1 Kings 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 As David's life drew to its close he laid this charge on his son Solomon,	1 When the time of David's death drew near, he gave these instructions to his son Solomon:
2 'I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man.	2 "I am going the way of all mankind. Take courage and be a man.
3 Observe the injunctions of Yahweh your God, following his ways and keeping his laws, hiscommandments, his ordinances and his decrees, as stands written in the Law of Moses, so that you may besuccessful in everything you do and undertake,	3 Keep the mandate of the LORD, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you turn,
4 and that Yahweh may fulfil the promise which he made me, "If your sons are careful how they behave,and walk loyal y before me with all their heart and soul, you wil never want for a man on the throne of Israel."	4 and the LORD may fulfill the promise he made on my behalf when he said, 'If your sons so conduct themselves that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart and with their whole soul, you shall always have someone of your line on the throne of Israel.'
5 'You know too what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armyof Israel, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether; how he murdered them, shedding the blood of war in timeof peace and staining the belt round my waist and the sandals on my feet with the blood of war.	5 You yourself know what Joab, son of Zeruiah, did to me when he slew the two generals of Israel's armies, Abner, son of Ner, and Amasa, son of Jether. He took revenge for the blood of war in a time of peace, and put bloodshed without provocation on the belt about my waist and the sandal on my foot.
6 You wil be wise not to let his grey head go down to Sheol in peace.	6 Act with the wisdom you possess; you must not allow him to go down to the grave in peaceful old age.
7 As regards the sons of Barzil ai of Gilead, treat them with faithful love, let them be among those who eatat your table, for they were as kind to me when I was fleeing from your brother Absalom.	7 "But be kind to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and have them eat at your table. For they received me kindly when I was fleeing your brother Absalom.
8 You also have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim. He called down a terriblecurse on me the day I left for Mahanaim, but he came down to meet me at the Jordan and I swore to him byYahweh that I would not put him to death.	8 "You also have with you Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjaminite of Bahurim, who cursed me balefully when I was going to Mahanaim. Because he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD that I would not put him to the sword.
9 But you, you must not let him go unpunished; you are a wise man and wil know how to deal with him, tobring his grey head down to Sheol in blood.'	9 But you must not let him go unpunished. You are a prudent man and will know how to deal with him to send down his hoary head in blood to the grave."
10 So David fell asleep with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.	10 David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.
11 David was king of Israel for a period of forty years: he reigned at Hebron for seven years, and inJerusalem for thirty-three.	11 The length of David's reign over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
12 Solomon then sat on the throne of David, and his sovereignty was securely established.	12 When Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David, with his sovereignty firmly established,
13 Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba mother of Solomon. 'Do you bring peace?' she asked. Hereplied, 'Yes, peace.'	13 Adonijah, son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. "Do you come as a friend?" she asked. "Yes," he answered,
14 Then he said, 'I have something to say to you.' 'Say on,' she replied.	14 and added, "I have something to say to you." She replied, "Say it."
15 'You know', he said, 'that the kingdom should have come to me, and that al Israel expected me to beking; but the crown eluded me and fell to my brother, since it came to him from Yahweh.	15 So he said: "You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel expected me to be king. But the kingdom escaped me and became my brother's, for the LORD gave it to him.
16 Now I have one request to make you; do not refuse me.' 'Go on,' she said.	16 But now there is one favor I would ask of you. Do not refuse me." And she said, "Speak on."
17 He went on, 'Please ask King Solomon -- for he wil not refuse you -- to give me Abishag of Shunem inmarriage.'	17 He said, "Please ask King Solomon, who will not refuse you, to give me Abishag the Shunamite for my wife."
18 'Very wel ,' Bathsheba replied, 'I shal speak to the king about you.'	18 "Very well," replied Bathsheba, "I will speak to the king for you."
19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah; the king got up to meet her andbowed before her; he then sat down on his throne; a seat was brought for the king's mother, and she sat downon his right.	19 Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king's mother, who sat at his right.
20 She said, 'I have one smal request to make you; do not refuse me.' 'Mother,' the king replied, 'makeyour request, for I shal not refuse you.'	20 "There is one small favor I would ask of you," she said. "Do not refuse me." "Ask it, my mother," the king said to her, "for I will not refuse you."
21 'Let Abishag of Shunem', she said, 'be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.'	21 So she said, "Let Abishag the Shunamite be given to your brother Adonijah for his wife."
22 King Solomon replied to his mother, 'And why do you request Abishag of Shunem for Adonijah? Youmight as wel request the kingdom for him, since he is my elder brother and Abiathar the priest and Joab son ofZeruiah are on his side.'	22 "And why do you ask Abishag the Shunamite for Adonijah?" King Solomon answered his mother. "Ask the kingdom for him as well, for he is my elder brother and has with him Abiathar the priest and Joab, son of Zeruiah."
23 And King Solomon swore by Yahweh: 'May God bring unnameable il s on me, and worse ills, too,' hesaid, 'if Adonijah does not pay for these words of his with his life!	23 And King Solomon swore by the LORD: "May God do thus and so to me, and more besides, if Adonijah has not proposed this at the cost of his life.
24 As Yahweh lives who has set me securely on the throne of my father David, and who, as he promised,has given him a dynasty, Adonijah shal be put to death this very day.'	24 And now, as the LORD lives, who has seated me firmly on the throne of my father David and made of me a dynasty as he promised, this day shall Adonijah be put to death."
