1 Kings 2:4-30

⁴so that Jehovah doth establish His word which He spake unto me, saying, If thy sons observe their way to walk before Me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul; saying, There is not cut off a man of thine from the throne of Israel.

⁵'And also, thou hast known that which he did to me — Joab son of Zeruiah — that which he did to two heads of the hosts of Israel, to Abner son of Ner, and to Amasa son of Jether — that he slayeth them, and maketh the blood of war in peace, and putteth the blood of war in his girdle, that is on his loins, and in his sandals that are on his feet;

⁶and thou hast done according to thy wisdom, and dost not let his old age go down in peace to Sheol.

⁷'And to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite thou dost do kindness, and they have been among those eating at thy table, for so they drew near unto me in my fleeing from the face of Absalom thy brother.

⁸'And lo, with thee is Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, and he reviled me — a grievous reviling — in the day of my going to Mahanaim; and he hath come down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swear to him by Jehovah, saying, I do not put thee to death by the sword;

⁹and now, acquit him not, for a wise man thou art, and thou hast known that which thou dost to him, and hast brought down his old age with blood to Sheol.'

¹⁰And David lieth down with his fathers, and is buried in the city of David,

¹¹and the days that David hath reigned over Israel are forty years, in Hebron he hath reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem he hath reigned thirty and three years.

¹²And Solomon hath sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom is established greatly,

¹³and Adonijah son of Haggith cometh in unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, and she saith, 'Is thy coming peace?' and he saith, 'Peace.'

¹⁴And he saith, 'I have a word unto thee,' and she saith, 'Speak.'

¹⁵And he saith, 'Thou hast known that the kingdom was mine, and towards me set their faces had all Israel for reigning, and the kingdom is turned round about, and is my brother's, for from Jehovah it was his;

¹⁶and now, one petition I am asking of thee — turn not back my face;' and she saith unto him, 'Speak.'

¹⁷And he saith, 'Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, for he doth not turn back thy face, and he doth give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.'

¹⁸And Bath-Sheba saith, 'Good; I do speak for thee unto the king.'

¹⁹And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto king Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king riseth to meet her, and boweth himself to her, and sitteth on his throne, and placeth a throne for the mother of the king, and she sitteth at his right hand.

²⁰And she saith, 'One small petition I ask of thee, turn not back my face;' and the king saith to her, 'Ask, my mother, for I do not turn back thy face.'

²¹And she saith, 'Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother for a wife.'

²²And king Solomon answereth and saith to his mother, 'And why art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? also ask for him the kingdom — for he is mine elder brother — even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.'

²³And king Solomon sweareth by Jehovah, saying, 'Thus doth God to me, and thus He doth add — surely against his soul hath Adonijah spoken this word;

²⁴and now, Jehovah liveth, who hath established me, and causeth me to sit on the throne of David my father, and who hath made for me an house as He spake — surely to-day is Adonijah put to death.'

²⁵And king Solomon sendeth by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he falleth upon him, and he dieth.

²⁶And to Abiathar the priest said the king, 'To Anathoth go, unto thy fields; for a man of death thou art, but in this day I do not put thee to death, because thou hast borne the ark of the Lord Jehovah before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all that my father was afflicted in.'

²⁷And Solomon casteth out Abiathar from being priest to Jehovah, to fulfil the word of Jehovah which He spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

²⁸And the report hath come unto Joab — for Joab hath turned aside after Adonijah, though after Absalom he did not turn aside — and Joab fleeth unto the tent of Jehovah, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar.

²⁹And it is declared to king Solomon that Joab hath fled unto the tent of Jehovah, and lo, near the altar; and Solomon sendeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, 'Go, fall upon him.'

³⁰And Benaiah cometh in unto the tent of Jehovah, and saith unto him, 'Thus said the king, Come out;' and he saith, 'Nay, but here I die.' And Benaiah bringeth back the king word, saying, 'Thus spake Joab, yea, thus he answered me.'