¶ Now the days¹ of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged² Solomon his son, saying,

I go³ the way of all the earth: be thou⁴ strong therefore, and shew⁵ thyself a man;

And keep⁶ the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies⁸, as it is written⁹ in the law of Moses, that thou¹⁰ mayest prosper¹¹ in all that thou doest, and whithersoever¹² thou turnest thyself:

That the LORD¹³ may continue his word¹⁴ which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk¹⁵ before me in truth with all their heart¹⁶ and with all their soul, there shall not fail¹⁷ thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

Moreover thou knowest also what Joab¹⁸ the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner¹⁹ the son of Ner, and unto Amasa²⁰ the son of Jether²¹, 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.

Do therefore according²³ to thy wisdom, and let²⁴ not his hoar head go down to the grave in²⁵ peace.

But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai²⁶ the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat²⁷ at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled²⁸ because of Absalom thy brother.

And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei²⁹ the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous³⁰ 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.

Now therefore hold him³¹ not guiltless: for thou art a wise³² man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his³³ hoar head bring thou down to the grave with³⁴ blood.

¶ So David³⁵ slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city³⁶ of David.

And the days that David reigned over³⁷ Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

¶ Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom³⁹ was established greatly.

And Adonijah⁴⁰ the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest⁴¹ thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

⁴²He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.

And he said, Thou knowest⁴³ 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 was⁴⁴ his from the LORD.

And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not.⁴⁵ And she said unto him, Say on.

And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag⁴⁶ the Shunammite to wife.

And Bathsheba said, Well⁴⁷; I will speak for thee unto the king.

Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up⁴⁸ 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 sat⁴⁹ on his right hand.

¶ Then she said, I desire⁵⁰ one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on⁵¹, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

And she said, Let Abishag⁵² the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost⁵³ thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom⁵⁴ also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God⁵⁵ do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah⁵⁶ have not spoken⁵⁷ this word against his own life.

Now therefore, as the LORD⁵⁸ liveth, which hath established me, and set me⁵⁹ on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me⁶⁰ an house, as he promised⁶¹, Adonijah shall be put⁶² to death this day.

And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell⁶³ upon him that he died.

¶ And unto Abiathar⁶⁴ the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth⁶⁵, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death⁶⁶: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest⁶⁷ the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been⁶⁸ afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

So Solomon⁶⁹ thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he⁷⁰ might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh⁷¹.

Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had⁷² turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught⁷³ hold on the horns of the altar.

And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by⁷⁴ the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go⁷⁵, fall upon him.

¶ And 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.

And the king said unto him, Do⁷⁶ as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou⁷⁷ mayest take away the innocent blood, which⁷⁸ Joab shed, from me, and from⁷⁹ the house of my father.

And the LORD shall return⁸⁰ his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men⁸¹ more righteous⁸² and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father⁸³ David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner⁸⁴ the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa⁸⁵ the son of Jether⁸⁶, captain of the host of Judah.

Their blood shall therefore return upon⁸⁸ the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David⁸⁹, and upon his seed, and upon his house⁹⁰, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.

So Benaiah⁹¹ the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell⁹² upon him, and slew him: and he was buried⁹³ in his own house in the⁹⁴ wilderness.

¶ And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room⁹⁵ over the host: and Zadok⁹⁶ the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

And the king sent and called for Shimei⁹⁷, and said unto him, Build⁹⁸ thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.

For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the⁹⁹ brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

And Shimei said unto the king, The saying¹⁰¹ is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

And 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.

¶ And Shimei arose¹⁰³, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

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

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not¹⁰⁴ 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 saidst¹⁰⁵ unto me, The word that I have heard is good.

Why¹⁰⁶ then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment¹⁰⁷ that I have charged thee with?

The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest¹⁰⁸ all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return¹⁰⁹ thy wickedness upon thine own head;

And king Solomon shall be blessed¹¹⁰, and the throne¹¹¹ of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.

So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom¹¹² was established in the hand of Solomon.