1 Kings 2

Davids Instructions to Solomon

1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:2 I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;4 that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, He said, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.5 Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet.6 Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave 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 And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious 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, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.

Death of David

10 So David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David.11 The period that David reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.12 Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

Solomon Executes Adonijah

13 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. So she said, Do you come peaceably?14 Moreover he said, I have something to say to you. And she said, Say it.15 Then he said, You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their expectations on me, that I should reign. However, the kingdom has been turned over, and has become my brothers; for it was his from the Lord.16 Now I ask one petition of you; do not deny me. And she said to him, Say it.17 Then he said, Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.18 So Bathsheba said, Very well, I will speak for you to the king.19 Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the kings mother; so she sat at his right hand.20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of you; do not refuse me. And the king said to her, Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.21 So she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.22 And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, Now why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom alsofor he is my older brotherfor him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, May 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 confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has established a house for me, as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today!25 So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he struck him down, and he died.

Abiathar Exiled, Joab Executed

26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.27 So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.28 Then news came to Joab, for Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom. So Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and took hold of the horns of the altar.29 And King Solomon was told, Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the Lord; there he is, by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, strike him down.30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him, Thus says the king, Come out! And he said, No, but I will die here. And Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.31 Then the king said to him, Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed.32 So the Lord will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judahthough my father David did not know it. 33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord.34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck 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.

Shimei Executed

36 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere.37 For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.38 And Shimei said to the king, The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do. So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.39 Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish the son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Look, your slaves are in Gath!40 So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath.41 And Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back.42 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and warn you, saying, Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die? And you said to me, The word I have heard is good.43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the commandment that I gave you?44 The king said moreover to Shimei, You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the Lord will return your wickedness on your own head.45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

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