David’s Instructions to Solomon

2 Now athe days of David drew near that he should die, and he 1charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 b“I go the way of all the earth; cbe strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may dprosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 4 that the Lord may efulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, f‘If your sons take heed to their way, to gwalk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, h‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

5 “Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah idid to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to jAbner the son of Ner and kAmasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. 6 Therefore do laccording to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.

7 “But show kindness to the sons of mBarzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who neat at your table, for so othey came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

8 “And see, you have with you pShimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But qhe came down to meet me at the Jordan, and rI swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 Now therefore, sdo not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but tbring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.”