1 Kings 2:1-6

David’s Final Words to Solomon

2:1 When David was close to death, ¹  he told ²  Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. ³  Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you ⁴  by following his instructions ⁵  and obeying ⁶  his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, ⁷  2:4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, ⁸  ‘If your descendants watch their step ⁹  and live faithfully in my presence ¹⁰  with all their heart and being, ¹¹  then,’ he promised, ¹²  ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ ¹³ 

2:5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. ¹⁴  During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; ¹⁵  when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. ¹⁶  2:6 Do to him what you think is appropriate, ¹⁷  but don’t let him live long and die a peaceful death. ¹⁸ 

[2:1]  ¹ tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”

[2:1]  ² tn Or “commanded.”

[2:2]  ³ tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”

[2:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “keep the charge of the Lord your God.”

[2:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”

[2:3]  ⁶ tn Or “keeping.”

[2:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”

[2:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “then the Lord will establish his word which he spoke to me, saying.”

[2:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “guard their way.”

[2:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”

[2:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “soul.”

[2:4]  ¹² tn Heb “saying.”

[2:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”

[2:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”

[2:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”

[2:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and he shed the blood of battle when he killed which is on his waist and on his sandal[s] which are on his feet.” That is, he covered himself with guilt and his guilt was obvious to all who saw him.

[2:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “according to your wisdom.”

[2:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and do not bring down his grey hair in peace [to] Sheol.”