I Kings 2

vayyiqrevu yeme-david lamut vayetsav et-shelomoh veno lemor

When David’s life was drawing to a close, he instructed his son Solomon as follows:

anokhi holekh bederekh kol-ha'arets vekhazaqta vehayita le'ish

“I am going the way of all the earth; you will be the man in charge—if you act with determination.

veshamarta et-mishmeret Adonai elohekha lalekhet bidrakhayw lishmor khuqqotayw mitsvotayw umishpatayw ve'edevotayw kakkatuv betorat mosheh lema'an taskil et kol-asher ta'aseh ve'et kol-asher tifneh sham

Keep the charge of the ETERNAL your God, walking in God’s ways and following God’s laws, commandments, rules, and admonitions as recorded in the Teaching of Moses, in order that you may succeed in whatever you undertake and wherever you turn.

lema'an yaqim Adonai et-devaro asher dibber alay lemor im-yishmeru vanekha et-darkam lalekhet lefanay be'emet bekhol-levavam uvekhol-nafsham lemor lo-yikkaret lekha ish me'al kisse yisra'el

Then GOD will fulfill the promise that was made concerning me: ‘If your descendants are scrupulous in their conduct, and walk before Me faithfully, with all their heart and soul, your line on the throne of Israel shall never end!’

vegam attah yadata et asher-asah li yo'av ben-tseruyah asher asah lishne-sare tsivot yisra'el le'avner ben-ner vela'amasa ven-yeter vayyahargem vayyasem deme-milkhamah beshalom vayyitten deme milkhamah bakhagorato asher bemotnayw uvena'alo asher beraglayw

“Further, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s forces, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether: he killed them, shedding blood of war in peacetime, staining the girdle of his loins and the sandals on his feet with blood of war.

ve'asita kekhokhmatekha velo-tored sevato beshalom she'ol

So act in accordance with your wisdom, and see that his white hair does not go down to Sheol in peace.

velivne varzillay haggiladi ta'aseh-khesed vehayu be'okhele shulkhanekha ki-khen qarevu elay bevorkhi mippene avshalom akhikha

“But deal graciously with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, for they befriended me when I fled from your brother Absalom; let them be among those that eat at your table.

vehinneh immekha shimi ven-gera ven-hayemini mibbakhurim vehu qillani qelalah nimretset beyom lekhti makhanayim vehu-yarad liqrati hayyarden va'eshava lo va-Adonai lemor im-amitekha bekharev

“You must also deal with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim. He insulted me outrageously when I was on my way to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by GOD: ‘I will not put you to the sword.’

ve'attah al-tenaqqehu ki ish khakham attah veyadata et asher ta'aseh-llo vehoradta et-sevato bedam she'ol

So do not let him go unpunished; for you are a shrewd man and you will know how to deal with him and send his gray hair down to Sheol in blood.”

vayyishkav david im-avotayw vayyiqqaver be'ir david

So David rested with his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David.

vehayyamim asher malakh david al-yisra'el arba'im shanah bekhevron malakh sheva shanim uvirushalai͏m malakh sheloshim veshalosh shanim

The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

ushelomoh yashav al-kisse david aviv vattikkon malkhuto me'od

And Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

vayyavo adoniyyahu ven-khaggit el-bat-sheva em-shelomoh vattomer hashalom bo'ekha vayyomer shalom

Adonijah son of Haggith came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She said, “Do you come with friendly intent?” “Yes,” he replied;

vayyomer davar li elayikh vattomer dabber

and he continued, “I would like to have a word with you.” “Speak up,” she said.

vayyomer at yada'at ki-li hayetah hammelukhah ve'alay samu khol-yisra'el penehem limlokh vattissov hammelukhah vattehi le'akhi ki me-Adonai hayetah lo

Then he said, “You know that the kingship was rightly mine and that all Israel wanted me to reign. But the kingship passed on to my brother; it came to him by GOD’s will.

ve'attah she'elah akhat anokhi sho'el me'ittakh al-tashivi et-panay vattomer elayw dabber

And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said, “Speak up.”

vayyomer imri-na lishlomoh hammelekh ki lo-yashiv et-panayikh veyitten-li et-avishag hashunammit le'isha

