1 Kings 2:1-21 ▼

1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die; and he commanded Solomon his son, saying,

2 |I am going the way of all the earth. You be strong therefore, and show yourself a man;

3 and keep the instruction of the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn yourself.

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

5 |Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, even 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 killed, avenging the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on my belt that was about my waist, and on my sandal that was on my foot.

6 Do therefore according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol 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 came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

8 |Look, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in 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 do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.|

10 David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David.

11 The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

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

13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and did homage to her. And she said, |Do you come peaceably?| And he said, |Peaceably.|

14 He said moreover, |I have something to tell you.| She said, |Say on.|

15 He said, |You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign. However the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother's; for it was his from the LORD.

16 Now I ask one petition of you. Do not deny me.| She said to him, |Say on.|

17 He said, |Please speak to Solomon the king (for he will not tell you 'no'), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.|

18 Bathsheba said, |Alright. I will speak for you to the king.|

19 Bathsheba therefore went to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 Then she said, |I ask one small petition of you; do not deny me.| The king said to her, |Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you.|

21 She said, |Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.|