Benaiah

20And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, a brave man from Kabzeel. Benaiah did many brave things. He killed two of Moab's best fighters. On a snowy day he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion.

21And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.

He also killed an Egyptian, a very big man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand. Benaiah went at him with only a club. He pulled the spear away and killed the man with it.

22These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.

These are the brave things Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, did. He became famous, like the three mighty men.

23He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

He was honored more than the thirty. But he was not one of the first three. David put him in charge of his own guards.

5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

Then Adonijah decided he would make himself king. He was David's son, and his mother was Haggith. He got chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run ahead of him.

6And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.

His father had never once corrected him or asked, "Why are you doing this?" Adonijah was very handsome. He was born right after his brother Absalom.

7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.

Adonijah talked with Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest. Both men agreed to help him.

8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

But some men would not join Adonijah. They were Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, a man who told people what God said. Shimei, Rei, and David's best soldiers also stayed away.

9And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants:

Adonijah killed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves for a feast. He did this by the stone of Zoheleth, near a spring called En-rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the king's officials from Judah.

10But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, or Benaiah, or the best soldiers, or his brother Solomon.

32And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

King David said, "Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." So they came in to the king.

33The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:

The king said to them, "Take my servants with you. Put my son Solomon on my own mule. Then take him down to the spring called Gihon.

34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.

There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet must pour oil on him to make him king over Israel. Then blow the ram's horn and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!'

35Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and rule in my place. I have chosen him to be the ruler over Israel and Judah."

36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Yes, let it be so. May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say the same thing.

37As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

The LORD has been with you, my lord the king. May He be with Solomon too. May He make Solomon's rule even greater than yours."

38So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went down to Gihon. The king's special guards, the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went too. They put Solomon on King David's mule and led him there.

39And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

Zadok the priest took the horn full of oil from the holy tent. He poured it on Solomon to make him king. They blew the ram's horn, and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"

40And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

All the people followed him up from the spring. They played flutes and were so happy that the ground seemed to shake with the noise.

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.

King 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.

Then 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.

The 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.

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

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.

The 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.

King 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.

Benaiah 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.

The 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.

The 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.

The 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.

So 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.

The 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.

Then 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.

The 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.

Shimei 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.

Three 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.

So 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.

Solomon 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.

The 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?

So 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;

The 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.

But 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.

Then 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.

22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave man from the town of Kabzeel. He did many bold things. He killed two of Moab's best fighters. On a snowy day he climbed into a pit and killed a lion.

23And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.

He also killed an Egyptian who was very tall, about seven and a half feet. The Egyptian carried a spear as thick as a heavy wooden pole. Benaiah went at him with only a club. He pulled the spear from the man's hand and killed him with it.

24These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.

These are the brave things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. He became famous, like the three mighty men were.

25Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

He was the most honored of the thirty, but he was not one of the three. David put him in charge of his own guards.