He replied, “Please ask King Solomon—for he won’t refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.”

vattomer bat-sheva tov anokhi adabber alekha el-hammelekh

“Very well,” said Bathsheba, “I will speak to the king in your behalf.”

vattavo vat-sheva el-hammelekh shelomoh ledabber-lo al-adoniyyahu vayyaqom hammelekh liqratah vayyishtakhu lah vayyeshev al-kiso vayyasem kisse le'em hammelekh vatteshev limino

So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king rose to greet her and bowed down to her. He sat on his throne; and he had a throne placed for the queen mother, and she sat on his right.

vattomer she'elah akhat qetannah anokhi sho'elet me'ittakh al-tashev et-panay vayyomer-lah hammelekh sha'ali immi ki lo-ashiv et-panayikh

She said, “I have one small request to make of you, do not refuse me.” He responded, “Ask, Mother; I shall not refuse you.”

vattomer yuttan et-avishag hashunammit la'adoniyyahu akhikha le'isha

Then she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as wife.”

vayya'an hammelekh shelomoh vayyomer le'immo velamah at sho'elet et-avishag hashunammit la'adoniyyahu vesha'ali-lo et-hammelukhah ki hu akhi haggadol mimmenni velo ule'evyatar hakkohen uleyo'av ben-tseruyah

The king replied to his mother, “Why request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Request the kingship for him! For he is my older brother, and the priest Abiathar and Joab son of Zeruiah are on his side.”

vayyishava hammelekh shelomoh ba-Adonai lemor koh ya'aseh-lli elohim vekhoh yosif ki venafsho dibber adoniyyahu et-haddavar hazzeh

Thereupon, King Solomon swore by GOD, saying, “So may God do to me and even more, if broaching this matter does not cost Adonijah his life!

ve'attah khay-Adonai asher hekhinani (vyvshyvyny) [vayyoshivani] al-kisse david avi va'asher asah-li bayit ka'asher dibber ki hayyom yumat adoniyyahu

Now, as GOD lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of my father David and who has provided him with a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this very day!”

vayyishlakh hammelekh shelomoh beyad benayahu ven-yehoyada vayyifga-bo vayyamot

And Solomon instructed Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck Adonijah down; and so he died.

ule'evyatar hakkohen amar hammelekh anatot lekh al-sadekha ki ish mavet attah uvayyom hazzeh lo amitekha ki-nasata et-aron adonay Elohim lifne david avi vekhi hitannita bekhol asher-hitannah avi

To the priest Abiathar, the king said, “Go to your estate at Anathoth! You deserve to die, but I shall not put you to death at this time, because you carried the Ark of my Sovereign GOD before my father David and because you shared all the hardships that my father endured.”

vayegaresh shelomoh et-evyatar mihyot kohen la-Adonai lemalle et-devar Adonai asher dibber al-bet eli beshiloh

So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from his office of priest of GOD—thus fulfilling what GOD had spoken at Shiloh regarding the house of Eli.

vehashemu'ah ba'ah ad-yo'av ki yo'av natah akhare adoniyyah ve'akhare avshalom lo natah vayyanos yo'av el-ohel Adonai vayyakhazeq beqarnot hammizbeakh

When the news reached Joab, he fled to the Tent of GOD and grasped the horns of the altar—for Joab had sided with Adonijah, though he had not sided with Absalom.

vayyuggad lammelekh shelomoh ki nas yo'av el-ohel Adonai vehinneh etsel hammizbeakh vayyishlakh shelomoh et-benayahu ven-yehoyada lemor lekh pega-bo

King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the Tent of GOD and that he was there by the altar; so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go and strike him down.”

vayyavo venayahu el-ohel Adonai vayyomer elayw koh-amar hammelekh tse vayyomer lo ki foh amut vayyashev benayahu et-hammelekh davar lemor koh-dibber yo'av vekhoh anani

Benaiah went to the Tent of GOD and said to him, “Thus said the king: Come out!” “No!” he replied; “I will die here.” Benaiah reported back to the king that Joab had answered thus and thus,

vayyomer lo hammelekh aseh ka'asher dibber ufega-bo uqevarto vahasirota deme khinnam asher shafakh yo'av me'alay ume'al bet avi

and the king said, “Do just as he said; strike him down and bury him, and remove guilt from me and my father’s house for the blood of the innocent that Joab has shed.

