David Gives Orders to Solomon
1The time came near for David to die. So he gave orders to his son Solomon.
2He said, “I’m about to die, just as everyone else on earth does. So be strong. Show how brave you are. 3Do everything the Lord your God requires. Live the way he wants you to. Obey his orders and commands. Keep his laws and rules. Do everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will have success in everything you do. You will succeed everywhere you go. 4The Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He said, ‘Your sons must be careful about how they live. They must be faithful to me with all their heart and soul. Then you will always have a son from your family line to sit on the throne of Israel.’
5“You yourself know what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me. You know that he killed Abner, the son of Ner, and Amasa, the son of Jether. They were the two commanders of Israel’s armies. He killed them in a time of peace. It wasn’t a time of war. Joab spilled the blood of Abner and Amasa. With that blood he stained the belt around his waist. He also stained the sandals on his feet. 6You are wise. So I leave him in your hands. Just don’t let him live to become an old man. Don’t let him die peacefully.
7“But be kind to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead. Provide what they need. They were faithful to me when I had to run away from your brother Absalom.
8“Don’t forget that Shimei, the son of Gera, is still around. He’s from Bahurim in the territory of Benjamin. Shimei cursed me bitterly. He did it on the day I went to Mahanaim. Later, he came down to welcome me at the Jordan River. At that time I made a promise in the name of the Lord. I promised Shimei, ‘I won’t put you to death with my sword.’ 9But now I want you to think of him as guilty. You are wise. You will know what to do to him. Don’t let him live to become an old man. Put him to death.”
10David joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in the City of David. 11He had ruled over Israel for 40 years. He ruled for seven years in Hebron. Then he ruled for 33 years in Jerusalem. 12So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David. His position as king was made secure.
Solomon’s Kingdom Is Made Secure
13Adonijah was the son of David’s wife Haggith. He went to Bathsheba. She was Solomon’s mother. She asked Adonijah, “Have you come in peace?”
He answered, “Yes. I’ve come in peace.” 14He continued, “I want to ask you something.”
“Go ahead,” she replied.
15He said, “As you know, the kingdom belonged to me. The whole nation of Israel thought of me as their king. But now things have changed. The kingdom belongs to my brother. The Lord has given it to him. 16But I have a favor to ask of you. Don’t say no to me.”
“Go ahead,” she said.
17So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon for a favor. He won’t say no to you. Ask him to give me Abishag from Shunem to be my wife.”
18“All right,” Bathsheba replied. “I’ll speak to the king for you.”
19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon. She went to him to speak for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her. He bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for his mother. She sat down at his right side.
20“I have one small favor to ask of you,” she said. “Don’t say no to me.”
The king replied, “Mother, go ahead and ask. I won’t say no to you.”
21She said, “Let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the Shunammite.”
22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why are you asking me to give Abishag, the Shunammite, to Adonijah? You might as well ask me to give him the whole kingdom! After all, he’s my older brother. And he doesn’t want the kingdom only for himself. He also wants it for Abiathar the priest and for Joab, the son of Zeruiah.”
23Then King Solomon made a promise in the name of the Lord. He said, “Adonijah will pay with his life because of what he has asked for. If he doesn’t, may God punish me greatly. 24The Lord has made my position as king secure. I’m sitting on the throne of my father David. The Lord has built a royal house for me, just as he promised. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that Adonijah will be put to death today.” 25So King Solomon gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah struck down Adonijah, and he died.
26The king spoke to Abiathar the priest. He said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You should really be put to death. But I won’t have it done now. That’s because you carried the ark of the Lord and King. You did it for my father David. You shared all of his hard times.” 27So Solomon wouldn’t let Abiathar serve as a priest of the Lord anymore. That’s how the message the Lord had spoken at Shiloh came true. He had spoken it about the family of Eli.
28News of what Solomon had done reached Joab. Joab had never made evil plans along with Absalom. But he had joined Adonijah. So he ran to the tent of the Lord. He grabbed the horns that stuck out from the upper corners of the altar for burnt offerings. 29King Solomon was told that Joab had run to the tent. He was also told that Joab was by the altar. Then Solomon gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. He told him, “Go! Strike him down!”
30So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord. He said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come on out!’ ”
But Joab answered, “No. I’d rather die here.”
Benaiah told the king what Joab had said to him.
31Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do what he says. Strike him down and bury him. Then I and my family line won’t be held accountable for the blood Joab spilled. He killed people who weren’t guilty of doing anything wrong. 32The Lord will pay him back for the blood he spilled. Joab attacked two men. He killed them with his sword. And my father David didn’t even know anything about it. Joab killed Abner, the son of Ner. Abner was the commander of Israel’s army. Joab also killed Amasa, the son of Jether. Amasa was the commander of Judah’s army. Abner and Amasa were better men than Joab is. They were more honest than he is. 33May Joab and his children after him be held forever accountable for spilling the blood of Abner and Amasa. But may David and his children after him enjoy the Lord’s peace and rest forever. May the Lord also give his peace to David’s royal house and kingdom forever.”
34So Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up to the Lord’s tent. There he struck down Joab. And he killed him. Joab was buried at his home out in the country. 35The king put Benaiah in charge of the army. Benaiah took Joab’s place. The king also put Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.
36Then the king sent for Shimei. He said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem. Live there. Don’t go anywhere else. 37You must not leave the city and go across the Kidron Valley. If you do, you can be sure you will die. And it will be your own fault.”
38Shimei replied to the king, “You are my king and master. What you say is good. I’ll do it.” Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.
39Three years after Solomon had talked with Shimei, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off. They went to Achish, the king of Gath. He was the son of Maakah. Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” 40When Shimei heard that, he put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went to Achish at Gath to look for his slaves. Shimei found them and brought them back from Gath.
41Solomon was told that Shimei had left Jerusalem. He was told he had gone to Gath and had returned. 42So the king sent for Shimei. He said to him, “Didn’t I force you to make a promise in the name of the Lord? Didn’t I warn you? I said, ‘You must not leave the city and go somewhere else. If you do, you can be sure you will die.’ At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I’ll obey your command.’ 43So why didn’t you keep your promise to the Lord? Why didn’t you obey the command I gave you?”
44The king continued, “You know all the wrong things you did to my father David. In your heart you know them. Now the Lord will pay you back for what you did. 45But I will be blessed. The Lord will make David’s kingdom secure forever.”
46Then the king gave the order to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah left the palace and struck down Shimei. And he died.
So the kingdom was now made secure in Solomon’s hands.
David aconselha Salomão
1O rei David sentiu que se aproximava do fim dos seus dias e deu a Salomão as seguintes recomendações: 2“Em breve irei para onde toda a gente acaba por ir. Espero que sejas um homem forte e ativo. 3Obedece às leis do Senhor, teu Deus, e segue os seus caminhos. Guarda cada um dos seus mandamentos, leis, preceitos e decretos, escritos na Lei de Moisés, para que prosperes em tudo o que fizeres e por onde quer que vás. 4Se assim fizeres, o Senhor cumprirá a promessa que me deu, que se os meus filhos e os seus descendentes caminharem com lealdade e se mantiverem fiéis a Deus de todo o coração e alma, haverá sempre um deles que reinará em Israel; a minha dinastia não terá fim.
5Portanto, ouve as minhas instruções. Sabes que Joabe assassinou os meus dois generais, Abner e Amasa. Alegou que se tratou de um ato de guerra, mas o certo é que o fez em tempo de paz. 6És um homem sensato e saberás o que hás de fazer; não o deixes morrer em paz.
7Contudo, sê bondoso para com os filhos de Barzilai de Gileade. Que sejam hóspedes permanentes da casa real, pois cuidaram de mim, quando tive de fugir do teu irmão Absalão.
8Lembras-te certamente de Simei, o filho de Gera, benjamita de Baurim. Lançou-me tremendas maldições, quando eu ia para Maanaim, mas posteriormente, quando foi ter comigo ao rio Jordão, prometi-lhe que não o mataria. 9No entanto, essa promessa não te compromete. És suficientemente sábio para não o deixares morrer sem castigo.”
A morte de David
(1 Cr 29.26-28)
10David faleceu e foi sepultado na Cidade de David. 11Reinou em Israel durante 40 anos; 7 anos em Hebrom e 33 anos em Jerusalém. 12Salomão tornou-se o novo rei, substituindo o pai, e o seu reinado foi próspero.
O trono de Salomão é estabelecido
13Por esses dias, Adonias, o filho de Hagite, veio falar com Bate-Seba, mãe de Salomão. “Vens com intenções pacíficas?”, perguntou-lhe ela. “Sim, as minhas intenções são de paz. 14Tenho um favor a pedir-te”, disse-lhe. “Diz então.”
15Adonias respondeu: “Sabes bem que o reino estava para ser meu e tudo me corria favoravelmente; toda a gente esperava que eu sucedesse ao meu pai. Mas as coisas alteraram-se e o trono acabou por ser do meu irmão, porque era assim que o Senhor tinha planeado. 16Agora queria fazer-te um pedido e peço-te que não mo recuses.” Bate-Seba perguntou: “O que é?”
17“Intercede junto do rei Salomão a meu favor, pois sei que nada te recusa, e pede-lhe que me dê Abisague, a sunamita, como mulher.”
