1 Kings 2:37
New International Version
The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

New Living Translation
On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”

English Standard Version
For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head.”

Berean Standard Bible
On the day you go out and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

King James Bible
For 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.

New King James Version
For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

New American Standard Bible
For on the day you leave and cross the brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you will assuredly die; your blood will be on your own head.”

NASB 1995
“For on the day you go out and cross over the brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

NASB 1977
“For it will happen on the day you go out and cross over the brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it will be on the day you go out and cross over the brook Kidron, that you will know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

Amplified Bible
For on the day you leave and cross over the Brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

Christian Standard Bible
On the day you do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
On the day you do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head.”

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

Contemporary English Version
If you ever cross Kidron Valley and leave Jerusalem, you will be killed. And it will be your own fault."

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But the day you leave and cross the brook in the Kidron Valley, you can be certain that you will die. You will be responsible for your own death."

Good News Translation
If you ever leave and go beyond Kidron Brook, you will certainly die--and you yourself will be to blame."

International Standard Version
If you ever leave and cross the Kidron Brook, you can be sure that you'll die. You'll be responsible for your own death."

Majority Standard Bible
On the day you go out and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

NET Bible
If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death."

New Heart English Bible
For on the day you go out, and pass over the wadi of the Kidron, know for certain that you shall surely die: your blood shall be on your own head."

Webster's Bible Translation
For it shall be, that on the day thou shalt go out, and pass over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thy own head.

World English Bible
For on the day you go out and pass over the brook Kidron, know for certain that you will surely die. Your blood will be on your own head.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and it has been, in the day of your going out, and you have passed over the Brook of Kidron, you certainly know that you surely die—your blood is on your head.”

Young's Literal Translation
and it hath been, in the day of thy going out, and thou hast passed over the brook Kidron, thou dost certainly know that thou dost surely die -- thy blood is on thy head.'

Smith's Literal Translation
For being in the day of thy going forth, and thou didst pass the torrent Kidron, knowing, thou shalt know that dying, thou shalt die: thy blood shall be upon thy head.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For on what day soever thou shalt go out, and shalt pass over the brook Cedron, know that thou shalt be put to death: thy blood shall be upon thy own head:

Catholic Public Domain Version
For on whatever day you will have departed and crossed the torrent Kidron, know that you shall be put to death. Your blood will be upon your own head.”

New American Bible
For the day you leave, and cross the Wadi Kidron, be certain you shall surely die. Your blood shall be upon your own head.”

New Revised Standard Version
For on the day you go out, and cross the Wadi Kidron, know for certain that you shall die; your blood shall be on your own head.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For on the day that you go out and cross the brook Kidron, you shall know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be upon your own head.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And in the day that you go out and cross over the Torrent of Qedrown, know surely that you shall die and your blood shall be on your head.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, know thou for certain that thou shalt surely die; thy blood shall be upon thine own head.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it shall come to pass in the day that thou shalt go forth and cross over the brook Kedron, know assuredly that thou shalt certainly die: thy blood shall be upon thine head. And the king caused him to swear in that day.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Execution of Shimei
36Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. 37 On the day you go out and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will die; your blood will be on your own head.” 38“The sentence is fair,” Shimei replied. “Your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken.” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 15:23-30
Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness. / Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had passed out of the city. / Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again. ...

2 Samuel 19:18-23
and crossed at the ford to carry over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king / and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart. / For your servant knows that I have sinned, so here I am today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” ...

2 Samuel 16:5-13
As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he approached, he kept yelling out curses. / He threw stones at David and at all the servants of the king, though the troops and all the mighty men were on David’s right and left. / And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed! ...

2 Samuel 3:26-27
As soon as Joab had left David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David was unaware of it. / When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.

2 Samuel 20:9-10
“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. / Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

1 Kings 1:50-53
But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar. / It was reported to Solomon: “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear to me not to put his servant to the sword.’” / And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.” ...

1 Kings 2:8-9
Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you. He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: ‘I will never put you to the sword.’ / Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You know what you ought to do to him to bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood.”

1 Kings 2:42-46
the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, ‘On the day you leave and go elsewhere, know for sure that you will die’? And you told me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will comply.’ / So why have you not kept your oath to the LORD and the command that I gave you?” / The king also said, “You know in your heart all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore the LORD will bring your evil back upon your head. ...

1 Kings 11:29-31
During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he was going out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. / And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, / and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.

1 Kings 13:1-3
Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD. / And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’” / That day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “The LORD has spoken this sign: ‘Surely the altar will be split apart, and the ashes upon it will be poured out.’”

