1 Kings 2:23-46

23Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do so to me and more so, if Adonijah has 1not spoken this word against his own 2life! 24Now then, as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and 3has made me a house just as He 4promised, Adonijah certainly shall be put to death today!” 25Then King Solomon 5sent the order by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he 6struck him so that he died.

26Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “7Go to Anathoth to your own field, 8for you 9deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this 10time, because 11you carried the ark of the Lord 12God before my father David, and because 13you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” 27So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, to fulfill 14the word of the Lord, which He had spoken regarding the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28Now the news came to Joab 15because Joab had followed Adonijah, 16though he had not followed Absalom. So Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and 17took hold of the horns of the altar. 29And it was reported to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord, and 18was beside the altar. Then Solomon 19sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “20Go, 21execute him.” 30So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “This is what the king has said: ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” So Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, “This is what Joab spoke, and so he answered me.” 31And the king said to him, “22Do just as he has spoken, and 23execute him and bury him, 24so that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without 25justification. 3226The Lord will return his blood on his own head, 27because he 28struck two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know about it: 29Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and 30Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 3331So their blood shall return on the head of Joab and on the head of his 32descendants forever; but for David and his 33descendants, and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the Lord forever.” 34Then 34Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and 35struck him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house 36in the wilderness. 35And 37the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed 38Zadok the priest 39in place of Abiathar.

36Now the king sent men and summoned 40Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not leave there for any other place. 37For on the day you leave and 41cross the 42brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you will assuredly die; 43your blood will be 44on your own head.” 38Shimei then said to the king, “The word is good. Just as my lord the king has spoken, so your servant shall do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for many days.

39But it came about at the end of three years, that two of Shimei’s servants ran away 45to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And others told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your servants are in Gath.” 40Then Shimei got up and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to search for his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 41And it was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. 42So the king sent men and summoned Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall assuredly die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’ 43Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the command which I 46imposed on you?” 44The king also said to Shimei, “47You yourself know all the evil that 48you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore 49the Lord will return your evil on your own head. 45But King Solomon will be blessed, and 50the throne of David will be established before the Lord forever.” 4651So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and 52struck him so that he died.

53And the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.