1Kings 2

David’s Final Instructions to Solomon

2As the time of King David's death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon.H3117H1732H7126H4191H6680H8010H1121H5592"I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man.H1980H1870H776H2388H3763Observe the requirements of the LORD your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.H8104H4931H3068H430H3212H1870H8104H2708H4687H4941H5715H3789H8451H4872H7919H6213H64374If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, 'If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.'H3068H6965H1697H1696H559H1121H8104H1870H3212H6440H571H3824H5315H3772H559H376H3678H34785"And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace

, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood.H3045H3097H1121H6870H6213H6213H8147H8269H6635H3478H74H1121H5369H6021H1121H3500H2026H7760H1818H4421H7965H5414H1818H4421H2290H4975H5275H72726Do with him what you think best, but don't let him grow old and go to his grave in peace

.H6213H2451H7872H3381H7585H79657"Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table, for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom.H6213H2617H1121H1271H1569H398H7979H7126H1272H6440H53H2518"And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the LORD that I would not kill him.H8096H1121H1617H1145H980H7043H4834H7045H3117H3212H4266H3381H7125H3383H7650H3068H559H4191H27199But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him

."H5352H2450H376H3045H6213H7872H3381H7585H181810Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.H1732H7901H1H6912H5892H173211David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.H3117H1732H4427H3478H705H8141H7651H8141H4427H2275H7970H7969H8141H4427H338912Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.H3427H8010H3678H1732H1H4438H3559H3966

Solomon Establishes His Rule

13One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. "Have you come with peaceful intentions?" she asked him."Yes," he said, "I come in peace.H138H1121H2294H935H1339H517H8010H559H935H7965H559H796514In fact, I have a favor to ask of you." "What is it?" she asked.H559H1697H559H169615He replied, "As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the LORD wanted it.H559H3045H4410H3478H7760H6440H4427H4410H5437H251H306816So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don't turn me down." "What is it?" she asked.H7592H259H7596H7725H6440H559H169617He replied, "Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem."H559H559H8010H4428H7725H6440H7725H5414H49H7767H80218"All right," Bathsheba replied. "I will speak to the king for you."H1339H559H2896H1696H442819So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah's behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.H1339H935H4428H8010H1696H138H4428H6965H7125H7812H3427H3678H3678H7760H4428H517H3427H322520"I have one small request to make of you," she said. "I hope you won't turn me down." "What is it, my mother?" he asked. "You know I won't refuse you."H559H7592H259H6996H7596H7725H6440H7725H4428H559H7592H517H7725H6440H772521"Then let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem," she replied.H559H49H7767H5414H138H251H80222"How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?" King Solomon demanded. "You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side."H4428H8010H6030H559H517H7592H49H7767H138H7592H4410H1419H251H54H3548H3097H1121H687023Then King Solomon made a vow before the LORD: "May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request.H4428H8010H7650H3068H559H430H6213H3254H138H1696H1697H531524The LORD has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the LORD lives, Adonijah will die this very day!"H3068H2416H3559H3427H3678H1732H1H6213H1004H1696H138H4191H311725So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death.H4428H8010H7971H3027H1141H1121H3077H6293H419126Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign LORD for David my father and you shared all his hardships."H54H3548H559H4428H3212H6068H7704H376H4194H3117H4191H5375H727H136H3069H6440H1732H1H6031H1H603127So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the LORD, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the LORD had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli.H8010H1644H54H3548H3068H4390H1697H3068H1696H1004H5941H788728Joab had not joined Absalom's earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah's rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah's death, he ran to the sacred tent of the LORD and grabbed onto the horns of the altar.H8052H935H3097H3097H5186H310H138H5186H310H53H3097H5127H168H3068H2388H7161H419629When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him.H5046H4428H8010H3097H5127H168H3068H681H4196H8010H7971H1141H1121H3077H559H3212H629330Benaiah went to the sacred tent of the LORD and said to Joab, "The king orders you to come out!" But Joab answered, "No, I will die here." So Benaiah returned to the king and told him what Joab had said.H1141H935H168H3068H559H559H4428H3318H559H4191H1141H7725H4428H1697H7725H559H1696H3097H603031"Do as he said," the king replied. "Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab's senseless murders from me and from my father's family.H4428H559H6213H1696H6293H6912H5493H2600H1818H3097H8210H1004H132The LORD will repay him

for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.H3068H7725H1818H7218H6293H8147H582H6662H2896H2026H2719H1H1732H3045H74H1121H5369H8269H6635H3478H6021H1121H3500H8269H6635H306333May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the LORD grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne."H1818H7725H7218H3097H7218H2233H5769H1732H2233H1004H3678H7965H5704H5769H306834So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness.H1141H1121H3077H5927H6293H4191H6912H1004H405735Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.H4428H5414H1141H1121H3077H6635H6659H3548H4428H5414H5436The king then sent for Shimei and told him, "Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don't step outside the city to go anywhere else.H4428H7971H7121H8096H559H1129H1004H3389H3427H3318H57537On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head."H3117H3318H5674H5158H6939H3045H3045H4191H4191H1818H721838Shimei replied, "Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.H8096H559H4428H1697H2896H113H4428H1696H5650H6213H8096H3427H3389H7227H311739But three years later two of Shimei's slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were,H7093H7969H8141H8147H5650H8096H1272H397H1121H4601H4428H1661H5046H8096H559H5650H166140he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem.H8096H6965H2280H2543H3212H1661H397H1245H5650H8096H3212H935H5650H166141Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned.H5046H8010H8096H1980H3389H1661H772542So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, "Didn't I make you swear by the LORD and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, 'The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.'H4428H7971H7121H8096H559H7650H3068H5749H559H3045H3045H3117H3318H1980H575H4191H4191H559H1697H8085H289643Then why haven't you kept your oath to the LORD and obeyed my command?"H8104H7621H3068H4687H668044The king also said to Shimei, "You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the LORD now bring that evil on your own head.H4428H559H8096H3045H7451H3824H3045H6213H1732H1H3068H7725H7451H721845But may I, King Solomon, receive the LORD's blessings, and may one of David's descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the LORD."H4428H8010H1288H3678H1732H3559H6440H3068H5704H576946Then, at the king's command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him. So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon's grip.H4428H6680H1141H1121H3077H3318H6293H4191H4467H3559H3027H8010