1 Kings 2:21-46 ▼

21 And she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammitess be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.”

22 And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammitess for Adonijah? And also ask for him the kingdom—for he is older brother to me—even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.”

23 And King Solomon swore by YHWH, saying, “Thus may do to me God, and thus may He add, if against his own life Adonijah has not spoken this word.

24 And now as YHWH lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has established for me a house as He promised, surely today Adonijah shall be put to death.”

25 And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.

26 And to Abiathar the priest said the king, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields. For you are deserving of death, and at this time I will not put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord YHWH before the face of David my father, and because you were afflicted in all that my father was afflicted.”

27 And Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to YHWH, that he might fulfill the word of YHWH that He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.

28 And the report came to Joab, for Joab had turned aside to Adonijah, and after Absalom he had not turned aside. And Joab fled to the tabernacle of YHWH and took hold of the horns of the altar.

29 And it was declared to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tabernacle of YHWH, and behold, he was by the altar. And Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, fall upon him.”

30 And Benaiah went to the tabernacle of YHWH and said to him, “Thus says the king: ‘Come out.’” And he said, “No, but here I will die.” And Benaiah brought back to the king word, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.”

31 And the king said to him, “Do as he has said and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away the innocent blood that Joab shed from me and from the house of my father.

32 And YHWH will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and he killed them with the sword—and my father David knew it not—Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah.

33 And their blood shall return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his seed forever. And upon David and his seed, and upon his house and his throne there shall be peace even to forever from YHWH.”

34 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck him and killed him, and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35 And the king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and Zadok the priest the king put in the place of Abiathar.

36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and he said to him, “Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there where and where.

37 For it will come to pass on the day you go out and pass over the Kidron Brook, that you will surely know that you will surely die; your blood will be on your own head.”

38 And Shimei said to the king, “The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

39 And it came to pass at the end of three years that two slaves of Shimei fled to Achish son of Maacah king of Gath. And they declared to Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.”

40 And Shimei arose and saddled his donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath.

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

42 And the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did not I make you swear by YHWH and give warning to you, saying, ‘On the day of your going out when you travel where and where, you will surely know that you will surely die’? and you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’

43 And why have not you kept the oath of YHWH and the commandment that I commanded concerning you?”

44 And the king said to Shimei, “You know all the evil that your heart has known, that you did to David my father; and YHWH will return your evil on your head.

45 And King Solomon is blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the face of YHWH even to forever.”

46 And the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck down him, and he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.