1 As the time of David’s death drew near, he gave these instructions to his son Solomon: 2 “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man. 3 Keep the charge of the LORD your God: walk in his ways and keep his statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies, as written in the law of Moses, so that you may act wisely in all you do and wherever you turn. 4 Then the LORD may fulfill the word he spoke concerning me: ‘If your sons watch their conduct and walk faithfully before me with all their heart and all their soul, you will never lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 5 You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding the blood of war in peacetime and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. 6 Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.

7 But show faithful kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite. Let them be among those who eat at your table, for they came to my aid when I was fleeing from your brother Absalom. 8 You also have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim. He cursed me with a bitter curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ 9 Now do not leave him unpunished. You are a wise man and will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood.” 10 David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.

11 David reigned over Israel for forty years: seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 Solomon took his seat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established. 13 Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “In peace.” 14 He said, “I have something to say to you.” She answered, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel looked to me to be king. But the kingdom passed to my brother, for it was his from the LORD. 16 Now I have just one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” She said, “Speak.” 17 He said, “Please speak to King Solomon—he will not refuse you—and ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” 18 Bathsheba said, “Very well. I will speak to the king on your behalf.” 19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. The king rose to meet her, bowed to her, and sat on his throne. He had a throne placed for the king’s mother, and she sat at his right. 20 She said, “I have one small request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” The king answered, “Ask, my mother. I will not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask for Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for the kingdom for him too, since he is my older brother—for him, Abiathar the priest, and Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23 Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, “May God punish me ever so severely! Adonijah has made this request at the cost of his life. 24 As the LORD lives, who has established me and seated me on the throne of my father David, and who has made a dynasty for me as he promised, Adonijah will be put to death this very day.” 25 King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck Adonijah down, and he died.

26 To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death today, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David and shared in all my father’s afflictions.” 27 So Solomon removed Abiathar from being the LORD’s priest, fulfilling the word the LORD had spoken at Shiloh concerning the house of Eli.

28 The news reached Joab. He had sided with Adonijah, though he had not sided with Absalom. Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is beside the altar.” Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” 30 Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out.’ ” But he answered, “No, I will die here.” Benaiah reported to the king, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.” 31 The king said to him, “Do as he has said. Strike him down and bury him. So remove from me and my father’s house the guilt for the blood Joab shed without cause. 32 The LORD will bring his blood back on his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than himself. Without my father David’s knowledge, he killed them with the sword: Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33 Their blood will come back on the head of Joab and on the heads of his descendants forever. But for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there will be peace from the LORD forever.” 34 Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck Joab down, and killed him. He was buried at his house in the wilderness. 35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to command the army in his place, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place. 36 Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there. Do not leave it to go anywhere else. 37 Know for certain that on the day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die. Your blood will be on your own head.” 38 Shimei answered the king, “The order is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

39 At the end of three years, 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 got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to look for his slaves. He went and brought his slaves back from Gath. 41 Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned. 42 The king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, ‘Know for certain that on the day you leave to go anywhere else, you will surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The order is good; I have heard you.’ 43 Why, then, have you not kept the oath sworn by the LORD or the command I gave you?” 44 The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the evil you did to my father David. The LORD will bring your evil back on your own head. 45 But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will be established before the LORD forever.” 46 The king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in Solomon’s hands.