1 Kings 2:1–18

¹And draw near do the days of David to die, and he chargeth Solomon his son, saying, ²‘I am going in the way of all the earth, and thou hast been strong, and become a man, ³and kept the charge of Jehovah thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commands, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that thou dost wisely all that thou dost, and whithersoever thou turnest, ⁴so that Jehovah doth establish His word which He spake unto me, saying, If thy sons observe their way to walk before Me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul; saying, There is not cut off a man of thine from the throne of Israel.

⁵‘And also, thou hast known that which he did to me—Joab son of Zeruiah—that which he did to two heads of the hosts of Israel, to Abner son of Ner, and to Amasa son of Jether—that he slayeth them, and maketh the blood of war in peace, and putteth the blood of war in his girdle, that is on his loins, and in his sandals that are on his feet; ⁶and thou hast done according to thy wisdom, and dost not let his old age go down in peace to Sheol.

⁷‘And to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite thou dost do kindness, and they have been among those eating at thy table, for so they drew near unto me in my fleeing from the face of Absalom thy brother.

⁸‘And lo, with thee is Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, and he reviled me—a grievous reviling—in the day of my going to Mahanaim; and he hath come down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swear to him by Jehovah, saying, I do not put thee to death by the sword; ⁹and now, acquit him not, for a wise man thou art, and thou hast known that which thou dost to him, and hast brought down his old age with blood to Sheol.’ ¹⁰And David lieth down with his fathers, and is buried in the city of David, ¹¹and the days that David hath reigned over Israel are forty years, in Hebron he hath reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem he hath reigned thirty and three years.

¹²And Solomon hath sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom is established greatly, ¹³and Adonijah son of Haggith cometh in unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, and she saith, ‘Is thy coming peace?’ and he saith, ‘Peace.’ ¹⁴And he saith, ‘I have a word unto thee,’ and she saith, ‘Speak.’ ¹⁵And he saith, ‘Thou hast known that the kingdom was mine, and towards me set their faces had all Israel for reigning, and the kingdom is turned round about, and is my brother’s, for from Jehovah it was his; ¹⁶and now, one petition I am asking of thee—turn not back my face;’ and she saith unto him, ‘Speak.’ ¹⁷And he saith, ‘Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, for he doth not turn back thy face, and he doth give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.’ ¹⁸And Bath-Sheba saith, ‘Good; I do speak for thee unto the king.’