veheshiv Adonai et-damo al-rosho asher paga bishne-anashim tsaddiqim vetovim mimmennu vayyahargem bakherev ve'avi david lo yada et-avner ben-ner sar-tseva yisra'el ve'et-amasa ven-yeter sar-tseva yehudah

Thus GOD will bring his blood guilt down upon his own head, because, unbeknown to my father, he struck down with the sword two men more righteous and honorable than he—Abner son of Ner, the army commander of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, the army commander of Judah.

veshavu demehem berosh yo'av uverosh zaro le'olam uledavid ulezaro uleveto ulekhiso yihyeh shalom ad-olam me'im Adonai

May the guilt for their blood come down upon the head of Joab and his descendants forever, and may good fortune from GOD be granted forever to David and his descendants, his house and his throne.”

vayya'al benayahu ben-yehoyada vayyifga-bo vayemitehu vayyiqqaver beveto bammidbar

So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down. And he was buried at his home in the wilderness.

vayyitten hammelekh et-benayahu ven-yehoyada takhtayw al-hatsava ve'et-tsadoq hakkohen natan hammelekh takhat evyatar

In his place, the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army, and in place of Abiathar, the king appointed the priest Zadok.

vayyishlakh hammelekh vayyiqra leshimi vayyomer lo beneh-lekha vayit birushalai͏m veyashavta sham velo-tetse misham aneh va'anah

Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and stay there—do not ever go out from there anywhere else.

vehayah beyom tsetekha ve'avarta et-nakhal qidron yadoa teda ki mot tamut damekha yihyeh veroshekha

On the very day that you go out and cross the Wadi Kidron, you can be sure that you will die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

vayyomer shimi lammelekh tov haddavar ka'asher dibber adoni hammelekh ken ya'aseh avdekha vayyeshev shimi birushalai͏m yamim rabbim

“That is fair,” said Shimei to the king, “your servant will do just as my lord the king has spoken.” And for a long time, Shimei remained in Jerusalem.

vayehi miqqets shalosh shanim vayyivrekhu shene-avadim leshimi el-akhish ben-ma'akhah melekh gat vayyaggidu leshimi lemor hinneh avadekha begat

Three years later, two slaves of Shimei ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.”

vayyaqom shimi vayyakhavosh et-khamoro vayyelekh gatah el-akhish levaqqesh et-avadayw vayyelekh shimi vayyave et-avadayw miggat

Shimei thereupon saddled his donkey and went to Achish in Gath to claim his slaves; and Shimei returned from Gath with his slaves.

vayyuggad lishlomoh ki-halakh shimi mirushalai͏m gat vayyashov

Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and back,

vayyishlakh hammelekh vayyiqra leshimi vayyomer elayw halo hishbatikha va-Adonai va'a'id bekha lemor beyom tsetekha vehalakhta aneh va'anah yadoa teda ki mot tamut vattomer elay tov haddavar shama'eti

and the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not adjure you by GOD and warn you, ‘On the very day that you leave and go anywhere else, you can be sure that you will die,’ and did you not say to me, ‘It is fair; I accept’?

umaddua lo shamarta et shevu'at Adonai ve'et-hammitsvah asher-tsivviti alekha

Why did you not abide by the oath before GOD and by the orders that I gave you?”

vayyomer hammelekh el-shimi attah yadata et kol-hara'ah asher yada levavekha asher asita ledavid avi veheshiv Adonai et-ra'atekha beroshekha

The king said further to Shimei, “You know all the wrong, which you remember very well, that you did to my father David. Now GOD brings down your wrongdoing upon your own head.

vehammelekh shelomoh barukh vekhisse david yihyeh nakhon lifne Adonai ad-olam

But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before GOD forever.”

vayetsav hammelekh et-benayahu ben-yehoyada vayyetse vayyifga-bo vayyamot vehammamlakhah nakhonah beyad-shelomoh

The king gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck Shimei down; and so he died. Thus the kingdom was secured in Solomon’s hands.