And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, thatthoumayestprosper in all thatthoudoest, and whithersoeverthouturnestthyself:
That the LORD may continue his wordwhich he spakeconcerning me, saying, If thy childrentakeheed to their way, to walkbefore me in truthwith all theirheart and with all theirsoul, thereshall not failthee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
MoreoverthouknowestalsowhatJoab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, untoAbner the son of Ner, and untoAmasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdlethat was about his loins, and in his shoesthatwere on his feet.
But shewkindnessunto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of thosethat eat at thy table: for so theycame to me when I fledbecause of Absalom thy brother.
And, behold, thouhastwiththeeShimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, whichcursed me with a grievouscurse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he camedown to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to deathwith the sword.
Now thereforehold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowestwhatthououghtest to do unto him; but his hoarheadbringthoudown to the gravewithblood.
And he said, Thouknowestthat the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set theirfaces on me, that I shouldreign: howbeit the kingdom is turnedabout, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.
BathshebathereforewentuntokingSolomon, to speakunto him for Adonijah. And the kingrose up to meet her, and bowedhimselfunto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’smother; and she sat on his righthand.
Then she said, I desire one smallpetition of thee; I praythee, say me not nay. And the kingsaidunto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.
And kingSolomonanswered and saidunto his mother, And why dostthou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdomalso; for he is mineelderbrother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
Now therefore, as the LORDliveth, whichhathestablished me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hathmade me an house, as he promised, Adonijahshall be put to deaththis day.
And untoAbiathar the priestsaid the king, Get thee to Anathoth, untothine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at thistime put thee to death, becausethoubarest the ark of the Lord GOD beforeDavid my father, and becausethouhastbeenafflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.
So Solomonthrust out Abiatharfrombeingpriestunto the LORD; that he mightfulfil the word of the LORD, which he spakeconcerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
Thentidingscame to Joab: for Joab had turnedafterAdonijah, though he turned not afterAbsalom. And Joabfledunto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caughthold on the horns of the altar.
And it was toldkingSolomonthatJoab was fledunto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. ThenSolomonsentBenaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fallupon him.
And Benaiahcame to the tabernacle of the LORD, and saidunto him, Thussaith the king, Comeforth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiahbrought the kingwordagain, saying, ThussaidJoab, and thus he answered me.
And the kingsaidunto him, Do as he hathsaid, and fallupon him, and bury him; thatthoumayesttakeaway the innocentblood, whichJoabshed, from me, and from the house of my father.
And the LORDshallreturn his bloodupon his own head, who fellupon two men morerighteous and betterthan he, and slewthemwith the sword, my fatherDavid not knowingthereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
Theirbloodshallthereforereturnupon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but uponDavid, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shallthere be peace for everfrom the LORD.
For it shall be, that on the day thougoest out, and passestover the brookKidron, thoushaltknow for certainthatthoushaltsurely die: thy bloodshall be uponthine own head.
And it came to pass at the end of threeyears, that two of the servants of Shimei ran awayuntoAchish son of Maachahking of Gath. And theytoldShimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.
And the kingsent and called for Shimei, and saidunto him, Did I not makethee to swear by the LORD, and protesteduntothee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thougoest out, and walkestabroad any whither, thatthoushaltsurely die? and thousaidstunto me, The wordthat I haveheard is good.
The kingsaidmoreover to Shimei, Thouknowest all the wickednesswhichthineheart is privy to, thatthoudidst to David my father: therefore the LORDshallreturn thy wickednessuponthine own head;
So the kingcommandedBenaiah the son of Jehoiada; whichwent out, and fellupon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.