1 Kings 2

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 As David's life drew to its close he laid this charge on his son Solomon,	1 Now the days of David had drawn near, so that he would die, and he instructed his son Solomon, saying:
2 'I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man.	2 “I am entering the way of all the earth. Be strengthened and be a good 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 And observe the care of the Lord your God, so that you walk in his ways, so that you care for his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, just as it is written in the law of Moses. So may you understand everything that you do, in any direction that you may turn yourself.
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 So may the Lord confirm his words, which he has spoken about me, saying: ‘If your sons will guard their ways, and if they will walk before me in truth, with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from you a man 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 Also, you know what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, has done to me, what he did to the two leaders of the army of Israel, to Abner, the son of Ner, and to Amasa, the son of Jether. He killed them, and so he shed the blood of war in peace time, and he set the bloodshed of battle on his belt, which was around his waist, and in his shoes, which were on his feet.
6 You wil be wise not to let his grey head go down to Sheol in peace.	6 Therefore, act according to your wisdom. And you shall not allow his gray head to be led away to death in peace.
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 Then, too, repay grace to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite. And you shall allow them to eat at your table. For they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom, your brother.
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 Also, you have with you Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse, when I went away to the camp. And he descended to meet me when I crossed over the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death by 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 yet do not choose to treat him as if he were innocent. Since you are a wise man, you will know what to do with him. And you shall lead away his grey hair to death with blood.”
10 So David fell asleep with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.	10 And so, David slept with his fathers, and he 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 Now the days during which David reigned over Israel are forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron, thirty-three in Jerusalem.
12 Solomon then sat on the throne of David, and his sovereignty was securely established.	12 Then Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly.
13 Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba mother of Solomon. 'Do you bring peace?' she asked. Hereplied, 'Yes, peace.'	13 And Adonijah, the son of Haggith, entered to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. And she said to him, “Is your entrance peaceful?” He responded, “It is peaceful.”
14 Then he said, 'I have something to say to you.' 'Say on,' she replied.	14 And he added, “My word is for you.” She said to him, “Speak.” And he said:
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 “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all of Israel had preferred me for themselves as king. But the kingdom was transferred, and has become my brother’s. For it was appointed to him by the Lord.
16 Now I have one request to make you; do not refuse me.' 'Go on,' she said.	16 Now therefore, I beg of you one petition. May you not confound my face.” And she said to him, “Speak.”
17 He went on, 'Please ask King Solomon -- for he wil not refuse you -- to give me Abishag of Shunem inmarriage.'	17 And he said: “I beg that you may speak to king Solomon, for he is not able to refuse anything to you, so that he may give Abishag the Shunammite to me as wife.”
18 'Very wel ,' Bathsheba replied, 'I shal speak to the king about you.'	18 And Bathsheba said: “It is well. I will speak to the king on your behalf.”
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, so that she might speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and he reverenced her, and he sat down upon his throne. And a throne was stationed for the mother of the king, and she sat at his right hand.
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 And she said to him: “I petition one small request from you. May you not confound my face.” And the king said to her: “Ask, my mother. For it is not right that I turn away your face.”
21 'Let Abishag of Shunem', she said, 'be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.'	21 And she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah, your brother, as 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 king Solomon responded, and he said to his mother: “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Why not request the kingdom for him! For he is my older brother, and he has Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the 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 so king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying: “May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things! For Adonijah has spoken this word against his own 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 confirmed me and placed me upon the throne of my father David, and who, just as he said, has made a house for me: Adonijah shall be put to death this day.”
25 And King Solomon commissioned Benaiah son of Jehoiada to strike him down, and that was how hedied.	25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who put him to death, and so he died.
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 Also, the king said to Abiathar, the priest: “Go into Anathoth, to your own land, for you are a man worthy of death. But I will not put you to death this day, since you carried the ark of the Lord God before David, my father, and since you have endured hardship in all the things, for which my father labored.”
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 Therefore, Solomon cast out Abiathar, so that he would not be the priest of the Lord, so that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke over the house of Eli at Shiloh.
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 And the news came to Joab, for Joab had turned aside after Adonijah, and he had not turned aside after Solomon. And so, Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and he took hold of the horn 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 And it was reported to king Solomon that Joab had fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and that he was beside the altar. And Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, put him to death.”
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 And Benaiah went to the tabernacle of the Lord, and he said to him: “The king says this: ‘Come out.’ ” But he said: “I will not come out. Instead, I will die here.” Benaiah sent word back to the king, saying, “Joab said this, and he responded to me in this way.”
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 And the king said to him, “Do just as he has said. And put him to death, and bury him. And so shall you take away the innocent blood, which was shed by Joab, from me and from my father’s house.
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 And the Lord shall repay his blood upon his own head. For he killed two men, just and better than himself, and he killed them with the sword, while my father, David, did not know it: Abner, the son of Ner, leader of the military of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, leader of the army of Judah.
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 And their blood shall be turned back upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his offspring forever. But as for David, and his offspring and house, and his throne, may there be peace from the Lord, even unto eternity.”
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 And so Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up and, attacking him, put him to death. And he was buried in his own 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 And the king appointed Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, in his place over the army. And he appointed 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 Also, the king sent for and summoned Shimei, and he said to him: “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem, and live there. And do not depart from that place to here or to there.
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 on whatever day you will have departed and crossed the torrent Kidron, know that you shall be put to death. Your blood will be upon your own head.”
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 And Shimei said to the king: “The word is good. Just as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” And so Shimei lived in Jerusalem for many days.
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 it happened that, after three years, the servants of Shimei fled to Achish, the son of Maacah, the king of Gath. And it was reported to Shimei that his servants had gone away to 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 And Shimei rose up, and he saddled his donkey. And went away to Achish in Gath, in order to seek his servants. And he led them away from Gath.
41 Solomon was informed that Shimei had left Jerusalem for Gath and come back again.	41 And it was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone away 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 And sending, he summoned him, and he said to him: “Did I not testify to you by the Lord, and warn you in advance, ‘On whatever day, having departed, you go forth to here or to there, know that you shall die?’ And you responded to me, ‘The word that I have heard is good.’
43 Why did you not keep the oath to Yahweh and the order which I imposed on you?'	43 Then why have you not kept the oath to the Lord, and the commandment which I instructed to 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 all the evil, of which your heart is conscious, which you did to David, my father. The Lord has repaid your wickedness upon your own head.”
45 But may King Solomon be blessed, and may the throne of David be kept secure before Yahweh forever!'	45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord, even 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 And so the king commanded Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. And going out, he struck him down, and he died.