1As the time of David's death drew near, he commanded his son Solomon,
2"I am about to die, as everyone does. So be strong and prove yourself a man.
3Obey the commands of Yahweh your God. Live according to his ways and keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as written in the Law of Moses. Then you will prosper in everything you do and wherever you go.
4Then Yahweh will keep the promise he made to me, saying, ‘If your children are careful to live according to my ways, truly and wholeheartedly, then you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’
5Also, you 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 in peacetime, spilling the blood of war, and stained his belt and sandals with their blood.
6So use your wisdom. Don’t let his old age bring him peacefully to the grave.
7But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite. Let them be a part of those who eat at your table, because they supported me when I ran away from your brother Absalom.
8Remember Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim. He cursed me severely the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore to him by Yahweh that I would not kill him with a sword.
9Now, don't consider him innocent. You are a wise man and will know how to deal with him, and you must bring his old age down to the grave violently.
10David died and was buried in the City of David.
11David ruled over Israel for 40 years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem.
12Solomon took his father David's place on the throne, and his kingdom became very strong.
13Then Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Are you coming in peace?” He answered, “Yes, in peace.”
14He added, “I have something to tell you.” She said, “Go ahead.”
15He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel expected me to be king. But things have changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother, because Yahweh intended it for him.
16Now I have one request for you. Please don't refuse me.” She told him, “Go ahead.”
17He said, “Please ask King Solomon (because he won’t say no to you) to give me Abishag the Shunammite to be my wife.”
18Bathsheba said, “All right. I will speak to the king for you.”
19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak with him for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her and bowed to her. Then he sat on his throne and had another throne brought for his mother, and she sat at his right side.
20Then she said, “I have one small request for you. Please don’t refuse me.” The king replied, “Ask away, my mother, because I will not refuse you.”
21She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”
22King 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, since he is my older brother, and he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.”
23Then King Solomon made a promise by Yahweh, saying, “May God punish me severely if Adonijah did not speak this against his own life.
24Therefore, as surely as Yahweh lives, who has established me and set me on my father David’s throne, and who has built me a royal family as he promised, Adonijah will certainly be put to death today.”
25King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who attacked Adonijah, and he died.
26The king also said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to Anathoth, to your own fields. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the ark of the Lord Yahweh before my father David, and you shared in all the hardships my father experienced.”
27So Solomon removed Abiathar from his position as priest to Yahweh. This fulfilled the promise Yahweh had made about Eli’s family in Shiloh.
28Joab heard this news. Joab had supported Adonijah, though he had not supported Absalom. Joab fled to Yahweh’s Tent and grabbed onto the horns of the altar.
29King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to Yahweh’s Tent and is by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, telling him, “Go, kill him.”
30Benaiah went to Yahweh’s Tent and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” Benaiah reported back to the king, saying, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.”
31The king said to Benaiah, “Do as he said. Kill him and bury him. This will remove from me and my father’s family the guilt for the innocent blood Joab shed.
32Yahweh will make him pay for his own actions because he attacked and killed with a sword two men who were more righteous and better than he was—Abner son of Ner, the commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, the commander of Judah’s army. My father David didn’t know about these killings.
33So their blood will be on Joab’s head and on his descendants’ heads forever. But for David, his descendants, his family, and his throne, there will be lasting peace from Yahweh.”
34Then Benaiah son of Jehoiada went and struck Joab down, killing him. Joab was buried at his house in the wilderness.
35The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada as commander of the army in Joab’s place. The king also appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.
36The king sent for Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, live there, and do not go anywhere else.
37Because on the day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die. You will be responsible for your own death.”
38Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do just as my lord the king has said.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.
39After three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, the king of Gath. Someone told Shimei, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.”
40Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to find his slaves. Shimei went and brought his slaves back from Gath.
41Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.
42The king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Didn’t I make you swear by Yahweh and warn you, saying, ‘Be absolutely sure that on the day you leave and go anywhere else, you will die’? And you replied to me, ‘What I have heard is good.’
43Why then have you not kept the oath to Yahweh and the command I gave you?”
44The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the evil you did to my father David. Therefore, Yahweh will make you pay for your wickedness.
45But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will be secure before Yahweh forever.”
46So the king gave an order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. The kingdom was then firmly established under Solomon’s rule.