1Kings 2
2When David was about to die, he called his son Solomon and gave him his last instructions:H3117H1732H7126H4191H6680H8010H1121H5592"My time to die has come. Be confident and determined,H1980H1870H776H2388H3763and do what the LORD your God orders you to do. Obey all his laws and commands, as written in the Law of Moses, so that wherever you go you may prosper in everything you do.H8104H4931H3068H430H3212H1870H8104H2708H4687H4941H5715H3789H8451H4872H7919H6213H64374If you obey him, the LORD will keep the promise he made when he told me that my descendants would rule Israel as long as they were careful to obey his commands faithfully with all their heart and soul.H3068H6965H1697H1696H559H1121H8104H1870H3212H6440H571H3824H5315H3772H559H376H3678H34785"There is something else. You remember what Joab did to me by killing the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. You remember how he murdered them in time of peace as revenge for deaths they had caused in time of war. He killed innocent men, and now I bear the responsibility for what he did, and I suffer the consequences.H3045H3097H1121H6870H6213H6213H8147H8269H6635H3478H74H1121H5369H6021H1121H3500H2026H7760H1818H4421H7965H5414H1818H4421H2290H4975H5275H72726You know what to do; you must not let him die a natural death.H6213H2451H7872H3381H7585H79657"But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead and take care of them, because they were kind to me when I was fleeing from your brother Absalom.H6213H2617H1121H1271H1569H398H7979H7126H1272H6440H53H2518"There is also Shimei son of Gera, from the town of Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me bitterly the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he met me at the Jordan River, I gave him my solemn promise in the name of the LORD that I would not have him killed.H8096H1121H1617H1145H980H7043H4834H7045H3117H3212H4266H3381H7125H3383H7650H3068H559H4191H27199But you must not let him go unpunished. You know what to do, and you must see to it that he is put to death."H5352H2450H376H3045H6213H7872H3381H7585H181810David died and was buried in David's City.H1732H7901H1H6912H5892H173211He had been king of Israel for forty years, ruling seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.H3117H1732H4427H3478H705H8141H7651H8141H4427H2275H7970H7969H8141H4427H338912Solomon succeeded his father David as king, and his royal power was firmly established.H3427H8010H3678H1732H1H4438H3559H396613Then Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, went to Bathsheba, who was Solomon's mother. "Is this a friendly visit?" she asked. "It is," he answered,H138H1121H2294H935H1339H517H8010H559H935H7965H559H796514and then he added, "I have something to ask of you." "What is it?" she asked.H559H1697H559H169615He answered, "You know that I should have become king and that everyone in Israel expected it. But it happened differently, and my brother became king because it was the LORD's will.H559H3045H4410H3478H7760H6440H4427H4410H5437H251H306816And now I have one request to make; please do not refuse me." "What is it?" Bathsheba asked.H7592H259H7596H7725H6440H559H169617He answered, "Please ask King Solomon - I know he won't refuse you - to let me have Abishag, the young woman from Shunem, as my wife."H559H559H8010H4428H7725H6440H7725H5414H49H7767H80218"Very well," she answered. "I will speak to the king for you."H1339H559H2896H1696H442819So Bathsheba went to the king to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. The king stood up to greet his mother and bowed to her. Then he sat on his throne and had another one brought in on which she sat at his right.H1339H935H4428H8010H1696H138H4428H6965H7125H7812H3427H3678H3678H7760H4428H517H3427H322520She said, "I have a small favor to ask of you; please do not refuse me." "What is it, mother?" he asked. "I will not refuse you."H559H7592H259H6996H7596H7725H6440H7725H4428H559H7592H517H7725H6440H772521She answered, "Let your brother Adonijah have Abishag as his wife."H559H49H7767H5414H138H251H80222"Why do you ask me to give Abishag to him?" the king asked. "You might as well ask me to give him the throne too. After all, he is my older brother, and Abiathar the priest and Joab are on his side!"H4428H8010H6030H559H517H7592H49H7767H138H7592H4410H1419H251H54H3548H3097H1121H687023Then Solomon made a solemn promise in the LORD's name, "May God strike me dead if I don't make Adonijah pay with his life for asking this!H4428H8010H7650H3068H559H430H6213H3254H138H1696H1697H531524The LORD has firmly established me on the throne of my father David; he has kept his promise and given the kingdom to me and my descendants. I swear by the living LORD that Adonijah will die this very day!"H3068H2416H3559H3427H3678H1732H1H6213H1004H1696H138H4191H311725So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah, who