| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: | 1As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon: |
| 2"I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! | 2“I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage 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, | 3Observe the requirements of the LORD your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. |
| 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.' | 4If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit 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“And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood. |
| 6Do to him what you think is appropriate, but don't let him live long and die a peaceful death. | 6Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave 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“Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table, for they took care of 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“And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the LORD that I would not kill him. |
| 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." | 9But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him. ” |
| 10Then David passed away and was buried in the city of David. | 10Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. |
| 11David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem thirty-three years. | 11David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. |
| 12Solomon sat on his father David's throne, and his royal authority was firmly solidified. | 12Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. Solomon Establishes His Rule |
| 13Haggith's son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She asked, "Do you come in peace?" He answered, "Yes." | 13One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you come with peaceful intentions?” she asked him. “Yes,” he said, “I come in peace. |
| 14He added, "I have something to say to you." She replied, "Speak." | 14In fact, I have a favor to ask of you.” “What is it?” she asked. |
| 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. | 15He replied, “As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the LORD wanted it. |
| 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 favor to ask of you. Please don’t turn me down.” “What is it?” she asked. |
| 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, “Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.” |
| 18Bathsheba replied, "That's fine, I'll speak to the king on your behalf." | 18“All right,” 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 on Adonijah’s behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat 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." | 20“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “I hope you won’t turn me down.” “What is it, my mother?” he asked. “You know I won’t refuse you.” |
| 21She said, "Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife." | 21“Then let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem,” she replied. |
| 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!" | 22“How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?” King Solomon demanded. “You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.” |
| 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 made a vow before the LORD: “May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request. |
| 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!" | 24The LORD has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the LORD lives, Adonijah will die this very day!” |
| 25King Solomon then sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah. | 25So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death. |
| 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." | 26Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign LORD for David my father and you shared all his hardships.” |
| 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 deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the LORD, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the LORD had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli. |
| 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. | 28Joab had not joined Absalom’s earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah’s rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah’s death, he ran to the sacred tent of the LORD and grabbed on to 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." | 29When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him. |
| 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. | 30Benaiah went to the sacred tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king orders you to come out!” But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah returned to the king and told him what Joab had said. |
| 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. | 31“Do as he said,” the king replied. “Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab’s senseless murders from me and from my father’s family. |
| 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 repay him for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. |
| 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." | 33May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the LORD grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne.” |
| 34So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab; he was buried at his home in the wilderness. | 34So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home 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 to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar. |
| 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! | 36The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to 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 so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and 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 replied, “Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.” So 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 three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were, |
| 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. | 40he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem. |
| 41When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, | 41Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and 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 sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the LORD and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’ |
| 43Why then have you broken the oath you made before the LORD and disobeyed the order I gave you?" | 43Then why haven’t you kept your oath to the LORD and obeyed my command?” |
| 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 to Shimei, “You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the LORD now bring that evil on your own head. |
| 45But King Solomon will be empowered and David's dynasty will endure permanently before the LORD." | 45But may I, King Solomon, receive the LORD’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the LORD.” |
| 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, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him. So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip. |
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