1 Kings

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

1David was almost ready to die. He told his son Solomon what to do.

2I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

2"I am going to die, the way everyone does. Be strong. Act like a man.

3And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

3Do what the LORD your God tells you. Walk in his ways. Keep his rules, his commands, and his laws written in the law of Moses. Then things will go well for you wherever you go.

4That the LORD may continue his word which he spake 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.

4Then the LORD will keep the promise he made me. He said, 'If your children live carefully before me, with all their heart and soul, someone from your family will always sit on Israel's throne.'

5Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and 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.

5"You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed two leaders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them in peacetime, as if there were a war. Their blood got on his belt and on his sandals.

6Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

6So use your good sense. Do not let him die peacefully as an old man.

NoteThe KJV says "hoar head," which means a gray head, an old person. David is telling Solomon not to let Joab live out a long, peaceful life.

7But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

7But be kind to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead. Let them eat at your table. They helped me when I ran away from your brother Absalom.

8And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

8"Shimei son of Gera is near you. He is from the family of Benjamin, from the town of Bahurim. He said hard, hateful things about me the day I went to Mahanaim. Later he came to meet me at the Jordan River. I promised the LORD I would not kill him with a sword.

9Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

9But do not treat him as if he did nothing wrong. You are wise. You know what you should do to him. See that he dies, old as he is."

10So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

10Then David died, like his family before him. He was buried in the City of David.

11And 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.

11David was king of Israel for forty years. He ruled seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

12Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

12Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David. His kingdom was strong and safe.

13And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

13Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She asked, "Do you come in peace?" He said, "Yes, in peace."

14He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.

14Then he said, "I have something to tell you." She said, "Go ahead."

15And 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 the LORD.

15He said, "You know the kingdom was going to be mine. All Israel expected me to be king. But it went to my brother instead. The LORD gave it to him.

16And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.

16Now I want to ask you for one thing. Please do not say no." She said, "Ask."

17And 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.

17He said, "Please ask King Solomon for me. He will not say no to you. Ask him to give me Abishag from Shunem as my wife."

18And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.

18Bathsheba said, "All right. I will speak to the king for you."

19Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.

19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak for Adonijah. The king stood up and bowed to her. Then he sat on his throne. He had a seat brought in for his mother. She sat down at his right side.

20Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

20She said, "I have one small thing to ask. Please do not say no." The king said, "Ask, mother. I will not say no to you."

21And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

21She said, "Let Abishag from Shunem marry your brother Adonijah."

22And 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.

22King Solomon answered his mother, "Why ask that for Adonijah? He is my older brother. You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom. And give it to Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah too!"

23Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.

23Then King Solomon made a promise before the LORD. He said, "May God punish me hard if Adonijah does not die for asking this.

24Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.

24The LORD made me king. He put me on my father David's throne. He gave me a family line, just as he promised. As surely as he lives, Adonijah will die today."

25And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.

25So King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada. Benaiah struck Adonijah down, and he died.

26And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the LORD God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

26The king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go home to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die. But I will not kill you now. You carried the ark, God's holy chest, for my father David. You went through every hard time he went through."

27So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

27So Solomon took away Abiathar's job as priest for the LORD. This happened just as the LORD had said at Shiloh about the family of Eli.

28Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

28The news reached Joab. Joab had joined Adonijah's side, though he had not joined Absalom's. So Joab ran to the LORD's tent and grabbed the horns of the altar.

29And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.

29King Solomon was told, "Joab has run to the LORD's tent. He is beside the altar." So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada and said, "Go, strike him down."

30And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.

30Benaiah went into the LORD's tent and said, "The king says, come out." Joab said, "No. I will die here." Benaiah went back and told the king what Joab had said.

31And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

31The king said, "Do what he says. Strike him down and bury him. Joab killed men who had done nothing wrong. Take that guilt away from me and from my father's family.

32And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

32The LORD will make Joab pay for the blood he spilled. He killed two men who were better than he was, and my father David did not know. They were Abner son of Ner, leader of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, leader of Judah's army.

33Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.

33The guilt for their deaths stays on Joab and his children forever. But David, his children, his house, and his throne will have peace from the LORD forever."

34So 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.

34So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck Joab down and killed him. Joab was buried at his own home out in the wild country.

35And 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.

35The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada in charge of the army in Joab's place. He made Zadok priest in Abiathar's place.

36And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.

36Then the king sent for Shimei. He said, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there. Do not go anywhere else.

37For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

37The day you leave and cross the Kidron valley, you will surely die. It will be your own fault."

38And 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.

38Shimei said to the king, "That is fair. I will do what you say, my king." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem a long time.

39And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.

39Three years later, two of Shimei's servants ran away. They went to Achish son of Maacah, the king of Gath. Someone told Shimei, "Your servants are in Gath."

40And 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.

40So Shimei put a saddle on his donkey and rode to Achish in Gath. He looked for his servants and brought them back.

41And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.

41Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back.

42And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.

42The king sent for Shimei. He said, "Did I not make you promise before the LORD? I warned you that the day you went out anywhere, you would die. And you told me my word was fair.

43Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?

43So why did you break your promise to the LORD? Why did you not obey my command?"

44The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;

44The king also said, "You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. So the LORD will make you pay for that wrong.

45And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.

45But King Solomon will be blessed. David's throne will stand safe before the LORD forever."

46So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

46Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada. Benaiah went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. Now Solomon's hold on the kingdom was firm.