¹ And, when the days of David drew near that he must die, he charged Solomon his son, saying:—

² I, am going the way of all the earth,—thou must be strong, therefore, and show thyself a man;

³ and keep the observances of Yahweh thy God, by walking in his ways, by keeping his statutes, his commandments, and his regulations and his testimonies, as written in the law of Moses,—to the end thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;

⁴ to the end that Yahweh may establish his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy sons will take heed to their way, by walking before me, in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, (then, said he) there shall not be cut off to thee a man, from off the throne of Israel.

⁵ Moreover also, thou, knowest what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with two generals of the armies of Israel—with Abner son of Ner, and with Amasa son of Jether—both of whom he slew, shedding the blood of war in peace,—and putting the blood of war upon his girdle that was on his loins, and upon his sandals, that were on his feet.

⁶ Thou, therefore, must do according to thy wisdom,—but will not let his grey hair go down in peace, to hades.

⁷ But, with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, thou wilt deal in lovingkindness, and they will be among them who eat at thy table,—for, so, drew they near unto me, when I fled from Absolom thy brother.

⁸ Lo! also, there is with thee—Shimei son of Gera a Benjamite, of Behurim, well, he, it was who cursed me with a grievous curse; on the day I journeyed to Mahanaim,—but he, came down to meet me, at the Jordan, and so I sware to him by Yahweh, saying—I will not put thee to death, with the sword.

⁹ Now, therefore do not hold him guiltless, for, a wise man, thou art, and wilt know how thou oughtest to deal with him, and wilt suffer his grey hairs to go down with blood, to hades.

¹⁰ So then David slept with his fathers,—and was buried in the city of David.

¹¹ Now, the days that David reigned over Israel, were forty years,—in Hebron, reigned he seven years, and, in Jerusalem, reigned he thirty and three years.

¹² But, when, Solomon, took his seat upon the throne of David his father, then was the kingdom firmly established.

¹³ And Adonijah son of Haggith came in unto Bath-sheba, mother of Solomon: And she said—Peaceably, comest thou? And he said—Peaceably.

¹⁴ Then said he—I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said—Say on.

¹⁵ And he said—Thou, knowest that, mine, was the kingdom, and, on me, had all Israel set their faces, that I should become king,—howbeit the kingdom, hath turned about, and become my brother’s, for, from Yahweh, became it, his.

¹⁶ Now, therefore, one request, have I to ask of thee, do not turn away my face.

¹⁷ And she said unto him—Say on. And he said—Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, for he will not turn away thy face,—that he give me Abishag the Shunammite, to wife.

¹⁸ And Bath-sheba said: Good! I myself, will speak for thee, unto the king.

¹⁹ So Bath-sheba went in unto King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah,—and the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself down to her, and sat down upon his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the mother of the king, and she sat on his right hand.

²⁰ Then said she—One small request, am I asking of thee, do not turn away my face. And the king said to her—Ask on, my mother, for I will not turn away thy face.

²¹ And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother, to wife.

²² Then answered King Solomon, and said to his mother—Wherefore, then, art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite, for Adonijah? ask, then, for him the kingdom, because he is mine elder brother,—even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab, son of Zeruiah.

²³ Then swore King Solomon by Yahweh, saying,—So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if, at the cost of his life, Adonijah hath not spoken this word.

²⁴ Now, therefore, by the life of Yahweh, who hath established me, and seated me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made for me a household, as he had spoken, surely, to-day, shall Adonijah be put to death!

²⁵ So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada,—and he fell upon him, that he died.

²⁶ Also, unto Abiathar the priest, said the king—To Anathoth, get thee unto thine own fields, for, death-doomed, thou art,—but, this day, will I not put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of My Lord, Yahweh, before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

²⁷ So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto Yahweh,—to fulfil the word of Yahweh which he spake concerning the household of Eli, in Shiloh.

²⁸ And, the report, came unto Joab, for, Joab, had inclined after Adonijah, although, after Solomon, he had not inclined,—so then Joab fled into the Tent of Yahweh, and laid hold of the horns of the altar.

²⁹ And it was told King Solomon—Joab hath fled into the Tent of Yahweh, and, there he is, beside the altar. So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying—Go fall upon him!

³⁰ And Benaiah came into the Tent of Yahweh, and said unto him—Thus, saith the king, Come forth! And he said—Nay! but, here, will I die! So Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus, spake Joab, and, thus, he answered me.

³¹ And the king said to him—Do as he hath spoken, fall, then, upon him, and bury him,—and so put away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father;

³² thus will Yahweh bring back his blood upon his own head, in that he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it,—even Abner son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, general of the army of Judah;

³³ thus shall their blood come back upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed unto times age-abiding,—but, David and his seed, and his house, and his throne, shall have peace, unto times age-abiding, from Yahweh.

³⁴ So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and put him to death,—and he was buried in his own house, in the wilderness.

³⁵ And the king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada, in his stead, over the army,—and, Zadok the priest, did the king put in the stead of Abiathar.