18Ela respondeu: “Está bem; irei pedir-lhe.”
19Efetivamente ela foi ter com o rei para lhe apresentar esse pedido. Quando se apresentou, o rei levantou-se do trono e inclinou-se perante ela. Ordenou em seguida que fosse colocado outro trono ao lado do seu para a sua mãe e ela sentou-se do seu lado direito.
20“Tenho um pequeno pedido a apresentar-te. Espero que não o recuses”, disse ela. Salomão perguntou-lhe: “Do que se trata, minha mãe? Sabes que nada te recusarei.”
21“Deixa que teu irmão Adonias case com Abisague.”
22“Sabes o que estás a pedir-me? Se lhe desse Abisague, dar-lhe-ia também o reino, porque ele é meu irmão mais velho! Tanto ele como o sacerdote Abiatar e o general Joabe tomariam conta do poder!”
23-24O rei Salomão fez então um juramento solene: “Que Deus me mate, se Adonias não morrer hoje mesmo, por causa dessa conspiração contra mim! Tão certo como vive o Senhor, que me deu o trono de meu pai David e também este reino que me tinha prometido.” 25Então o rei Salomão ordenou que Benaia o matasse e este executou-o com uma espada.
26O soberano disse ao sacerdote Abiatar: “Regressa à tua terra, a Anatote, e vai para casa, porque deverias também morrer. Contudo, não o quero fazer por agora, por teres transportado a arca do Senhor Deus durante o reinado do meu pai e teres sofrido ao lado dele nas suas angústias.” 27Assim, Salomão forçou Abiatar a ceder a sua posição de sacerdote do Senhor, cumprindo-se a palavra do Senhor, a qual anunciara em Silo, respeitante aos descendentes de Eli.
28Quando Joabe soube da notícia da morte de Adonias, foi a correr para o santuário, o tabernáculo do Senhor, e pegou nas pontas do altar. Joabe tinha apoiado a revolta de Adonias, mas não a de Absalão. 29-30Salomão, ao ter conhecimento disto, ordenou também a Benaia que o executasse. Este foi ao tabernáculo e disse para Joabe: “O rei manda-te que desças daí!” Joabe respondeu: “Não. Aqui morrerei.” Benaia regressou junto do rei para saber o que haveria de fazer.
31“Faz como ele disse”, respondeu-lhe o rei. “Mata-o ali mesmo e depois sepulta-o, para que tires de sobre mim e da minha família a culpa dos seus crimes. 32O Senhor o tornará pessoalmente culpado do assassínio de dois homens que eram melhores do que ele. Porque o meu pai não teve a menor participação na morte do general Abner, comandante do exército de Israel, nem do general Amasa, comandante do exército de Judá. 33Que Joabe e os seus descendentes se tornem culpados para sempre destes assassínios e que o Senhor declare David e os seus descendentes inocentes dessas mesmas mortes!”
34Benaia voltou ao santuário e matou Joabe, mandando sepultá-lo junto à sua casa no deserto. 35O rei substituiu Joab por Benaia, no comando do exército, e Zadoque sacerdote em lugar de Abiatar.
36Mandou também buscar Simei e disse-lhe: “Terás de vir para Jerusalém e ficar com residência fixa. 37Se saíres daqui, já sabes que é o castigo da morte que te espera. No momento em que ultrapassares o ribeiro do Cedron, considera-te um homem liquidado e unicamente por tua própria culpa!”
38Simei respondeu: “Aceito o que me dizes.” E passou a viver em Jerusalém bastante tempo.
39Três anos mais tarde, fugiram-lhe dois escravos, que se escaparam para Gate, para junto do rei Aquis, filho de Maacá. Quando Simei soube onde estavam, 40mandou selar a sua montada e foi ter com o rei Aquis. Encontrou ali os servos e trouxe-os de novo para Jerusalém.
41Salomão teve conhecimento de que Simei deixara Jerusalém, que fora a Gate e regressara. 42Mandou-o chamar: “Não te ordenei, em nome do Senhor, que não deixasses Jerusalém sob pena de morte? Até respondeste que concordavas com essa decisão. 43Porque é que não respeitaste o juramento que fizeste ao Senhor, nem obedeceste à minha ordem?
44Sabes bem todo o mal que fizeste ao meu pai David, pelo que o Senhor fez recair sobre ti toda a culpa. 45Quanto a mim, certamente receberei as ricas bênçãos de Deus e sempre haverá um descendente de David no trono, diante do Senhor.”
46A mando do soberano, Benaia trouxe Simei para fora e matou-o.
Desta forma, se confirmou a autoridade de Salomão como rei.
