1 Kings 2:1-21 ▼

1 NOW the days of David to die drew near; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2 I go the way of all the earth; be strong therefore, and show yourself a man;

3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God, and walk in his ways and keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and succeed wherever you go;

4 That the LORD may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If your children take heed to their ways, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.

5 Now, you know also what Joab the son of Zoriah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew and considered them as though they were in the battle, and shed their blood with the sword that was about his loins and trampled upon it with the shoes that were on his feet.

6 Do to him therefore according to your wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace.

7 But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those who eat at your table; for so they ministered to me in everything when I fled from Absalom your brother.

8 And, behold, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, of the tribe of Benjamin, of the house of Horim, who cursed me with grievous curses on the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword.

9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless; for you are a wise man, and know what you ought to do to him; and bring his folly on his head; and you shall bring down his hoary head with blood to Sheol.

10 So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.

11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.

12 Then Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was firmly established.

13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said to him, Have you come in peace? And he said, In peace.

14 Then he said to her, I have something to say to you. And she said to him, Say on.

15 And he said to her, You know that the kingdom rightly was mine, and that all Israel were looking forward to me to be king over them; but the kingdom was taken from me and is become my brother's; for it was his from the LORD.

16 And now I make one petition of you, do not refuse me. And she said to him, Say on.

17 And he said to her, Speak to King Solomon (for he will not refuse you) that he give me Abishag the Shilommite to wife.

18 And Bath-sheba said, Very well; I will speak for you to the king.

19 Bath-sheba therefore went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed himself to her and then sat on his throne, and they brought a chair for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of you; do not refuse me. And the king said to her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not refuse you.

21 And she said to him, Let Abishag the Shilommite be given to Adonijah your brother to wife.