“1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged
Solomon his son, saying, 2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong
therefore, and shew thyself a man; 3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy
God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments,
and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of
Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and
whithersoever thou turnest thyself: 4 That the LORD may continue his
word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy 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 thee (said he) a man on the throne of
Israel. 5 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to
me, [and] what he did 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,
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 thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head
go down to the grave in peace. 7 But shew kindness unto the sons of
Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table:
for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. 8
And, behold, [thou hast] with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite
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, and I sware to him
by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. 9 Now
therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou [art] a wise man, and knowest
what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to
the grave with blood. 10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried
in the city of David. 11 And the days that David reigned over Israel
[were] forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and
three years reigned he in Jerusalem.”
“12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his
kingdom was established greatly. 13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came
to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably?
And he said, Peaceably. 14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto
thee. And she said, Say on. 15 And he said, Thou knowest that the
kingdom was mine, and [that] all Israel 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 the LORD. 16 And now I ask one petition
of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. 17 And he said,
Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee
nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. 18 And Bathsheba
said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. 19 Bathsheba therefore
went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. 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
thee; [I pray thee], say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on,
my mother: for I will not say thee nay. 21 And she said, Let Abishag the
Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. 22 And king Solomon
answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the
Shunammite for Adonijah? ask 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. 23 Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God
do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word
against his own life. 24 Now therefore, [as] the LORD liveth, which hath
established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who
hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death
this day. 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.”
“26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth,
unto thine own fields; for thou [art] worthy of death: but I will not at
this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD
before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all
wherein my father was afflicted. 27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from
being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD,
which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. 28 Then tidings
came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not
after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught
hold on the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told king Solomon that
Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, [he is] by
the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go,
fall upon him. 30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and
said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I
will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus
said Joab, 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 thou mayest take
away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of
my father. 32 And the LORD 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, my father David not knowing [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. 33 Their blood shall therefore return 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. 34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada
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 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the
host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar. 36
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee
an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any
whither. 37 For it shall be, [that] on the day thou goest out, and
passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou
shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. 38 And Shimei
said unto the king, The saying [is] good: as my lord the king hath said,
so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem 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, thy 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 that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.
42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not
make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know
for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any
whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word
[that] I have heard [is] good. 43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath
of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 44 The
king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which
thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore
the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; 45 And king
Solomon [shall be] blessed, and the throne of David shall be established
before the LORD for ever. 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the
kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.” (1 Kings 2:1-46 AV)
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