Chapter 2

Now the days of David drew nigh⁴ that he should die;² and he charged¹⁷ Solomon his son, saying,²

I go⁶ the way of all the earth: be thou strong¹ therefore, and shew thyself a man;

And keep¹ the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk² in his ways, to keep² his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written⁷ in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper⁵⁵ in all that thou doest,⁴ and whithersoever thou turnest⁴ thyself:

That the LORD may continue⁵⁵ his word which he spake¹⁴ concerning me, saying,² If thy children take heed⁴ to their way, to walk² before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail¹¹ thee (said² he) a man on the throne of Israel.

Moreover thou knowest¹ also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did¹ to me, [and] what he did¹ 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,⁴ and shed⁴ the blood of war in peace, and put⁴ the blood of war upon his girdle that [was] about his loins, and in his shoes that [were] on his feet.

Do¹ therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down⁵⁵ to the grave in peace.

But shew⁴ kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat⁶ at thy table: for so they came¹ to me when I fled² because of Absalom thy brother.

And, behold, [thou hast] with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed¹⁴ me with a grievous¹² curse in the day when I went² to Mahanaim: but he came down¹ to meet² me at Jordan, and I sware¹¹ to him by the LORD, saying,² I will not put thee to death⁵⁵ with the sword.

Now therefore hold him not guiltless:¹⁷ for thou [art] a wise man, and knowest¹ what thou oughtest to do⁴ unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down⁵² to the grave with blood.

So David slept⁴ with his fathers, and was buried¹¹ in the city of David.

And the days that David reigned¹ over Israel [were] forty years: seven years reigned¹ he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned¹ he in Jerusalem.

Then sat¹ Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established¹¹ greatly.

And Adonijah the son of Haggith came⁴ to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said,⁴ Comest² thou peaceably? And he said,⁴ Peaceably.

He said⁴ moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said,⁴ Say on.¹⁶

And he said,⁴ Thou knowest¹ that the kingdom was mine, and [that] all Israel set¹ their faces on me, that I should reign:² howbeit the kingdom is turned about,¹¹ and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.

And now I ask⁶ one petition of thee, deny⁵⁵ me not. And she said⁴ unto him, Say on.¹⁶

And he said,⁴ Speak,³ I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,)⁵⁵ that he give⁴ me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

And Bathsheba said,⁴ Well; I will speak¹⁷ for thee unto the king.

Bathsheba therefore went⁴ unto king Solomon, to speak¹⁵ unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up⁴ to meet² her, and bowed¹⁰¹ himself unto her, and sat down⁴ on his throne, and caused a seat to be set⁴ for the king's mother; and she sat⁴ on his right hand.

Then she said,⁴ I desire⁶ one small petition of thee; [I pray thee], say me not nay.⁵⁵ And the king said⁴ unto her, Ask on,³ my mother: for I will not say thee nay.⁵⁵

And she said,⁴ Let Abishag the Shunammite be given⁹³ to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

And king Solomon answered⁴ and said⁴ unto his mother, And why dost thou ask⁶ Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask³ 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.

Then king Solomon sware¹¹ by the LORD, saying,² God do⁴ so to me, and more⁵⁵ also, if Adonijah have not spoken¹⁴ this word against his own life.

Now therefore, [as] the LORD liveth, which hath established⁵² me, and set⁵⁵ me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made¹ me an house, as he promised,¹⁴ Adonijah shall be put to death⁹³ this day.

And king Solomon sent⁴ by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell⁴ upon him that he died.⁴

And unto Abiathar the priest said¹ the king, Get³ thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou [art] worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death,⁵⁵ because thou barest¹ the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted⁹⁸ in all wherein my father was afflicted.⁹⁸

So Solomon thrust out¹⁷ Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil¹⁵ the word of the LORD, which he spake¹⁴ concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

Then tidings came¹ to Joab: for Joab had turned¹ after Adonijah, though he turned¹ not after Absalom. And Joab fled⁴ unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold⁵⁵ on the horns of the altar.

And it was told⁹³ king Solomon that Joab was fled¹ unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, [he is] by the altar. Then Solomon sent⁴ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying,² Go,³ fall³ upon him.

And Benaiah came⁴ to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said⁴ unto him, Thus saith¹ the king, Come forth.³ And he said,⁴ Nay; but I will die⁴ here. And Benaiah brought the king word again,⁵⁵ saying,² Thus said¹⁴ Joab, and thus he answered¹ me.

And the king said⁴ unto him, Do³ as he hath said,¹⁴ and fall³ upon him, and bury¹ him; that thou mayest take away⁵² the innocent blood, which Joab shed,¹ from me, and from the house of my father.

And the LORD shall return⁵² his blood upon his own head, who fell upon¹ two men more righteous and better than he, and slew⁴ them with the sword, my father David not knowing¹ [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.

Their blood shall therefore return¹ 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.

So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up,⁴ and fell⁴ upon him, and slew⁵⁵ him: and he was buried¹¹ in his own house in the wilderness.

And the king put⁴ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put¹ in the room of Abiathar.

And the king sent⁴ and called⁴ for Shimei, and said⁴ unto him, Build³ thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell¹ there, and go not forth⁴ thence any whither.

For it shall be, [that] on the day thou goest out,² and passest over¹ the brook Kidron, thou shalt know⁴ for certain² that thou shalt surely² die:⁴ thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

And Shimei said⁴ unto the king, The saying [is] good: as my lord the king hath said,¹⁴ so will thy servant do.⁴ And Shimei dwelt⁴ in Jerusalem many days.

And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away⁴ unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told⁵⁵ Shimei, saying,² Behold, thy servants [be] in Gath.

And Shimei arose,⁴ and saddled⁴ his ass, and went⁴ to Gath to Achish to seek¹⁵ his servants: and Shimei went,⁴ and brought⁵⁵ his servants from Gath.

And it was told⁹³ Solomon that Shimei had gone¹ from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.⁴

And the king sent⁴ and called⁴ for Shimei, and said⁴ unto him, Did I not make thee to swear⁵² by the LORD, and protested⁵⁵ unto thee, saying,² Know⁴ for a certain,² on the day thou goest out,² and walkest¹ abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely² die?⁴ and thou saidst⁴ unto me, The word [that] I have heard¹ [is] good.

Why then hast thou not kept¹ the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged¹⁴ thee with?

The king said⁴ moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest¹ all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to,¹ that thou didst¹ to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return⁵² thy wickedness upon thine own head;

And king Solomon [shall be] blessed,⁷ and the throne of David shall be established¹² before the LORD for ever.

So the king commanded¹⁷ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out,⁴ and fell⁴ upon him, that he died.⁴ And the kingdom was established⁸ in the hand of Solomon.