1 Kings 2:1–18

Now ^athe days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, ^2bI go the way of all the earth: ^cbe thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; ³And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest ^d||prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: ⁴That the Lord may ^econtinue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, ^fIf thy children take heed to their way, to ^gwalk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, ^hthere shall not ^†fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. ⁵Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah ⁱdid to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto ^kAbner the son of Ner, and unto ^lAmasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and ^†shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. ⁶Do therefore ^maccording to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. ⁷But shew kindness unto the sons of ⁿBarzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that ^oeat at thy table: for so ^pthey came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. ⁸And, behold, thou hast with thee ^qShimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a ^†grievous curse in the day when I went to ^rMahanaim: but ^she came down to meet me at Jordan, and ^tI sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. ⁹Now therefore ^uhold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head ^wbring thou down to the grave with blood. ¹⁰So ^xDavid slept with his fathers, and was buried in ^ythe city of David. ¹¹And the days that David ^zreigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

^12aThen sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly. ^13*And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, ^bComest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. ¹⁴He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. ¹⁵And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was ^cmine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for ^dit was his from the Lord. ¹⁶And now I ask one petition of thee, ^†deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. ¹⁷And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me ^eAbishag the ^fShunammite to wife. ¹⁸And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.