1 Kings 2 – NIV & NIRV

New International Version

1 Kings 2:1-46

David’s Charge to Solomon

1When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

2“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 4and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

5“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. 6Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

7“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

8“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ 9But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”

10Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. 11He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 12So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

Solomon’s Throne Established

13Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?”

He answered, “Yes, peacefully.” 14Then he added, “I have something to say to you.”

“You may say it,” she replied.

15“As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. 16Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.”

“You may make it,” she said.

17So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

18“Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.”

19When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.

20“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.”

The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”

21So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”

22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother—yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! 24And now, as surely as the Lord lives—he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised—Adonijah shall be put to death today!” 25So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.

26To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.” 27So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

28When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. 29King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”

30So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’ ”

But he answered, “No, I will die here.”

Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”

31Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. 32The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better men and more upright than he. 33May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord’s peace forever.”

34So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country. 35The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.

36Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. 37The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

38Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

39But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” 40At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

41When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, 42the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’ 43Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

44The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. 45But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the Lord forever.”

46Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and he died.

The kingdom was now established in Solomon’s hands.

New International Reader’s Version

1 Kings 2:1-46

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.