1 Kings 2

David’s Charge to Solomon

1As David’s 12time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2“3I am going the way of all the earth. 4Be strong, therefore, and 5show yourself a man. 3Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, 6according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that 7you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4so that 8the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘9If your sons are careful of their way, 10to walk before Me in 11truth with all their heart and with all their soul, 1213you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

5“Now you also know what Joab the 14son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to 15Abner the son of Ner, and to 16Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also 17shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt 18about his waist, and on his sandals 19on his feet. 620So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to 21Sheol in peace. 7But 22show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and 23let them be among those who eat at your table; 24for they 25assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8Behold, 26there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a 27violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when 28he came down to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished, 29for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to 30Sheol with blood.”

Death of David

10Then 31David slept with his fathers and was buried in 32the city of David. 1133The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: 34seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. 12And 35Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

13Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “36Do you come peacefully?” And he said, “Peacefully.” 14Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” 15So he said, “You know that 37the kingdom was mine and 38that all Israel 39expected me to be king; 40however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, 41for it was his from the Lord. 16Now I am making one request of you; do not 42refuse me.” And she said to him, “Speak.” 17Then he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not 43refuse you, that he may give me 44Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” 18Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”

Adonijah Executed

19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he 45had a throne set for the king’s mother, and 46she sat on his right. 20Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; 47do not 48refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not 49refuse you.” 21So she said, “50Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.” 22King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? 51Ask for him also the kingdom--52for he is my older brother--even for him, for 53Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!” 23Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has 54not spoken this word against his own 55life. 24Now therefore, as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and 56who has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25So King Solomon 57sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.

26Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “58Go to Anathoth to your own field, 59for you 60deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because 61you carried the ark of the Lord 62God before my father David, and because 63you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” 27So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, in order to fulfill 64the word of the Lord, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

Joab Executed

28Now the news came to Joab, 65for Joab had followed Adonijah, 66although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and 67took hold of the horns of the altar. 29It was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon 68sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “69Go, fall upon him.” 30So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “Thus the king has said, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me.” 31The king said to him, “70Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, 71that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause. 3272The Lord will return his blood on his own head, 73because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: 74Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and 75Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 3376So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his 77descendants forever; but to David and his 78descendants and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the Lord forever.” 34Then 79Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house 80in the wilderness. 3581The king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed 82Zadok the priest 83in the place of Abiathar.

Shimei Executed

36Now the king sent and called for 84Shimei and said to him, “Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any place. 37For on the day you go out and 85cross over the 86brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you shall surely die; 87your blood shall be on your own head.” 38Shimei then said to the king, “The word is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

39But it came about at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away 88to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your servants are in Gath.” 40Then Shimei arose and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to look for his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 41It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. 42So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’ 43Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the command which I 89have laid on you?” 44The king also said to Shimei, “90You know all the evil which 91you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore 92the Lord shall return your evil on your own head. 45But King Solomon shall be blessed, and 93the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” 4694So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him so that he died.

95Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.