David's Last Instructions to Solomon
1 When David was about to die, he called his son Solomon and gave him his last instructions: 2 “My time to die has come. Be confident and determined, 3 and do what the Lord your God orders you to do. Obey all his laws and commands, as written in the Law of Moses, so that wherever you go you may prosper in everything you do. 4 If you obey him, the Lord will keep the promise he made when he told me that my descendants would rule Israel as long as they were careful to obey his commands faithfully with all their heart and soul.
5 “There is something else. You remember what Joab did to me by killing the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. You remember how he murdered them in time of peace as revenge for deaths they had caused in time of war. He killed innocent men, and now I bear the responsibility for what he did, and I suffer the consequences. 6 You know what to do; you must not let him die a natural death.
7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead and take care of them, because they were kind to me when I was fleeing from your brother Absalom.
8 “There is also Shimei son of Gera, from the town of Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me bitterly the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he met me at the Jordan River, I gave him my solemn promise in the name of the Lord that I would not have him killed. 9 But you must not let him go unpunished. You know what to do, and you must see to it that he is put to death.”
The Death of David
10 David died and was buried in David's City. 11 He had been king of Israel for forty years, ruling seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 Solomon succeeded his father David as king, and his royal power was firmly established.
The Death of Adonijah
13 Then Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, went to Bathsheba, who was Solomon's mother. “Is this a friendly visit?” she asked.
“It is,” he answered, 14 and then he added, “I have something to ask of you.”
“What is it?” she asked.
15 He answered, “You know that I should have become king and that everyone in Israel expected it. But it happened differently, and my brother became king because it was the Lord's will. 16 And now I have one request to make; please do not refuse me.”
“What is it?” Bathsheba asked.
17 He answered, “Please ask King Solomon—I know he won't refuse you—to let me have Abishag, the young woman from Shunem, as my wife.”
18 “Very well,” she answered. “I will speak to the king for you.”
19 So Bathsheba went to the king to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. The king stood up to greet his mother and bowed to her. Then he sat on his throne and had another one brought in on which she sat at his right. 20 She said, “I have a small favor to ask of you; please do not refuse me.”
“What is it, mother?” he asked. “I will not refuse you.”
21 She answered, “Let your brother Adonijah have Abishag as his wife.”
22 “Why do you ask me to give Abishag to him?” the king asked. “You might as well ask me to give him the throne too. After all, he is my older brother, and Abiathar the priest and Joab are on his side!” 23 Then Solomon made a solemn promise in the Lord's name, “May God strike me dead if I don't make Adonijah pay with his life for asking this! 24 The Lord has firmly established me on the throne of my father David; he has kept his promise and given the kingdom to me and my descendants. I swear by the living Lord that Adonijah will die this very day!”
25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah, who went out and killed Adonijah.
Abiathar's Banishment and Joab's Death
26 Then King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to your country home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not have you put to death now, for you were in charge of the Lord's Covenant Box while you were with my father David, and you shared in all his troubles.” 27 Then Solomon dismissed Abiathar from serving as a priest of the Lord, and so made come true what the Lord had said in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his descendants.
28 Joab heard what had happened. (He had supported Adonijah, but not Absalom.) So he fled to the Tent of the Lord's presence and took hold of the corners of the altar. 29 When the news reached King Solomon that Joab had fled to the Tent and was by the altar, Solomon sent a messenger to Joab to ask him why he had fled to the altar. Joab answered that he had fled to the Lord because he was afraid of Solomon. So King Solomon sent Benaiah to kill Joab. 30 He went to the Tent of the Lord's presence and said to Joab, “The king orders you to come out.”
“No,” Joab answered. “I will die here.”
Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said.
31 “Do what Joab says,” Solomon answered. “Kill him and bury him. Then neither I nor any other of David's descendants will any longer be held responsible for what Joab did when he killed innocent men. 32 The Lord will punish Joab for those murders, which he committed without my father David's knowledge. Joab killed two innocent men who were better men than he: Abner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, commander of the army of Judah. 33 The punishment for their murders will fall on Joab and on his descendants forever. But the Lord will always give success to David's descendants who sit on his throne.”
34 So Benaiah went to the Tent of the Lord's presence and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the open country. 35 The king made Benaiah commander of the army in Joab's place and put Zadok the priest in Abiathar's place.
The Death of Shimei
36 Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Live in it and don't leave the city. 37 If you ever leave and go beyond Kidron Brook, you will certainly die—and you yourself will be to blame.”
