Parallel Bible results for "1 kings 2"

1 Kings 2

Common English Bible CEB

1 David's time was coming to an end. So he commanded Solomon his son,

2 "I'm following the path that the whole earth takes. Be strong and be a man.

3 Guard what is owed to the LORD your God, walking in his ways and observing his laws, his commands, his judgments, and his testimonies, just as it is written in the Instruction from Moses. In this way you will succeed in whatever you do and wherever you go.

4 So also the LORD will confirm the word he spoke to me: ‘If your children will take care to walk before me faithfully, with all their heart and all their being, then one of your own children will never fail to be on the throne of Israel.'

5 You should know what Joab, Zeruiah's son, has done to me and what he did to the two generals of Israel, Abner, Ner's son, and Amasa, Jether's son. He murdered them, spilling blood at peacetime and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet.

6 So act wisely: Don't allow him to die a peaceful death.

7 As for Barzillai's sons from Gilead, show them kindness. Let them eat with you. When I was running away from your brother Absalom, they came to me.

8 Now as for this Shimei, Gera's son—a Benjaminite from Bahurim—who is with you, he cursed me viciously when I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, ‘Surely I won't execute you with the sword.'

9 But you don't need to excuse him. You are wise and know what to do to him. Give him a violent death."

10 Then David lay down with his ancestors and was buried in David's City.

11 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

12 Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his royal power was well established.

13 Adonijah, Haggith's son, went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She said, "Are you coming in peace?" He said, "Yes.

14 I have something to say to you." She said, "Say it."

15 He said, "You know how the kingdom was mine. All Israel had appointed me as their king. Then suddenly the kingdom went to my brother as the LORD willed.

16 Now I have just one request of you. Don't refuse me!" She said to him, "Go on."

17 Adonijah continued, "Ask King Solomon to let me marry Abishag from Shunem—he won't refuse you."

18 Bathsheba said, "Okay; I'll speak to the king for you."

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to talk with him about Adonijah. The king stood up to meet her and bowed low to her. Then he returned to his throne and had a throne set up for the queen mother. She sat to his right.

20 She said, "I have just one small request for you. Don't refuse me." The king said to her, "Mother, ask me. I won't refuse you."

21 "Let Abishag from Shunem be married to your brother Adonijah," she said.

22 King Solomon replied to his mother, "Why ask only for Abishag from Shunem for Adonijah? Why not ask for the entire kingdom for him? After all, he is my older brother and has the support of Abiathar the priest and Joab, Zeruiah's son."

23 King Solomon swore by the LORD, "May God do to me as he sees fit! Adonijah has made this request at the cost of his life!

24 Now, as surely as the LORD lives—the one who supported me, put me on the throne of my father David, and provided a royal house for me exactly as he promised—Adonijah will be executed today."

25 So King Solomon sent Benaiah, Jehoiada's son. He attacked Adonijah, and Adonijah died.

26 The king said to the priest Abiathar, "Go to your fields at Anathoth, because you are a condemned man. However, I won't kill you today because you carried the LORD's chest in front of my father David and because you shared in all my father's sufferings."

27 So Solomon expelled Abiathar from the LORD's priesthood in order to fulfill the LORD's word that was spoken against Eli's family at Shiloh.

28 Now the news reached Joab because he had supported Adonijah, though he hadn't supported Absalom. Joab ran to the LORD's tent and grabbed the horns of the altar.

29 King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the LORD's tent and was now beside the altar. So Solomon sent Benaiah, Jehoiada's son, instructing him, "Go. Attack Joab!"

30 Benaiah came to the LORD's tent and said to Joab, "The king says, ‘Come out!'" Joab said, "No! I'd rather die here." Benaiah sent a report back to the king: "This is what Joab said and how he answered me."

31 The king said to him, "Do as he said. Attack him and then bury him. In doing this, you will remove from me and from my father's royal house the guilt over the innocent blood that Joab shed.

32 May the LORD return that bloodguilt back on his own head for attacking the two men who were better and more righteous than he was. He murdered those two with the sword: Abner, Ner's son and Israel's general, and Amasa, Jether's son and Judah's general. But my father David didn't know about it.

33 May the bloodguilt for their deaths return on Joab's head and on the head of his family line forever. But may the LORD's peace be on David, his family, and his royal house forever."

34 So Benaiah, Jehoiada's son, went and attacked Joab and killed him. Joab was buried at his home in the wilderness.

35 In his place, the king gave leadership of the army to Benaiah, Jehoiada's son. The king put the priest Zadok in Abiathar's position.

36 Then he sent for Shimei and said, "Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and stay in the city. Don't leave to go anywhere else.

37 If you try to leave, be advised that on the day you cross the Kidron Valley you will most certainly die. Your bloodguilt will be on your own head."

38 Shimei said to the king, "This is a good idea. Your servant will do just what my master the king said." So Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

39 After three years, two of Shimei's servants fled to the king of Gath, Achish, Maacah's son. Shimei was informed, "Your servants are now in Gath."

40 Shimei saddled his donkey and went to Achish in Gath to look for his servants. Shimei then brought his servants back from Gath.

41 Solomon was told that Shimei had left Jerusalem for Gath and then returned.

42 The king sent for Shimei and asked him, "Didn't I make you swear a solemn pledge by the LORD? And didn't I swear to you, ‘If you try to leave and go anywhere, be advised that on that very day you will most certainly die'? You said to me, ‘This is a good idea. I agree to it.'

43 Why didn't you keep your solemn promise to the LORD and the command that I gave you?"

44 The king said further, "You know quite well all the evil that you did to my father David. May the LORD return your evil on your own head.

45 However, may King Solomon be blessed and David's throne be secure before the LORD forever."

46 Then the king commanded Benaiah, Jehoiada's son, who went and attacked Shimei, and he died. In these ways royal power was handed over to Solomon.

The Message Bible MSG

1 When David's time to die approached, he charged his son Solomon, saying,

2 "I'm about to go the way of all the earth, but you - be strong; show what you're made of!

3 Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go.

4 Then God will confirm what he promised me when he said, 'If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you'll always have a successor on Israel's throne.'

5 "And don't forget what Joab son of Zeruiah did to the two commanders of Israel's army, to Abner son of Ner and to Amasa son of Jether. He murdered them in cold blood, acting in peacetime as if he were at war, and has been stained with that blood ever since.

6 Do what you think best with him, but by no means let him get off scot-free - make him pay.

7 "But be generous to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite - extend every hospitality to them; that's the way they treated me when I was running for my life from Absalom your brother.

8 "You also will have to deal with Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim, the one who cursed me so viciously when I was on my way to Mahanaim. Later, when he welcomed me back at the Jordan, I promised him under God, 'I won't put you to death.'

9 But neither should you treat him as if nothing ever happened. You're wise, you know how to handle these things. You'll know what to do to make him pay before he dies."

10 Then David joined his ancestors. He was buried in the City of David.

11 David ruled Israel for forty years - seven years in Hebron and another thirty-three in Jerusalem.

12 Solomon took over on the throne of his father David; he had a firm grip on the kingdom.

13 Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She said, "Do you come in peace?"

14 And then, "May I say something to you?" "Go ahead," she said, "speak."

15 "You know that I had the kingdom right in my hands and everyone expected me to be king, and then the whole thing backfired and the kingdom landed in my brother's lap - God's doing.

16 So now I have one request to ask of you; please don't refuse me." "Go ahead, ask," she said.

17 "Ask King Solomon - he won't turn you down - to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."

18 "Certainly," said Bathsheba. "I'll speak to the king for you."

19 Bathsheba went to King Solomon to present Adonijah's request. The king got up and welcomed her, bowing respectfully, and returned to his throne. Then he had a throne put in place for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.

20 She said, "I have a small favor to ask of you. Don't refuse me." The king replied, "Go ahead, Mother; of course I won't refuse you."

21 She said, "Give Abishag the Shunammite to your brother Adonijah as his wife."

22 King Solomon answered his mother, "What kind of favor is this, asking that Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah? Why don't you just ask me to hand over the whole kingdom to him on a platter since he is my older brother and has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side!"

23 Then King Solomon swore under God, "May God do his worst to me if Adonijah doesn't pay for this with his life!

24 As surely as God lives, the God who has set me firmly on the throne of my father David and has put me in charge of the kingdom just as he promised, Adonijah will die for this - today!"

25 King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he struck Adonijah and he died.

26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, "You're exiled to your place in Anathoth. You deserve death but I'm not going to kill you - for now anyway - because you were in charge of the Chest of our ruling God in the company of David my father, and because you shared all the hard times with my father."

27 Solomon stripped Abiathar of his priesthood, fulfilling God's word at Shiloh regarding the family of Eli.

28 When this news reached Joab, this Joab who had conspired with Adonijah (although he had remained loyal in the Absalom affair), he took refuge in the sanctuary of God, seizing the horns of the Altar and holding on for dear life.

29 King Solomon was told that Joab had escaped to the sanctuary of God and was clinging to the Altar; he immediately sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada with orders, "Kill him."

30 Benaiah went to the sanctuary of God and said, "King's orders: Come out." He said, "No - I'll die right here." Benaiah went back to the king and reported, "This was Joab's answer."

31 The king said, "Go ahead then, do what he says: Kill him and bury him. Absolve me and my father's family of the guilt from Joab's senseless murders.

32 God is avenging those bloody murders on Joab's head. Two men he murdered, men better by far than he ever was: Behind my father's back he brutally murdered Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army.

33 Responsibility for their murders is forever fixed on Joab and his descendants; but for David and his descendants, his family and kingdom, the final verdict is God's peace."

34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went back, struck Joab, and killed him. He was buried in his family plot out in the desert.

35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.

36 The king next called in Shimei and told him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but you are not to leave the area.

37 If you so much as cross the Brook Kidron, you're as good as dead - you will have decreed your own death sentence."

38 Shimei answered the king, "Oh, thank you! Your servant will do exactly as my master the king says." Shimei lived in Jerusalem a long time.

39 But it so happened that three years later, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. Shimei was told, "Your slaves are in Gath."

40 Shimei sprang into action, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish in Gath looking for his slaves. And then he came back, bringing his slaves.

41 Solomon was told, "Shimei left Jerusalem for Gath, and now he's back."

42 Solomon then called for Shimei and said, "Didn't I make you promise me under God, and give you a good warning besides, that you would not leave this area? That if you left you would have decreed your own death sentence? And didn't you say, 'Oh, thank you - I'll do exactly as you say'?

43 So why didn't you keep your sacred promise and do what I ordered?"

44 Then the king told Shimei, "Deep in your heart you know all the evil that you did to my father David; God will now avenge that evil on you.

45 But King Solomon will be blessed and the rule of David will be a sure thing under God forever."

46 The king then gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he went out and struck Shimei dead. The kingdom was now securely in Solomon's grasp.