02:001

Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying

02:002

'I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man

02:003

and keep the charge of HaShem thy G-d, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself

02:004

that HaShem may establish His word which He spoke 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

02:005

Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did unto me, even 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

02:006

Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace

02:007

But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table; for so they drew nigh unto me when I fled from Absalom thy brother

02:008

And, behold, there is with thee Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by HaShem, saying: I will not put thee to death with the sword

02:009

Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man; and thou wilt know what thou oughtest to do unto him, and thou shalt bring his hoar head down to the grave with blood.

02:010

And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David

02:011

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

02:012

And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established firmly

02:013

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said: 'Comest thou peaceably?' And he said: 'Peaceably.

02:014

He said moreover: 'I have somewhat to say unto thee.' And she said: 'Say on.

02:015

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 HaShem

02:016

And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not.' And she said unto him: 'Say on.

02:017

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.

02:018

And Bath-sheba said: 'Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.

02:019

Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed down unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand

02:020

Then she said: 'I ask one small petition of thee; deny me not.' And the king said unto her: 'Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny thee.

02:021

And she said: 'Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

02:022

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.

02:023

Then king Solomon swore by HaShem, saying: 'G-d do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life

02:024

Now therefore as HaShem liveth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day.

02:025

And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him, so that he died

02:026

And unto Abiathar the priest said the king: 'Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art deserving of death; but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of the L-rd GOD before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

02:027

So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto HaShem; that the word of HaShem might be fulfilled, which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh

02:028

And the tidings came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the Tent of HaShem, and caught hold on the horns of the altar

02:029

And it was told king Solomon: 'Joab is fled unto the Tent of HaShem, and, behold, he is by the altar.' Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying: 'Go, fall upon him.

02:030

And Benaiah came to the Tent of HaShem, and said unto him: 'Thus saith the king: Come forth.' And he said: 'Nay; but I will die here.' And Benaiah brought back word unto the king, saying: 'Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.

02:031

And the king said unto him: 'Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house

02:032

And HaShem will return his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, and my father David knew it not: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah

02:033

So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever; but unto David, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever from HaShem.

02:034

Then 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

02:035

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

02:036

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither

02:037

For on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, know thou for certain that thou shalt surely die; thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

02:038

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

02:039

And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying: 'Behold, thy servants are in Gath.

02:040

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

02:041

And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come back

02:042

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him: 'Did I not make thee to swear by HaShem, and forewarned thee, saying: Know for certain, that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me: The saying is good; I have heard it

02:043

Why then hast thou not kept the oath of HaShem, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?

02:044

The king said moreover to Shimei: 'Thou knowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father; therefore HaShem shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head

02:045

But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before HaShem for ever.

02:046

So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell upon him, so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon