1 Kings 2

1 Now the days of Dawid drew near that he should die; and he charged Solomon (Shelomoh) his son, saying:

2 “I go the way of all the earth; be you strong therefore, and shew yourself a man;

3 And keep the charge of יהוה your God (Elohim), to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as 28cit is written in the 28Torah by Moses, that you mayest prosper in all that you doest, and whithersoever you turnest yourself;

4 That יהוה may continue His word which He spake concerning me, saying, ‘If your children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you’ (said He) ‘a man on the throne of Yisrael.’

5 Moreover you knowest also what Yoav the son of Tseruyah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Yisrael, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Yether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

6 Do therefore according to your wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Giladite, and let them be of those that eat at your table; for so they came to me when I fled because of Avshalom your brother.

8 And, behold, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamin (Binyamin) of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at Jordan (Yarden), and I sware to him by יהוה, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’

9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for you are a wise man, and knowest what you oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring you down to the grave with blood.”

10 So Dawid slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of Dawid.

11 And the days that Dawid reigned over Yisrael were forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim).

12 Then sat Solomon (Shelomoh) upon the throne of Dawid his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

13 And Adoniyah the son of Haggith came to Bat-Sheva the mother of Solomon (Shelomoh). And she said, “Comest you peaceably?” And he said, “Peaceably.”

14 He said moreover, “I have somewhat to say unto you.” And she said, “Say on.”

15 And he said, “You knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Yisrael set their faces on me, that I should reign; howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s; for it was his from יהוה.

16 And now I ask one petition of you, deny me not.” And she said unto him, “Say on.”

17 And he said, “Please speak unto Solomon (Shelomoh) the king, (for he will not say you nay,) that he gives me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.”

18 And Bat-Sheva said, “Well, I will speak for you unto the king.”

19 Bat-Sheva therefore went unto King Solomon (Shelomoh), to speak unto him for Adoniyah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 Then she said, “I desire one small petition of you; please do not refuse me.” And the king said unto her, “Ask on, my mother; for I will not refuse you.”

21 And she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adoniyah your brother as wife.”

22 And King Solomon (Shelomoh) answered and said unto his mother, “And why dost you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adoniyah? Ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Aviyahthar the priest (kohen), and for Yoav the son of Tseruyah.”

23 Then King Solomon (Shelomoh) sware by יהוה, saying, “May God (Elohim) do so to me, and more also, if Adoniyah have not spoken this word against his own life!

24 Now therefore, as יהוה liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of Dawid my father, and who hath made me a house, as he promised, Adoniyah shall be put to death this day!”

25 And King Solomon (Shelomoh) sent by the hand of Benayah the son of Yehoyada; and he fell upon him that he died.

26 And unto Aviyahthar the priest (kohen) said the king, “Get you to Anathoth, unto your own fields; for you are worthy of death; but I will not at this time put you to death, because you barest the ark of Lord (Adonai) יהוה before Dawid my father, and because you have been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.”

27 So Solomon (Shelomoh) thrust out Aviyahthar from being priest (kohen) unto יהוה; that he might fulfil the word of יהוה, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 Then tidings came to Yoav; for Yoav had turned after Adoniyah, though he turned not after Avshalom. And Yoav fled unto the tabernacle of יהוה, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

29 And it was told King Solomon (Shelomoh) that Yoav was fled unto the tabernacle of יהוה; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon (Shelomoh) sent Benayah the son of Yehoyada, saying, “Go, fall upon him.”

30 And Benayah came to the tabernacle of יהוה, and said unto him, “Thus saith the king, ‘Come forth.’” And he said, “Nay; but I will die here.” And Benayah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Yoav, and thus he answered me.”

31 And the king said unto him, “Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that you mayest take away the innocent blood, which Yoav shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

32 And יהוה shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword–Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Yisrael, and Amasa the son of Yether, captain of the army of Judah (Yehudah); without my father Dawid knowing it.

33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Yoav, and upon the head of his seed forever; but upon Dawid, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace forever from יהוה.”

34 So Benayah the son of Yehoyada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35 And the king put Benayah the son of Yehoyada in his room over the army: and Zadok the priest (kohen) did the king put in the room of Aviyahthar.

36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, “Build you a house in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim), and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.

37 For it shall be, that on the day you goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, you shalt know for certain that you shalt surely die; your blood shall be upon your own head.”

38 And Shimei said unto the king, “The saying is good; as my lord (adoni) the king hath said, so will your servant do.” And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) many days.

39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your servants be in Gath!”

40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants; and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

41 And it was told Solomon (Shelomoh) that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) to Gath, and was come again.

42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, “Did I not make you to swear by יהוה, and protested unto you, saying, ‘Know for a certain, on the day you goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that you shalt surely die?’ And you saidst unto me, ‘The word that I have heard is good.’

43 Why then have you not kept the oath of יהוה, and the commandment that I have charged you with?”

44 The king said moreover to Shimei, “You knowest all the wickedness which your heart is privy to, that you didst to Dawid my father; therefore יהוה shall return your wickedness upon your own head.

45 And King Solomon (Shelomoh) shall be blessed, and the throne of Dawid shall be established before יהוה forever.”

46 So the king commanded Benayah the son of Yehoyada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon (Shelomoh).