22
KingSolomonanswered and said to his mother, "And why are you askingAbishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? 1Ask for him also the kingdom -2for he is my olderbrother -even for him, for 3Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!"
23
Then KingSolomonswore by the LORD, saying, "May Goddoso to me and more also, ifAdonijah has 4not spokenthisword against his own life.
24
"Now therefore, as the LORDlives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and 5who has made me a house as He promised, surelyAdonijah shall be put to deathtoday."
25
So KingSolomon6sentBenaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.
26
Then to Abiathar the priest the kingsaid, "7Go to Anathoth to your own field, 8for you deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at thistime, because9you carried the ark of the LordGODbefore my fatherDavid, and because10you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted."
27
So SolomondismissedAbiathar from beingpriest to the LORD, in order to fulfill11the word of the LORD, which He had spokenconcerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
Joab Executed
28 Now the newscame to Joab, 12for Joab had followed*Adonijah, 13although he had not followed*Absalom. And Joabfled to the tent of the LORD and 14tookhold of the horns of the altar.
29
It was toldKingSolomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon15sentBenaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "16Go, fall upon him."
30
So Benaiahcame to the tent of the LORD and said to him, "Thus the king has said, 'Come out.' " But he said, "No, for I will diehere." And Benaiahbrought the kingwordagain, saying, "ThusspokeJoab, and thus he answered me."
31
The kingsaid to him, "17Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, 18that you may remove from me and from my father'shouse the bloodwhichJoabshedwithoutcause.
32
"19The LORD will return his blood on his own head, 20because he fell upon twomenmorerighteous and betterthan he and killed them with the sword, while my fatherDavid did not know it: 21Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and 22Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.