1 Kings 2:35-46

2:35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of ¹  the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place. ² 

2:36 Next the king summoned ³  Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem ⁴  and live there – but you may not leave there to go anywhere! ⁵  2:37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death.” ⁶  2:38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable. ⁷  Your servant will do as you say.” ⁸  So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. ⁹ 

2:39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 2:40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 2:41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 2:42 the king summoned ¹⁰  Shimei and said to him, “You will recall ¹¹  that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere, ¹²  know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’ ¹³  2:43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?” ¹⁴  2:44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David. ¹⁵  The Lord will punish you for what you did. ¹⁶  2:45 But King Solomon will be empowered ¹⁷  and David’s dynasty ¹⁸  will endure permanently before the Lord.” 2:46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei. ¹⁹ 

So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom. ²⁰ 

[2:35]  ¹ tn Heb “over.”

[2:35]  ² tc The Old Greek translation includes after v. 35 some fourteen verses that are absent from the MT.

[2:36]  ³ tn Heb “sent and summoned.”

[2:36]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:36]  ⁵ tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”

[2:37]  ⁵ tn Heb “your blood will be upon your head.”

[2:38]  ⁷ tn Heb “Good is the word, as my master the king has spoken.”

[2:38]  ⁸ tn Heb “so your servant will do.”

[2:38]  ⁹ tn Heb “many days.”

[2:42]  ⁹ tn Heb “sent and summoned.”

[2:42]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Is it not [true]…?” In the Hebrew text the statement is interrogative; the rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course it is.”

[2:42]  ¹¹ tn Heb “here or there.”

[2:42]  ¹² tn Heb “good is the word; I have heard.”

[2:43]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Why have you not kept the oath [to] the Lord and the commandment I commanded you?”

[2:44]  ¹³ tn Heb “You know all the evil, for your heart knows, which you did to David my father.”

[2:44]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “The Lord will cause your evil to return upon your head.”

[2:45]  ¹⁵ tn Or “blessed.”

[2:45]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “throne.”

[2:46]  ¹⁷ tn “The king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck him down and he died.”

[2:46]  ¹⁸ tn “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”