23 King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely,t if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life!t24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynastyt for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!”

25 King Solomon then sentt Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah.t
26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your propertyt in Anathoth. You deserve to die,t but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.”t

27 Solomon dismissed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord,t fulfilling the decree of judgment the Lord made in Shiloh against the family of Eli.t
28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supportedt Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), het ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.s29 When King Solomon heardt that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada,t “Go, strike him down.”30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply.t31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s familyt the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds.t32 May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed;t behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than het – Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family,t and his dynasty.”t34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab;t he was buried at his home in the wilderness.

35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head oft the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place.s
36 Next the king summonedt Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalems and live there – but you may not leave there to go anywhere!t37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death.”t

38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable.t Your servant will do as you say.”t So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.t
39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.”40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath.41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned,42 the king summonedt Shimei and said to him, “You will recallt that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere,t know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’t43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?”t44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David.t The Lord will punish you for what you did.t45 But King Solomon will be empoweredt and David’s dynastyt will endure permanently before the Lord.”

46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei.t
So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom.t