25 And King Solomon commissioned Benaiah son of Jehoiada to strike him down, and that was how hedied.	25 Then King Solomon sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, who struck him dead.
26 As for Abiathar the priest, the king said to him, 'Go to Anathoth to your estate. You deserve to die, but Iam not going to put you to death now, since you carried the ark of Yahweh in the presence of my father Davidand shared al my father's hardships.'	26 The king said to Abiathar the priest: "Go to your land in Anathoth. Though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David and shared in all the hardships my father endured."
27 Solomon deprived Abiathar of the priesthood of Yahweh, thus fulfil ing the prophecy which Yahweh haduttered against the House of Eli at Shiloh.	27 So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his office of priest of the LORD, thus fulfilling the prophecy which the LORD had made in Shiloh about the house of Eli.
28 When the news reached Joab -- for Joab had lent his support to Adonijah, though he had notsupported Absalom -- he fled to the Tent of Yahweh and clung to the horns of the altar.	28 When the news came to Joab, who had sided with Adonijah, though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and seized the horns of the altar.
29 King Solomon was told, 'Joab has fled to the Tent of Yahweh; he is there beside the altar.' On this,Solomon sent word to Joab, 'What reason did you have for fleeing to the altar?' Joab replied, 'I was afraid of youand fled to Yahweh.' Solomon then sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada. 'Go', he said, 'and strike him down.'	29 King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD and was at the altar. He sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, with the order, "Go, strike him down."
30 Accordingly Benaiah went to the Tent of Yahweh. 'By order of the king,' he said, 'come out!' 'No,' hesaid, 'I will die here.' So Benaiah brought word back to the king, 'This is what Joab said, and the answer he gaveme.'	30 Benaiah went to the tent of the LORD and said to him, "The king says, 'Come out.'" But he answered, "No! I will die here." Benaiah reported to the king, "This is what Joab said to me in reply."
31 'Do as he says,' the king replied. 'Strike him down and bury him, and so rid me and my family today ofthe innocent blood which Joab has shed.	31 The king answered him: "Do as he has said, Strike him down and bury him, and you will remove from me and from my family the blood which Joab shed without provocation.
32 Yahweh wil bring his blood down on his own head, because he struck down two more upright andbetter men than he, and, without my father David's knowledge, put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander ofthe army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.	32 The LORD will hold him responsible for his own blood, because he struck down two men better and more just than himself, and slew them with the sword without my father David's knowledge: Abner, son of Ner, general of Israel's army, and Amasa, son of Jether, general of Judah's army.
33 May their blood come down on the head of Joab and his descendants for ever, but may David, hisdescendants, his dynasty, his throne, have peace for ever from Yahweh.'	33 Joab and his descendants shall be responsible forever for their blood. But there shall be the peace of the LORD forever for David, and his descendants, and his house, and his throne."
34 Whereupon Benaiah son of Jehoiada went out, struck Joab down and put him to death; he was buriedat his home in the desert.	34 Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, went back, struck him down and killed him; he was buried in his house in the desert.
35 In his place as head of the army the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada and, in place of Abiathar,the priest Zadok.	35 The king appointed Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, over the army in his place, and put Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.
36 The king had Shimei summoned to him. 'Build yourself a house in Jerusalem,' he told him. 'You are tolive there; do not leave it to go anywhere at all.	36 Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him: "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there. Do not go anywhere else.
37 The day you go out and cross the ravine of the Kidron, be sure you wil certainly die. Your blood wil beon your own head.'	37 For if you leave, and cross the Kidron Valley, be certain you shall die without fail. You shall be responsible for your own blood."
38 'That is a fair demand,' Shimei replied to the king, 'your servant wil do as my lord the king orders.' Andfor a long time Shimei lived in Jerusalem.	38 Shimei answered the king: "I accept. Your servant will do just as the king's majesty has said." So Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.
39 But when three years had gone by, it happened that two of Shimei's slaves ran away to Achish son ofMaacah, king of Gath; Shimei was told, 'Your slaves are in Gath.'	39 But three years later, two of Shimei's servants ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath, and Shimei was informed that his servants were in Gath.
40 On this, Shimei got up and saddled his donkey and went to Akish at Gath to find his slaves. He went offand brought his slaves back from Gath.	40 So Shimei rose, saddled his ass, and went to Achish in Gath in search of his servants, whom he brought back.
41 Solomon was informed that Shimei had left Jerusalem for Gath and come back again.	41 When Solomon was informed that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned,
42 The king had Shimei summoned to him. 'Did I not make you swear by Yahweh,' he said, 'and did I notwarn you, "The day you leave to go anywhere at all, be sure you wil certainly die"? To which you replied, "That is a fair demand."	42 the king summoned Shimei and said to him: "Did I not have you swear by the LORD to your clear understanding of my warning that, if you left and went anywhere else, you should die without fail? And you answered, 'I accept and obey.'
43 Why did you not keep the oath to Yahweh and the order which I imposed on you?'	43 Why, then, have you not kept the oath of the LORD and the command that I gave you?"
44 The king then said to Shimei, 'You know wel al the evil you did to my father David. Yahweh is about tobring your wickedness down on your own head.	44 And the king said to Shimei: "You know in your heart the evil that you did to my father David. Now the LORD requites you for your own wickedness.
45 But may King Solomon be blessed, and may the throne of David be kept secure before Yahweh forever!'	45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and David's throne shall endure before the LORD forever."
46 The king gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he went out and struck Shimei down; and that washow he died. And now the kingdom was securely in Solomon's hands.	46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, who struck him dead as he left.