1 Kings 14:10-14
Because of all this, behold, I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam: I will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both slave and free, in Israel; I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns up dung until it is gone! / Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.’ For the LORD has spoken. / As for you, get up and go home. When your feet enter the city, the child will die. ...

2 Kings 23:15-17
He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole. / And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the hillside, and he sent someone to take the bones out of the tombs, and he burned them on the altar to defile it, according to the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who had foretold these things. / Then the king asked, “What is this monument I see?” And the men of the city replied, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done to the altar of Bethel.”

Jeremiah 26:20-23
Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did. / King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and officials heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah found out about it, he fled in fear and went to Egypt. / Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor along with some other men. ...

Matthew 5:25-26
Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. / Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.


Treasury of Scripture

For it shall be, that on the day you go out, and pass over the brook Kidron, you shall know for certain that you shall surely die: your blood shall be on your own head.

over the

1 Kings 15:13
And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

2 Samuel 15:23
And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.

2 Kings 23:6
And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.

Cedron

1 Kings 2:31,33
And 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…

Leviticus 20:9
For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Joshua 2:19
And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

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1 Kings 2
1. David, having given a charge to Solomon
3. of Reverence
5. of Joab
7. of Barzillai
8. of Shimei
10. Solomon succeeds
12. Adonijah, moving Bathsheba to ask unto Solomon for Abishag,
13. is put to death
26. Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood
28. Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar, is there slain
35. Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadfok in Abiathar's
36. Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going to Gath, is put to death.














On the day you leave
This phrase sets a specific condition and timeframe, emphasizing the immediacy and certainty of the consequence. In the Hebrew context, the phrase underscores the importance of obedience and the seriousness of the covenant. The "day" signifies a precise moment of decision, reflecting the biblical theme of choosing between life and death, blessing and curse (Deuteronomy 30:19).

and cross the Kidron Valley
The Kidron Valley holds significant historical and spiritual symbolism in the Bible. It is a boundary marker, often associated with separation and judgment. In the context of 1 Kings, crossing the Kidron Valley represents a deliberate act of defiance against King Solomon's command. The valley itself, located east of Jerusalem, was a place where idols were destroyed (2 Kings 23:4-6), symbolizing a crossing from obedience to rebellion.

know for sure
This phrase conveys certainty and inevitability. In Hebrew, the repetition of the root word for "know" (יָדַע, yada) emphasizes the assuredness of the outcome. It reflects the biblical principle that God's decrees are unchangeable and that His justice is certain. This assurance serves as both a warning and a call to repentance, reminding believers of the consequences of disobedience.

that you will surely die
The phrase "surely die" is a translation of the Hebrew construction "מֹות תָּמוּת" (mot tamut), which intensifies the certainty of death as a consequence. This echoes the warning given to Adam in Genesis 2:17, highlighting the seriousness of disobedience to God's commands. It serves as a sobering reminder of the wages of sin (Romans 6:23) and the importance of living in accordance with God's will.

your blood will be on your own head
This expression is a legal idiom in ancient Israel, indicating personal responsibility for one's actions. It signifies that the individual bears the full consequence of their disobedience. In the biblical context, it underscores the principle of personal accountability before God. This phrase serves as a powerful reminder that while God is merciful, He is also just, and each person is responsible for their choices (Ezekiel 18:20).

Verse 37. - For it shall be, on the day thou goest out and passest over the brook [lit., watercourse, wady. The Kidron is quite dry, except during and for a short time after the winter rains] Kidron [The Kidron is mentioned specially because that was the direction which, it might be presumed, Shimei would take, his old home being at Bahurim], thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die [The Hebrew is, if possible, still more striking and emphatic, "To know thou shalt know that to die thou shalt die." Shimei could not say that he had not been plainly warned]: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. Cf. Leviticus 20:9, and especially Joshua 2:19; also ver. 31 of this chapter.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
On the day
בְּי֣וֹם (bə·yō·wm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

you go out
צֵאתְךָ֗ (ṣê·ṯə·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

and cross
וְעָֽבַרְתָּ֙ (wə·‘ā·ḇar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

the Kidron
קִדְר֔וֹן (qiḏ·rō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6939: Kidron -- perhaps 'dusky', a wadi East of Jerusalem

Valley,
נַ֣חַל (na·ḥal)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft

know for sure
יָדֹ֥עַ (yā·ḏō·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you will die;
מ֣וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

your blood
דָּמְךָ֖ (dā·mə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

will be
וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

on your own head.”
בְרֹאשֶֽׁךָ׃ (ḇə·rō·še·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head


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OT History: 1 Kings 2:37 For on the day you go out (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 2:36
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