1
Now the days of David drew near that he should die; and he charged Shlomo his son, saying,
2
I am going the way of all the eretz: be you strong therefore, and show yourself a man;
3
and keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, [and] his mitzvot, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moshe, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn yourself.
4
That the LORD may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If your 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 you (said he) a man on the throne of Yisra'el.
5
Moreover you know also what Yo'av the son of Tzeru'yah did to me, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Yisra'el, to Aviner the son of Ner, and to `Amasa the son of Yeter, whom he killed, and shed the blood of war in shalom, and put the blood of war on his sash that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
6
Do therefore according to your wisdom, and don't let his gray head go down to She'ol in shalom.
7
But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gil`adite, and let them be of those who eat at your table; for so they came to me when I fled from Avshalom your brother.
8
Behold, there is with you Shim`i the son of Gera, the Binyamini, of Bachurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Machanayim; but he came down to meet me at the Yarden, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword.
9
Now therefore don't hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down to She'ol with blood.
10
David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.