38 “Very well, Your Majesty,” Shimei answered. “I will do what you say.” So he lived in Jerusalem a long time.
39 Three years later, however, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to the king of Gath, Achish son of Maacah. When Shimei heard that they were in Gath, 40 he saddled his donkey and went to King Achish in Gath, to find his slaves. He found them and brought them back home. 41 When Solomon heard what Shimei had done, 42 he sent for him and said, “I made you promise in the Lord's name not to leave Jerusalem. And I warned you that if you ever did, you would certainly die. Did you not agree to it and say that you would obey me? 43 Why, then, have you broken your promise and disobeyed my command? 44 You know very well all the wrong that you did to my father David. The Lord will punish you for it. 45 But he will bless me, and he will make David's kingdom secure forever.”
46 Then the king gave orders to Benaiah, who went out and killed Shimei. Solomon was now in complete control.
ǀUni mîmādi Davidi didi
1 Davidi ǁōǁaeb ge ǀgūtoa ob ge ǁîba ǁîb ôab Salomoba ge mîmā: 2 “Ti ǁōǁaeb ge hoa khoesib ǀkha i nî ī khami go mâtoa xuige ǀgai, î ǁkhoaǂgaoxa. 3 ǃKhūb sa Elob ra mîmā tsina dī. ǁÎb di ǂhanugu, mîmādi, ǂnûiǂgādi tsî xoaǁguigu tsîna Moseb ǂhanub ǃnâ i a xoamâisa khami ǁnâuǀnam, ots ge dīts ra xūn hoan ǃnâ tsî ǃgûts ka ǃkhai-i hoa-i ai nî ǃgâiǃgâ. 4 Ob ge ǃKhūba ǁîb di mîmâisa nî dīǀoaǀoa, tita ǃoab ge ti surib ga ǁîba ǁnâuǀnam tsî ǁîba ǂgaob hoab ǀkha ǂgomǂgomsase hâba, ob ge hoaǁae ǀguib ti surib diba Israels ǂama nî gao, ti a mîsa.
5 “ǂAnts ge a tare-eb ge Serujas ôab Joaba dī te ǃkhaisa. ǁÎb ge toroǃkhamaogu di ǂamkhoekha, Neri ôab, Abneri tsî Jeteri ôab, Amasab tsîkha ge ǃgam. ǁÎkhab ge ǂkhîb ǁaeb ǃnâ, torob ǃnâs khami ge ǃgam. ǁÎb ge ǀhapio ǀaoba kamanab âb di ǃgaesenni ai tsî ǁharora anab hâra ai ge dī. 6 Sats ge gā-ai khoetsa xuige ǁnâuǃāxase dī, tāb ǁîba kairab hâse ǂkhîb ǃnâ ǁō.
7 “Xawe Barsilaib Gileads dib ôaga ǃgâise ûi-ū, î ǁîga ǂûmā, ǁîgu tsîn ge tita sa ǃgâsab Absalomma xu ta ge ǃhūo, ǃgâise gere ûi-ū xuige.
8 “ǁKhātib ge Simeib, Gerab, Benjaminni ǃhaos dib, ǃās Bahurims dib di ôaba hâ. ǁÎb ge tita Mahanaimsa ǃoa ta gere ǃgû tsēs ai kaise gere ǀâxare, xawe ta ge Jordanǃāb tawa khom ge ǀhao, o ǁîba ǃKhūb aiǃâ, ǃgam bi ta tide ǃkhaisa ge mîmâiba. 9 Xawe satsa ǁîba nēsi tā ǀhapio kai, gā-ai khoets ge satsa xuige ǁnâuǃāxase dī, îts ǁîba kairab ka xawe ǃgam.”
Davidi di ǁōb
10 Davidi ge ge ǁō tsîb ge Davidi ǃĀs ǃnâ ge ǁkhōhe 11 ǁÎb ge hakadisi kuriga Israeli ǂama ge gao; hû kuriga Hebrons ǃnâ tsî ǃnonadisiǃnonaǀa kuriga Jerusalems ǃnâ. 12 Salomob ge ǁîb îb Davidi soas ǃnâ ge gao-ao kai tsîs ge gaosis âba ǀgaisase ge mâǁapo.
Adoniab di ǁōb
13 Hagits ôab Adoniab ge Salomob îs Batsebas tawa a sī, os ge ǁîba “ǂKhîb ǃnâts go hā?” ti ge dî.
Ob ge ǁîba “Î, 14 xū-e ta ge sas ǀkha ra ǃhoa ǂgao” ti ge mî.