went out and killed Adonijah.H4428H8010H7971H3027H1141H1121H3077H6293H419126Then King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, "Go to your country home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not have you put to death now, for you were in charge of the LORD's Covenant Box while you were with my father David, and you shared in all his troubles."H54H3548H559H4428H3212H6068H7704H376H4194H3117H4191H5375H727H136H3069H6440H1732H1H6031H1H603127Then Solomon dismissed Abiathar from serving as a priest of the LORD, and so made come true what the LORD had said in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his descendants.H8010H1644H54H3548H3068H4390H1697H3068H1696H1004H5941H788728Joab heard what had happened. (He had supported Adonijah, but not Absalom.) So he fled to the Tent of the LORD's presence and took hold of the corners of the altar.H8052H935H3097H3097H5186H310H138H5186H310H53H3097H5127H168H3068H2388H7161H419629When the news reached King Solomon that Joab had fled to the Tent and was by the altar, Solomon sent a messenger to Joab to ask him why he had fled to the altar. Joab answered that he had fled to the LORD because he was afraid of Solomon. So King Solomon sent Benaiah to kill Joab.H5046H4428H8010H3097H5127H168H3068H681H4196H8010H7971H1141H1121H3077H559H3212H629330He went to the Tent of the LORD's presence and said to Joab, "The king orders you to come out." "No," Joab answered. "I will die here." Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said.H1141H935H168H3068H559H559H4428H3318H559H4191H1141H7725H4428H1697H7725H559H1696H3097H603031"Do what Joab says," Solomon answered. "Kill him and bury him. Then neither I nor any other of David's descendants will any longer be held responsible for what Joab did when he killed innocent men.H4428H559H6213H1696H6293H6912H5493H2600H1818H3097H8210H1004H132The LORD will punish Joab for those murders, which he committed without my father David's knowledge. Joab killed two innocent men who were better men than he: Abner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, commander of the army of Judah.H3068H7725H1818H7218H6293H8147H582H6662H2896H2026H2719H1H1732H3045H74H1121H5369H8269H6635H3478H6021H1121H3500H8269H6635H306333The punishment for their murders will fall on Joab and on his descendants forever. But the LORD will always give success to David's descendants who sit on his throne."H1818H7725H7218H3097H7218H2233H5769H1732H2233H1004H3678H7965H5704H5769H306834So Benaiah went to the Tent of the LORD's presence and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the open country.H1141H1121H3077H5927H6293H4191H6912H1004H405735The king made Benaiah commander of the army in Joab's place and put Zadok the priest in Abiathar's place.H4428H5414H1141H1121H3077H6635H6659H3548H4428H5414H5436Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, "Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Live in it and don't leave the city.H4428H7971H7121H8096H559H1129H1004H3389H3427H3318H57537If you ever leave and go beyond Kidron Brook, you will certainly die - and you yourself will be to blame."H3117H3318H5674H5158H6939H3045H3045H4191H4191H1818H721838"Very well, Your Majesty," Shimei answered. "I will do what you say." So he lived in Jerusalem a long time.H8096H559H4428H1697H2896H113H4428H1696H5650H6213H8096H3427H3389H7227H311739Three years later, however, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to the king of Gath, Achish son of Maacah. When Shimei heard that they were in Gath,H7093H7969H8141H8147H5650H8096H1272H397H1121H4601H4428H1661H5046H8096H559H5650H166140he saddled his donkey and went to King Achish in Gath, to find his slaves. He found them and brought them back home.H8096H6965H2280H2543H3212H1661H397H1245H5650H8096H3212H935H5650H166141When Solomon heard what Shimei had done,H5046H8010H8096H1980H3389H1661H772542he sent for him and said, "I made you promise in the LORD's name not to leave Jerusalem. And I warned you that if you ever did, you would certainly die. Did you not agree to it and say that you would obey me?H4428H7971H7121H8096H559H7650H3068H5749H559H3045H3045H3117H3318H1980H575H4191H4191H559H1697H8085H289643Why, then, have you broken your promise and disobeyed my command?H8104H7621H3068H4687H668044You know very well all the wrong that you did to my father David. The LORD will punish you for it.H4428H559H8096H3045H7451H3824H3045H6213H1732H1H3068H7725H7451H721845But he will bless me, and he will make David's kingdom secure forever."H4428H8010H1288H3678H1732H3559H6440H3068H5704H576946Then the king gave orders to Benaiah, who went out and killed Shimei. Solomon was now in complete control.H4428H6680H1141H1121H3077H3318H6293H4191H4467H3559H3027H8010
Columbus, OH
