| NET Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: | 1As the time approached for David to die, he ordered his son Solomon, |
| 2"I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! | 2"As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth. Be strong and be a man, |
| 3Do the job the LORD your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, | 3and keep your obligation to the LORD your God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn, |
| 4and the LORD will fulfill his promise to me, 'If your descendants watch their step and live faithfully in my presence with all their heart and being, then,' he promised, 'you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.' | 4and so that the LORD will fulfill his promise that he made to me: 'If your sons guard their way to walk faithfully before me with all their heart and all their soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' |
| 5"You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me--how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. | 5"You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me and what he did to the two commanders of Israel's army, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He murdered them in a time of peace to avenge blood shed in war. He spilled that blood on his own waistband and on the sandals of his feet. |
| 6Do to him what you think is appropriate, but don't let him live long and die a peaceful death. | 6Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head descend to Sheol in peace. |
| 7"Treat fairly the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs, because they helped me when I had to flee from your brother Absalom. | 7"Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom. |
| 8"Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised him by the LORD, 'I will not strike you down with the sword.' | 8"Keep an eye on Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, and I swore to him by the LORD: 'I will never kill you with the sword.' |
| 9But now don't treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; make sure he has a bloody death." | 9So don't let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man. You know how to deal with him to bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood." |
| 10Then David passed away and was buried in the city of David. | 10Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. |
| 11David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem thirty-three years. | 11The length of time David reigned over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. |
| 12Solomon sat on his father David's throne, and his royal authority was firmly solidified. | 12Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingship was firmly established. |
| 13Haggith's son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She asked, "Do you come in peace?" He answered, "Yes." | 13Now Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She asked, "Do you come peacefully?" "Peacefully," he replied, |
| 14He added, "I have something to say to you." She replied, "Speak." | 14and then asked, "May I talk with you?" "Go ahead," she answered. |
| 15He said, "You know that the kingdom was mine and all Israel considered me king. But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the LORD decided it should be his. | 15"You know the kingship was mine," he said. "All Israel expected me to be king, but then the kingship was turned over to my brother, for the LORD gave it to him. |
| 16Now I'd like to ask you for just one thing. Please don't refuse me." She said, "Go ahead and ask." | 16So now I have just one request of you; don't turn me down." She said to him, "Go on." |
| 17He said, "Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won't refuse you." | 17He replied, "Please speak to King Solomon since he won't turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife." |
| 18Bathsheba replied, "That's fine, I'll speak to the king on your behalf." | 18"Very well," Bathsheba replied. "I will speak to the king for you." |
| 19So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah's behalf. The king got up to greet her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king's mother, and she sat at his right hand. | 19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for the king's mother. So she sat down at his right hand. |
| 20She said, "I would like to ask you for just one small favor. Please don't refuse me." He said, "Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you." | 20Then she said, "I have just one small request of you. Don't turn me down." "Go ahead and ask, mother," the king replied, "for I won't turn you down." |
| 21She said, "Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife." | 21So she said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife." |
| 22King Solomon answered his mother, "Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him? Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!" | 22King Solomon answered his mother, "Why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my elder brother, you might as well ask the kingship for him, for the priest Abiathar, and for Joab son of Zeruiah." |
| 23King Solomon then swore an oath by the LORD, "May God judge me severely, if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life! | 23Then King Solomon took an oath by the LORD: "May God punish me and do so severely if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life. |
| 24Now, as certainly as the LORD lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David's throne, and established a dynasty for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!" | 24And now, as the LORD lives--the one who established me, seated me on the throne of my father David, and made me a dynasty as he promised--I swear Adonijah will be put to death today!" |
| 25King Solomon then sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah. | 25Then King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died. |
| 26The king then told Abiathar the priest, "Go back to your property in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the sovereign LORD before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times." | 26The king said to the priest Abiathar, "Go to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death today, since you carried the ark of the Lord GOD in the presence of my father David and you suffered through all that my father suffered." |
| 27Solomon dismissed Abiathar from his position as priest of the LORD, fulfilling the decree of judgment the LORD made in Shiloh against the family of Eli. | 27So Solomon banished Abiathar from being the LORD's priest, and it fulfilled the LORD's prophecy he had spoken at Shiloh against Eli's family. |
| 28When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he ran to the tent of the LORD and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. | 28The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah but not Absalom, Joab fled to the LORD's tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar. |
| 29When King Solomon heard that Joab had run to the tent of the LORD and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, "Go, strike him down." | 29It was reported to King Solomon: "Joab has fled to the LORD's tabernacle and is now beside the altar." Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada and told him, "Go and strike him down!" |
| 30When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the LORD, he said to him, "The king says, 'Come out!'" But he replied, "No, I will die here!" So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab's reply. | 30So Benaiah went to the tabernacle and said to Joab, "This is what the king says: 'Come out!'" But Joab said, "No, for I will die here." So Benaiah took a message back to the king, "This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me." |
| 31The king told him, "Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father's family the guilt of Joab's murderous, bloody deeds. | 31The king said to him, "Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him in order to remove from me and from my father's family the blood that Joab shed without just cause. |
| 32May the LORD punish him for the blood he shed; behind my father David's back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he--Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army. | 32The LORD will bring back his own blood on his head because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, without my father David's knowledge. With his sword, Joab murdered Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army. |
| 33May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the LORD give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family, and his dynasty." | 33The responsibility for their deaths will come back to Joab and to his descendants forever, but for David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne, there will be peace from the LORD forever." |
| 34So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab; he was buried at his home in the wilderness. | 34Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and put him to death. He was buried at his house in the wilderness. |
| 35The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar's place. | 35Then the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab's place over the army, and he appointed the priest Zadok in Abiathar's place. |
| 36Next the king summoned Shimei and told him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there--but you may not leave there to go anywhere! | 36Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but don't leave there and go anywhere else. |
| 37If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death." | 37On the day you do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head." |
| 38Shimei said to the king, "My master the king's proposal is acceptable. Your servant will do as you say." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. | 38Shimei said to the king, "The sentence is fair; your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken." And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. |
| 39Three years later two of Shimei's servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, "Look, your servants are in Gath." | 39But then, at the end of three years, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. Shimei was informed, "Look, your slaves are in Gath." |
| 40So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. | 40So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath to search for his slaves. He went and brought them back from Gath. |
| 41When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, | 41It was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. |
| 42the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "You will recall that I made you take an oath by the LORD, and I solemnly warned you, 'If you ever leave and go anywhere, know for sure that you will certainly die.' You said to me, 'The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.' | 42So the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "Didn't I make you swear by the LORD and warn you, saying, 'On the day you leave and go anywhere else, know for sure that you will certainly die'? And you said to me, 'The sentence is fair; I will obey.' |
| 43Why then have you broken the oath you made before the LORD and disobeyed the order I gave you?" | 43So why have you not kept the LORD's oath and the command that I gave you?" |
| 44Then the king said to Shimei, "You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David. The LORD will punish you for what you did. | 44The king also said, "You yourself know all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore, the LORD has brought back your evil on your head, |
| 45But King Solomon will be empowered and David's dynasty will endure permanently before the LORD." | 45but King Solomon will be blessed, and David's throne will remain established before the LORD forever." |
| 46The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei. So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom. | 46Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in Solomon's hand. |
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