1st Kings — 2

Daud’s Instructions to Shalumah 

1 Now the days of Daud drew near that he should die, and he charged Shalumah his son, saying: 

2 “I go the way of all the Arath; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 

3 And keep the charge of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Musha, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 

4 That 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ you shall not lack a man on the throne of Yashar'AL.’

5 “Moreover you know also what Yuab the son of Zaruyahu did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Yashar'AL, to Abnar the son of Nar and Amasa the son of Yathar, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in Shalum time, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. 

6 Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in Shalum.

7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gilaadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalum your brother.

8 “And see, you have with you Shimai the son of Gara, a Banyamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Yurdan, and I swore to him by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 

9 Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.”

Death of Daud

10 So Daud rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of Daud. 

11 The period that Daud reigned over Yashar'AL was forty years; seven years he reigned in Habrun, and in Yahushalam he reigned thirty-three years. 

12 Then Shalumah sat on the throne of his father Daud; and his kingdom was firmly established.

King Shalumah Executes Aduniyahu 

13 Now Aduniyahu the son of Haggith came to Bathshaba the mother of Shalumah. So she said, “Do you come with Shalum?” And he said, “with Shalum.” 

14 Moreover he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Say it.”

15 Then Aduniyahu said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Yashar'AL had set their expectations on me, that I should reign. However, the kingdom has been turned over, and has become my brother’s; for it was his from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. 

16 Now I ask one petition of you; do not deny me.” And she said to him, “Say it.”

17 Then he said, “Please speak to King Shalumah, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.”

18 So Bathshaba said, “Very well, I will speak for you to the king.”

19 Bathshaba therefore went to King Shalumah, to speak to him for Aduniyah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand. 

20 Then she said, “I desire one small petition of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”

21 So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Aduniyahu your brother as wife.”

22 And King Shalumah answered and said to his mother, “Now why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Aduniyahu? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, for him, and for Abiathar the Kuhan, and for Yuab the son of Zaruyahu.” 

23 Then King Shalumah swore by  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, saying, “May 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH  do so to me, and more also, if Aduniyahu has not spoken this word against his own life! 

24 Now therefore, as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of Daud my father, and who has established a house for me, as He promised, Aduniyahu shall be put to death today!”

25 So King Shalumah sent by the hand of Banayahu the son of Yahuiada; and he struck Aduniyahu down, and he died.

Abiathar Exiled, Yuab Executed

26 And to Abiathar the Kuhan the king said, “Go to Anathuth, to your own fields, for you  are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH before my father Daud, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.” 

27 So King Shalumah removed Abiathar from being Kuhan to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, that he might fulfill the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH which He spoke concerning the house of Ali at Shiluh.

28 Then news came to Yuab, for Yuab had defected to Aduniyahu, though he had not defected to Absalum. So Yuab fled to the tabernacle of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and took hold of the horns of the altar. 

29 And King Shalumah was told, “Yuab has fled to the tabernacle of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH; there he is, by the altar.” Then Shalumah sent Banayahu the son of Yahuiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” 

30 So Banayahu went to the tabernacle of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and said to him, “Thus says the king, ‘Come out!’ And he said, “No, but I will die here.” And Banayahu brought back word to the king, saying, “Thus said Yuab, and thus he answered me.”

31 Then the king said to him, “Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Yuab shed. 

32 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, Abnar the son of Nar, the commander of the army of Yashar'AL, and Amasa the son of Yathar, the commander of the army of Yahudah, though my father Daud did not know it. 

33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Yuab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon Daud and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be Shalum forever from  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”

34 So Banayahu the son of Yahuiada went up and struck and killed Yuab; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 

35 The king put Banayahu the son of Yahuiada in his place over the army, and the king put Zaduk the Kuhan in the place of Abiathar.

Shimai Executed

36 Then the king sent and called for Shimai, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Yahushalam and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. 

37 For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Bruk Kidrun pop, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

38 And Shimai said to the king, “The saying  is good. As my master the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shimai dwelt in Yahushalam many days.

39 Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimai ran away to Achish the son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimai, saying, “Look, your slaves are in Gath!” 

40 So Shimai arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves. And Shimai went and brought his slaves from Gath. 

41 And King Shalumah was told that Shimai had gone from Yahushalam to Gath and had come back. 

42 Then the king sent and called for Shimai, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’ 

43 Why then have you not kept the oath of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and the commandment that I gave you?” 

44 The king said moreover to Shimai, “You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father Daud; therefore 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will return your wickedness on your own head. 

45 But King Shalumah shall be Baraked, and the throne of Daud shall be established before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH forever.”

46 So the king commanded Banayahu the son of Yahuiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of King Shalumah.