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The Death of David(A)

·Since it was almost time [As the time approached] for David to die, he gave ·his son Solomon his last commands [this charge to Solomon]. David said, “·My time to die is near [L I am going the way of all the earth]. Be ·a good and strong leader [L strong and show yourself a man]. ·Obey [Observe the injunctions/requirements of] the Lord your God. ·Follow him [Walk in his ways] by obeying his demands, his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements], his laws, and his ·rules [regulations] that are written in the ·teachings [Law; L Torah] of Moses. If you do these things, you will ·be successful [prosper] in all you do and wherever you ·go [turn]. And if you obey the Lord, he will ·keep the promise he made to [fulfill the word he spoke concerning] me. He said: ‘If your descendants ·live as I tell them [L are careful of their way] and ·have complete faith in me [L walk in truth/faith before me], ·a man from your family will always be king over the people [L they will never fail to have a man on the throne] of Israel.’

“Also, you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the two commanders of Israel’s armies: Abner son of Ner [2 Sam. 3:22–39] and Amasa son of Jether [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. ·He did this as if he and they were at war, although it was a time of peace [or…retaliating in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war]. He ·put their blood on [stained with their blood] the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. ·Punish him in [L Act] the way you think is wisest, but do not let him ·die peacefully of old age [go to Sheol/the grave in peace; C the place of the dead].

“·Be kind [Show love] to the children of Barzillai of Gilead, and allow them to eat at your table. They ·welcomed [cared for; stood by] me when I ·ran away [fled] from your brother Absalom.

“And remember, Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, is here with you. He cursed ·me [L me violently/with a terrible curse] the day I went to Mahanaim [2 Sam. 16:5–19]. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I ·promised [vowed/swore to] him before the Lord, ‘Shimei, I will not ·kill you [L put you to death by the sword; 2 Sam 19:16–23].’ But you should not ·leave him unpunished [consider him innocent/guiltless]. You are a wise man, and you will know what to do to him, ·but you must be sure he is killed [L and will bring his bloody gray head to Sheol/the grave; 2:6].”

10 Then David ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. 11 He had ·ruled [reigned] over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

12 Solomon ·became king after [L sat on the throne of] David, his father, and ·he was in firm control of [firmly established] his ·kingdom [rule].

Solomon’s Reign Begins

13 At this time Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Do you come in peace?” Bathsheba asked.

“Yes, ·this is a peaceful visit [L in peace],” Adonijah answered. 14 “I have something to say to you.”

“You may speak,” she said.

15 “You ·remember [know] that at one time the kingdom was mine,” Adonijah said. “All the people of Israel ·recognized [wanted; looked to; expected] me as their king, but ·things have changed [L the kingdom has turned]. Now my brother is the king, because ·the Lord chose him [L it was his from the Lord]. 16 Now I have one ·thing [request; favor] to ask you; please do not refuse me.”

Bathsheba answered, “What do you want?”

17 “I know King Solomon will ·do anything you ask him [not refuse you],” Adonijah continued. “Please ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite [1 Kin. 1:3–4] to be my wife.”

18 “Very well,” she answered. “I will speak to the king for you.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. When Solomon saw her, he stood up to meet her, then bowed down, and sat on the throne. He told some servants to bring another throne for his mother. Then she sat down at his right ·side [hand].

20 Bathsheba said, “I have one small thing to ask you. Please do not ·refuse me [turn me down].”

“Ask, mother,” the king answered. “I will not ·refuse you [turn you down].”

21 So she said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to ·marry [be given to] your brother Adonijah.”

22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask me to give him Abishag? ·Why don’t you also [You may as well] ask for him to become the king since he is my older brother? Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah ·would support him [are on his side]!”

23 Then King Solomon ·swore [vowed; promised] by the name of the Lord, saying, “May God ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; L do to me, and even more] if ·this doesn’t cost Adonijah [Adonijah doesn’t pay for this request/word with] his life! 24 By the Lord who has ·given me [established/confirmed me on] the throne that belonged to my father David and who has kept his promise and ·given the kingdom to me and my people [established my dynasty; L made me a house; 2 Sam. 7], Adonijah will die today!” 25 Then King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went and ·killed [struck down] Adonijah.

26 King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “·I should kill you too [You deserve to die], but ·I will allow you to go back [go] to your fields in Anathoth. I will not kill you at this time, because you helped carry the Ark of the Lord God ·while marching with [for; before] my father David. And I know you shared in all the hard times with him.” 27 Then Solomon ·removed [dismissed; banished] Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest. ·This happened as the Lord had said it would […in order to fulfill the word of the Lord], when he was speaking in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his ·descendants [L house; 1 Sam. 2:34–36].

28 When Joab heard about what had happened, he was afraid. He had supported Adonijah but not Absalom. So Joab ·ran [fled] to the Tent of the Lord [C in which the Ark was kept] and took hold of the ·corners [horns; 1:50] of the altar. 29 Someone told King Solomon that Joab had run to the Tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah to go and kill him.

30 Benaiah went into the Tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’”

But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.”

So Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said. 31 Then the king ordered Benaiah, “Do as he says! Kill him there and bury him. Then my ·family [L father’s house] and I will ·be free of the guilt of Joab, who has killed innocent people [L have taken away the blood Joab shed without cause]. 32 Without my father knowing it, he killed two men who were ·much [more righteous and] better than he was—Abner son of Ner, the commander of Israel’s army [2 Sam. 3:22–39], and Amasa son of Jether, the commander of Judah’s army [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. So the Lord will ·pay him back [L bring his blood on his own head] for those deaths. 33 Joab and his ·family [descendants] will ·be forever guilty for their deaths [L have their blood on their heads forever], but there will be peace from the Lord for David, his descendants, his ·family [L house], and his throne forever.”

34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada killed Joab, and he was buried near his home in the ·desert [wilderness]. 35 The king then ·made [appointed] Benaiah son of Jehoiada commander of the army in Joab’s place. He also ·made [appointed] Zadok the new high priest in Abiathar’s place.

36 Next the king sent for Shimei. Solomon said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Don’t leave the city. 37 The very day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley [C bordering Jerusalem], ·someone will kill you [L you will surely die], and ·it will be your own fault [L your blood will be on your own head].”

38 So Shimei answered the king, “·I agree with what you say [Your sentence/demand/word is fair]. I will do what you say, my master and king.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem ·for a long time [L many days].

39 But three years later two of Shimei’s ·slaves [servants] ran away to Achish king of Gath, who was the son of Maacah. Shimei heard that his ·slaves [servants] were in Gath, 40 so he put his saddle on his donkey and went to Achish at Gath to find them. Then he brought them back from Gath.

41 Someone told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. 42 So Solomon sent for Shimei and said, “I made you ·promise [vow; swear] in the name of the Lord not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you ·if you went out anywhere you would [L that on the day you left you would surely] die, and you ·agreed to what I said [said, “The sentence/demand/word is fair”]. 43 Why did you break your ·promise [vow; oath] to the Lord and disobey my command?” 44 The king also said, “You know the ·many wrong [evil; wicked] things you did to my father David, so now the Lord will ·punish you for those wrongs [L return your evil on your own head]. 45 But the Lord will bless ·me [L King Solomon] and ·make the rule of David safe [establish/secure the throne of David] before the Lord forever.”

46 Then the king ordered Benaiah to kill Shimei, and he did. Now ·Solomon was in full control of his kingdom [L the kingdom was established/secured in Solomon’s hands].

David’s Charge to Solomon(A)

When the time drew near for David to die,(B) he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

“I am about to go the way of all the earth,”(C) he said. “So be strong,(D) act like a man, and observe(E) what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper(F) in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise(G) to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully(H) before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

“Now you yourself know what Joab(I) son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner(J) son of Ner and Amasa(K) son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. Deal with him according to your wisdom,(L) but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

“But show kindness(M) to the sons of Barzillai(N) of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table.(O) They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

“And remember, you have with you Shimei(P) son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim.(Q) When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore(R) to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom;(S) you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”

10 Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried(T) in the City of David.(U) 11 He had reigned(V) forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne(W) of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.(X)

Solomon’s Throne Established

13 Now Adonijah,(Y) the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?”(Z)

He answered, “Yes, peacefully.” 14 Then he added, “I have something to say to you.”

“You may say it,” she replied.

15 “As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. 16 Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.”

“You may make it,” she said.

17 So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag(AA) the Shunammite as my wife.”

18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.”

19 When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother,(AB) and she sat down at his right hand.(AC)

20 “I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.”

The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”

21 So she said, “Let Abishag(AD) the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”

22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag(AE) the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother(AF)—yes, for him and for Abiathar(AG) the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,(AH) if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! 24 And now, as surely as the Lord lives—he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised(AI)—Adonijah shall be put to death today!” 25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah(AJ) son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.(AK)

26 To Abiathar(AL) the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth.(AM) You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark(AN) of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.”(AO) 27 So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling(AP) the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

28 When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns(AQ) of the altar. 29 King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar.(AR) Then Solomon ordered Benaiah(AS) son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”

30 So Benaiah entered the tent(AT) of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!(AU)’”

But he answered, “No, I will die here.”

Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”

31 Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood(AV) that Joab shed. 32 The Lord will repay(AW) him for the blood he shed,(AX) because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa(AY) son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better(AZ) men and more upright than he. 33 May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord’s peace forever.”

34 So Benaiah(BA) son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab(BB) and killed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country. 35 The king put Benaiah(BC) son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok(BD) the priest.

36 Then the king sent for Shimei(BE) and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. 37 The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley,(BF) you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”(BG)

38 Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

39 But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish(BH) son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” 40 At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, 42 the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn(BI) you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’ 43 Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

44 The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong(BJ) you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. 45 But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure(BK) before the Lord forever.”

46 Then the king gave the order to Benaiah(BL) son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei(BM) down and he died.

The kingdom was now established(BN) in Solomon’s hands.