I Kings 2

3And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordinances, and decrees, as is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn,

Deuteronomy 29:9, Deuteronomy 29:9, Deuteronomy 17:18, Deuteronomy 17:20, Deuteronomy 17:18

4and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

1 Kings 8:25, 2 Samuel 7:25, 2 Kings 20:3, 1 Kings 8:25, 2 Samuel 7:25

5Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

2 Samuel 3:27, 2 Samuel 3:27, 2 Samuel 20:10, 2 Samuel 20:10, 2 Samuel 18:5

6So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.

1 Kings 2:9, 1 Kings 2:9, Isaiah 48:22, Proverbs 28:17, Isaiah 57:21

7But show loving devotion to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, because they stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

2 Samuel 17:27, 2 Samuel 17:29, 2 Samuel 17:27, 2 Samuel 17:29, 2 Samuel 9:7

8Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you. He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: ‘I will never put you to the sword.’

2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 16:8, 2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 16:8, 1 Kings 2:36

9Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You know what you ought to do to him to bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood.”

1 Kings 2:6, 1 Kings 2:6, Genesis 44:31, Genesis 42:38, Genesis 44:31

10Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

Acts 2:29, Acts 2:29, Acts 13:36, Acts 13:36, 1 Kings 11:43

11The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 5:4, 2 Samuel 5:5, 2 Samuel 5:4, 2 Samuel 5:5, 1 Chronicles 29:26

12So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.

2 Chronicles 1:1, 2 Chronicles 1:1, 1 Chronicles 29:23, 1 Chronicles 29:25, 1 Chronicles 29:23

13Now Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and she asked, “Do you come in peace?” “Yes, in peace,” he replied.

1 Chronicles 12:17, 1 Chronicles 12:18, Luke 10:5, Luke 10:6, 1 Kings 1:50

14Then he said, “I have something to tell you.” “Say it,” she answered.

Luke 7:40, 2 Samuel 14:12, Luke 7:40, 2 Samuel 14:12

15“You know that the kingship was mine,” he said. “All Israel expected that I should reign, but the kingship has turned to my brother, for it has come to him from the LORD.

1 Chronicles 22:9, 1 Chronicles 22:10, 1 Chronicles 28:5, 1 Chronicles 28:7, 1 Chronicles 22:9

16So now I have just one request of you; do not deny me.” “State your request,” she told him.

Psalms 132:10, Proverbs 30:7, Psalms 132:10, Proverbs 30:7

17Adonijah replied, “Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

1 Kings 1:2, 1 Kings 1:4, 2 Samuel 3:7, 2 Samuel 12:8, 1 Kings 1:2

18“Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”

Proverbs 14:15, Proverbs 14:15

19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, and sat down on his throne. Then the king had a throne brought for his mother, who sat down at his right hand.

Psalms 45:9, Psalms 45:9, Leviticus 19:3, Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 19:32

20“I have just one small request of you,” she said. “Do not deny me.” “Make your request, my mother,” the king replied, “for I will not deny you.”

Matthew 11:24, Matthew 7:7, Matthew 7:11, Matthew 10:35, Matthew 10:36

21So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”

2 Samuel 16:21, 2 Samuel 16:22, 1 Kings 1:3, 2 Samuel 16:21, 2 Samuel 16:22

22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

1 Chronicles 3:2, 1 Chronicles 3:2, Matthew 20:22, James 4:3, 1 Chronicles 3:5

23Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.

Ruth 1:17, Ruth 1:17, Psalms 140:9, Psalms 64:8, Psalms 140:9

24And now, as surely as the LORD lives—the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised—surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

1 Chronicles 22:10, 1 Chronicles 22:10, Psalms 127:1, 1 Samuel 25:28, 1 Chronicles 29:23

25So King Solomon sent the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

2 Samuel 8:18, 2 Samuel 8:18, 1 Kings 2:34, 1 Kings 2:31, 2 Samuel 4:12

26Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death at this time, since you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered through all that my father suffered.”

Joshua 21:18, Joshua 21:18, 1 Samuel 22:20, 1 Samuel 22:23, 1 Samuel 22:20

27So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and thus fulfilled the word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli.

1 Samuel 2:27, 1 Samuel 2:36, 1 Samuel 2:27, 1 Samuel 2:36, 1 Samuel 3:12

28When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar.

1 Kings 1:50, 1 Kings 1:7, 1 Kings 1:50, 1 Kings 1:7, 2 Samuel 18:2

29It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar.” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down!”

1 Kings 2:25, 1 Kings 2:25, Exodus 21:14, Exodus 21:14, Ezekiel 9:6

30And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me.”

31And the king replied, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so remove from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood that Joab shed.

Deuteronomy 21:8, Deuteronomy 21:9, Numbers 35:33, Deuteronomy 21:8, Deuteronomy 21:9

32The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.

Judges 9:24, Judges 9:24, 2 Chronicles 21:13, Psalms 7:16, Judges 9:57

33Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever.”

Matthew 27:25, 1 Kings 2:32, Matthew 27:25, 1 Kings 2:32, Psalms 109:6

34So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and killed him. He was buried at his own home in the wilderness.

Joshua 15:61, 1 Kings 2:25, Matthew 3:1, Joshua 15:61, 1 Kings 2:25

35And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.

1 Kings 2:27, 1 Kings 2:27, 1 Kings 4:4, 1 Chronicles 29:22, 1 Chronicles 24:3

36Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else.

1 Kings 2:8, 1 Kings 2:9, 2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 16:9, 1 Kings 2:8

37On the day you go out and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

2 Samuel 1:16, 2 Samuel 1:16, 2 Samuel 15:23, 2 Samuel 15:23, Joshua 2:19

38“The sentence is fair,” Shimei replied. “Your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken.” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

1 Kings 20:4, 2 Kings 20:19, 1 Kings 20:4, 2 Kings 20:19

39After three years, however, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.”

1 Samuel 27:2, 1 Samuel 27:3, 1 Samuel 21:10, 1 Samuel 27:2, 1 Samuel 27:3

40So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves, and he brought them back from Gath.

Proverbs 15:27, 1 Timothy 6:10, Luke 12:15, Proverbs 15:27, 1 Timothy 6:10

41When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,

42the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, ‘On the day you leave and go elsewhere, know for sure that you will die’? And you told me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will comply.’

1 Kings 2:36, 1 Kings 2:38, Luke 19:22, Psalms 15:4, Luke 15:22

43So why have you not kept your oath to the LORD and the command that I gave you?”

2 Samuel 21:2, Romans 13:5, Ecclesiastes 8:2, 2 Chronicles 30:12, Ezekiel 17:18

44The king also said, “You know in your heart all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore the LORD will bring your evil back upon your head.

2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 16:13, 2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 16:13, Ezekiel 17:19

45But King Solomon will be blessed and David’s throne will remain secure before the LORD forever.”

Proverbs 25:5, Proverbs 25:5, Psalms 21:6, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7

46Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon.

1 Kings 2:12, 2 Chronicles 1:1, 1 Kings 2:12, 2 Chronicles 1:1, Proverbs 29:4

I Kings Chapter 2