1 Kings 2 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

When David's time to die drew near, he gave instructions to his son Solomon:

"I'm about to go the way everyone goes. Be strong and prove yourself a man.

Guard what Yahweh your God requires: walk in his ways, keep his laws, his commands, his rules, and his instructions — as written in the Law of Moses — so that you'll succeed in everything you do and everywhere you turn.

Then Yahweh will keep the promise he made to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live — walking faithfully before me with all their heart and all their soul — you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

"You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me — what he did to the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He murdered them, shedding wartime blood during peacetime, staining the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet with innocent blood.

Deal with him according to your wisdom, but don't let his gray head go down to the grave in peace."

"But show loyal kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead — let them eat at your table — because they stood by me when I was running from your brother Absalom."

"And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim. He cursed me with a terrible curse the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by Yahweh: 'I will not put you to death by the sword.'

But now, don't let him go unpunished. You're a wise man — you'll know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood."

Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.

David had reigned over Israel for forty years — seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

Now Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She asked, "Do you come in peace?" He said, "Yes, in peace."

Then he said, "I have something to say to you." She replied, "Go ahead."

He said, "You know that the kingdom was mine — all Israel expected me to be king. But things turned around, and the kingdom went to my brother instead, because Yahweh gave it to him.

Now I have one request to make of you. Don't refuse me." She said, "Go ahead."

He said, "Please ask King Solomon — he won't refuse you — to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."

"Very well," Bathsheba replied. "I'll speak to the king for you."

So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah's behalf. The king stood up to meet her, bowed to her, and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat at his right hand.

She said, "I have one small request for you. Don't refuse me." The king said to her, "Ask, Mother. I won't refuse you."

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

King Solomon answered his mother, "Why are you asking for Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well ask for the kingdom for him too! After all, he's my older brother — and he has the priest Abiathar and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side!"

Then King Solomon swore by Yahweh: "May God deal with me, and worse, if Adonijah hasn't paid for this request with his life!

Now — as surely as Yahweh lives, who established me and set me on the throne of my father David and built me a dynasty just as he promised — Adonijah will be put to death today!"

So King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck Adonijah down, and he died.

To the priest Abiathar, the king said, "Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I won't put you to death right now, because you carried the ark of the Lord Yahweh before my father David, and because you shared in all the hardships my father endured."

So Solomon removed Abiathar from serving as Yahweh's priest — fulfilling the word Yahweh had spoken at Shiloh about the family of Eli.

When the news reached Joab — who had sided with Adonijah, though not with Absalom — Joab fled to the tent of Yahweh and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.

King Solomon was told, "Joab has fled to the tent of Yahweh and is right there beside the altar." Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, strike him down."

So Benaiah went to the tent of Yahweh and said to him, "The king says, 'Come out.'" But Joab said, "No. I'll die here." So Benaiah reported back to the king: "This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me."

The king told him, "Do what he says — strike him down and bury him. This will remove from me and from my father's family the guilt of the innocent blood Joab shed.

Yahweh will bring his blood back on his own head, because he struck down two men more just and better than himself — killing them with the sword without my father David's knowledge — Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army.

Their blood will come back on Joab's head and on the heads of his descendants forever. But for David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne — may there be peace from Yahweh forever."

Then Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck Joab down, and killed him. He was buried at his home in the wilderness.

The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada in charge of the army in Joab's place, and he put the priest Zadok in Abiathar's place.

Then the king sent for Shimei and told him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there. Don't leave the city for any reason.

The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for certain that you will die. Your blood will be on your own head."

Shimei said to the king, "That sounds fair. Your servant will do as my lord the king says." And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

But three years later, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. When Shimei was told, "Your slaves are in Gath,"

he saddled his donkey and went to Achish in Gath to find his slaves. Shimei went and brought his slaves back from Gath.

When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back,

the king sent for Shimei and said to him, "Didn't I make you swear by Yahweh? Didn't I warn you clearly: 'The day you leave and go anywhere at all, know for certain you will die'? And you said to me, 'That sounds fair. I agree.'

So why didn't you keep the oath you swore before Yahweh, and the order I gave you?"

The king also said to Shimei, "You know — in your own heart you know — all the harm you did to my father David. Now Yahweh is bringing your wrongdoing back on your own head.

But King Solomon will be empowered with favor, and the throne of David will be established before Yahweh forever."

Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out, struck Shimei down, and he died. And the kingdom was firmly in Solomon's grip.