“ǃHoa re” tis ge ǁîsa ge mî.
15 Ob ge ǁîba ge mî: “Sas ge tita ga gao-ao kai hâ ǃkhaisa a ǂan tsî Israeli hoab ge ǁnāsa gere ǃâubasensa. Xawe i ge ǀkharase ge ī tsîb ge ti ǃgâsaba ge gao-ao kai, ǃKhūb di ǂâis ge ǁnāsa i xui-ao. 16 O ta ge ǀgui xū-i ǀgui-e sas ai ra ǂgan, tā ǁî-e ǂkhā te re.”
“Mî re” tis ge ǁîsa ge mî.
17 Ob ge ǁîba ge mî: “Gao-aob Salomoba ǂgan re, ǁîb ge sasa ǂkhā tide xuige, îb Sunemǁîs, Abisagsa tarase mā te.” 18 Os ge Batsebasa ge ǃeream: “ǃGâi a, gao-aob ǀkha ta ge sats ǃaroma nî ǃhoa.”
19 Nētis ge Batsebasa gao-aob Salomob tawa ge sī, Adoniab ǂgansas ǁîba nî mîbase. Ob ge gao-aoba khâimâ tsî ǁîs aiǃâ ge ǃgamǃgâ. ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge ǁkhawa trons âb ai ǂnû tsî ǁîb îsa ǂnû-aiǃnao-e ge hā-ū kaiba, tsîs ge amǀkhāb âb ai ge ǂnû. 20 Os ge ǁîsa ge mî: “ǂKhari xūro-e ta ge ra ǂgan tsi; tā ǁî-e ǂkhā te re.”
Ob ge ǁîba “ǂGan re ti îse, tita ge ǂkhā si tide xuige” ti ge ǃeream.
21 ǁÎs ge “Ab sa ǃgâsab Adoniaba Sunemǁîs, Abisagsa tarase ū re” ti ge mî. 22 Ob ge gao-aob Salomoba ǁîsa ge dî: “Tare-i ǃaromas Adoniaba Abisagsa tarase ra ǂganba? Os kom ǁîba trons tsîna a ǂganba ǁkhāo, ti kai ǃgâsab a tsî prister Abiatari tsî Joab tsîkha ǁîba ra ǂkhâǃnâ xui-ao.” 23 Ob ge gao-aob Salomoba ǃKhūb aiǃâ ge mîmâi: “Ab Eloba ǃgam te Adoniaba ta ga nēs ǃaroma ûib âb ǀkha matare kai tama io. 24 ǃKhūb, tita ge gao-aodī tsî ti îb trons ai ǂnû kai tsî ti gaosisa mîmâib ge khami ǁapoǁapoba teb a ûitsama ǃkhais aob ge Adoniaba nētsē ǂanǂansase nî ǁō.”
25 Gao-aob Salomob ge Jojadab ôab, Benajaba ge sî tsîb ge ǁîba Adoniaba sī ge ǃgam.
Salomob ge Abiatara ra ǃhae
26 Gao-aob ge prister Abiatara ǃoa ge mî: “Sa ǃās Anatots ǁga ǃgû, sats ge ǁōts nîsa a anu, xawe ta ge nētsē ǃgam tsi tide, ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes ǃKhūb Elob disats ge ti îb Davidi ais ai tani tsî ǁîb ǀkha ǁkhā ǁgâiǀāgu ǃnâ hâ i amaga.” 27 Salomob ge Abiatara, ǃKhūb di pristerseb hâ tidega ge ǃhae. ǁNātis ge ǃKhūb ge Silos tawa Elib di surib ǂama gowaǂui ǀgoraǃgâsa ge dīǀoaǀoahe.
28 Joab hîa ge Adoniab saoǃgonaob a, xawe Absalomma saoǃgon tama hâ ib ge nē ǃkhaisa ge ǁnâu. ǁÎb ge ǃKhūb di Tentomma ǃoa ǃkhoeni tsî altars ǁnâgu ai sī ge ǃkhōbasen. 29 Gao-aob Salomob ge mîbahe Joab Tentomma ǃoa ǃkhoeni tsî altars tawa hâ ǃkhaisa, ob ge Jojadab ôab Benajaba “ǃGû, î sī ǃgam bi” ti ge mîmā.
30 Ob ge Benajaba ǃKhūb di Tentommi tawa sī tsî Joab ǃoa ge mî: “Gao-aob ge ra mî, îts ǂoaxa.”
Xaweb ge ǁîba “Hî-î, nēpa ta nî ǁō” ti ge mî.
Ob ge Benajaba gao-aoba mâtib go Joaba mî ǃkhaisa sī ge mîba.
31 Ob ge gao-aoba ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Mîb go khami dī, î ǃgam tsî ǁkhō bi, o da ge tita tsî ti îb di surib tsîda Joab ge dī ǃgamdi ǂama nî ǀhapio. 32 ǃKhūb ge nēsi ǁîba ǃoaǂuib hâ ǁkharaba ra mā, ǁnā ǀgam khoekha, ǁîb ǃgâ-ai ge ǂhanu-ai ikha, Neri ôab, Abneri Israeli toroǂnubis ǃkhōdana-aob tsî Jeteri ôab, Amasab Judab toroǂnubis ǃkhōdana-aob tsîkha hîab ge ti îb a ǀūse ǃgamkha ǃaroma. 33 Ab ǁîkha ǁōb di ǁkharaba ǀamose Joab tsî ǁîb di surib ai hâ, xawe ab ǃKhūba Davidi tsî ǁîb di surib trons âb ai ǂnôaba ǂkhîba mā.”
34 Ob ge Benajaba Tentomma ǃoa ǃgû tsî Joaba sī ge ǃgam. ǁÎb ge oms âb tawa ǃgarob ǃnâ ge ǁkhōhe. 35 Gao-aob Salomob ge Benajaba ǁîb soas ǃnâ toroǂnubis ǃkhōdana-aose ge mâi tsî Abiatari soas ǃnâb ge Sadoka pristerse ge mâi.
Simeib di ǁōb
36 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge gao-aoba Simeiba ǂgai kai tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Nēpa Jerusalems ǃnâ omsa ombasen, î ǁîs ǃnâ ǁan, îts tā ǃāsa xu ǂoa tsî ǀnî ǃkhai-i ǁga ǃgû. 37 Nē ǃāsa xu ǂoa tsîts ga Kidronǃāroba ǃgâu tsēs hoasats nî ǁō ǃkhaisats ge amase a ǂan; ǁnās ge sa ǂhunuma ǀhapi nî īsa.”
38 Ob ge Simeiba gao-aob ǃoa ge mî: “ǃGâi i ge a, gao-aots go mî khami ta ge nî dī.” Tsîb ge Simeiba ǂomxa ǁaeba Jerusalems ǃnâ ge ǁan.
39 Xawe kha ge ǃnona kurigu khaoǃgâ ǀgamkha Simeib ǃgāgu dikha Gats gao-aob Akisi, Maakab ôab ǁga ge ǃkhoebē. Tsî Simeib ge Gats ǃnâ kha hâ ǃkhaisa a ǁnâu, 40 ob ge dâukib âba ǃgaeǃgâ tsî Gats ǁga ge ǃgapi, ǃgākha âbab Akisi tawa sī nî ôase. Simeib ge ǃgākha âba sī hō tsî ge oaǀkhī-ū. 41 Tsî Salomob ge ǁnâu Simeib ge Jerusalemsa xu Gats ǃoa ǃgû tsî a oaǀkhī ǃkhaisa, 42 ob ge ǁîba ǂgai kai tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “ǃKhūb aiǃâ ta ge ge mîmâi kai tsi Jerusalemsa xuts ǂoa tidesa. ǁKhāti ta ge ge ǃkhâikhom tsi ǂoats ga tsēs hoasats amase nî ǁō ǃkhaisats nî ǂansa. Tsîts ge satsa ge mî, tita go mî khamits nî dī ǃkhaisa. 43 Tare xū-i ǃaromats ǃKhūbats ge nūba mîmâis tsî ti mîmās tsîra ǁnâuǀnam tama go i?” 44 ǃAruǀîb ge gao-aoba ge mî: “Ti îb Davidats ge dī-ū tsūdīb hoabats ge ǃgâise a ǂan. Ab ǃKhūba ǁnā tsūdīb hoaba sats ai oahā kai, 45 xawe ab tita ǀkhae, îs Davidi tronsa ǀamose ǃKhūb aiǃâ ǁaposase mâ.”
46 Ob ge gao-aoba Benajaba ge mîmā, tsîb ge ǁîba Simeiba sī ge ǃgam. Nētis ge Salomob gaosisa ge ǁapoǁapohe.
