1Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die ; and he charged Solomon his son , saying , 2I go the way of all the earth : be 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 prosper in all that thou doest , and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: 4That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying , If thy children take heed to their way , to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul , there shall not fail thee ( said he) a man on the throne of Israel . 5Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel , unto Abner the son of Ner , and unto Amasa 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 according to thy wisdom , and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace . 7But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite , and let them be of those that eat at thy table : for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother . 8And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera , a Benjamite of Bahurim , which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim : but he came down to meet me at Jordan , and I sware to him by the LORD , saying , I will not put thee to death with the sword . 9Now therefore hold him not guiltless : for thou art a wise man , and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood .
Solomon's Ascension to the Throne
10So David slept with his fathers , and was buried in the city of David . 11And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years : seven years reigned he in Hebron , and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem . 12Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father ; and his kingdom was established greatly .
Solomon's Wisdom and Actions
13And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon . And she said , Comest 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 mine, 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 it 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 Abishag the Shunammite to wife . 18And Bath-sheba said , Well ; I will speak for thee unto the king . 19Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon , to speak unto him for Adonijah . And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne , and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother ; and she sat on his right hand . 20Then she said , I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee , say me not nay . And the king said unto her, Ask on , my mother : for I will not say thee nay . 21And she said , Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife . 22And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother , And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah ? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother ; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest , and for Joab the son of Zeruiah . 23Then king Solomon sware by the LORD , saying , God do so to me, and more also , if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life . 24Now therefore, as the LORD liveth , which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father , and who hath made me an house , as he promised , Adonijah shall be put to death this day . 25And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ; and he fell upon him that he died .
The Establishment of Solomon's Rule
26And unto Abiathar the priest said the king , Get thee to Anathoth , unto thine own fields ; for thou art worthy of death : but I will not at this time put thee to death , because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father , and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted . 27So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD ; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD , which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh . 28Then tidings came to Joab : for Joab had turned after Adonijah , though he turned not after Absalom . And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD , and caught hold on the horns of the altar . 29And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD ; and, behold, he is by the altar . Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , saying , Go , fall upon him. 30And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD , and said unto him, Thus saith the king , Come forth . And he said , Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again , saying , Thus said Joab , and thus he answered me. 31And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said , and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood , which Joab shed , from me, and from the house of my father . 32And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head , who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword , my father David not knowing thereof, to wit , Abner the son of Ner , captain of the host of Israel , and Amasa the son of Jether , captain of the host of Judah . 33Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab , and upon the head of his seed for ever : but upon David , and upon his seed , and upon his house , and upon his throne , shall there be peace for ever from the LORD . 34So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up , and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness . 35And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host : and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar . 36And the king sent and called for Shimei , and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem , and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither . 37For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out , and passest over the brook Kidron , thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die : thy blood shall be upon thine own head . 38And Shimei said unto the king , The saying is good : as my lord the king hath said , so will thy servant do . And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days . 39And it came to pass at the end of three years , that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath . And they told Shimei , saying , Behold, thy servants be in Gath . 40And Shimei arose , and saddled his ass , and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants : and Shimei went , and brought his servants from Gath . 41And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath , and was come again . 42And the king sent and called for Shimei , and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD , and protested unto thee, saying , Know for a certain , on the day thou goest out , and walkest abroad any whither , that thou shalt surely die ? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good . 43Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD , and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 44The king said moreover to Shimei , Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to , that thou didst to David my father : therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head ; 45And king Solomon shall be blessed , and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever . 46So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ; which went out , and fell upon him, that he died . And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon .