1 Kings 2:12-46
12And aSolomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
Adonijah’s Request
13Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “aDo you come peacefully?” And he said, “Peacefully.” 14Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” 15So he said, “You know that athe kingdom was mine and bthat all Israel 1expected me to be king; chowever, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, dfor it was his from Yahweh. 16“So now, I am making one request of you; do not 1turn me away.” And she said to him, “Speak.” 17Then he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not 1turn you away, that he may give me aAbishag the Shunammite as a wife.” 18And Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”
Adonijah Put to Death
19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he ahad a throne set for the king’s mother, and bshe sat on his right. 20Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; ado not turn 1me away.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not turn 2you away.” 21So she said, “aLet Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.” 22Then King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? aAsk for him also the kingdom—bfor he is my older brother—even for him, for cAbiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!” 23Then King Solomon swore by Yahweh, saying, “May God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has anot spoken this word against his own 1life. 24“So now, as Yahweh lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and awho has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25So King Solomon asent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.
26Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “aGo to Anathoth to your own field, bfor you 1deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because cyou carried the ark of Lord Yahweh before my father David, and because dyou were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” 27So Solomon drove Abiathar away from being priest to Yahweh, in order to fulfill athe word of Yahweh, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
Joab Put to Death
28Now the news came to Joab, afor Joab had followed Adonijah, balthough he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of Yahweh and ctook hold of the horns of the altar. 29And it was told to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of Yahweh, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon asent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “bGo, fall upon him.” 30So Benaiah came to the tent of Yahweh and said to him, “Thus the king has said, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me.” 31And the king said to him, “aDo as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, bthat you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause. 32“aAnd Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, bbecause he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, but my father David did not know it: cAbner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and dAmasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33“aSo shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his seed forever; but to David and his seed and his house and his throne, may there be peace from Yahweh forever.” 34Then aBenaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house bin the wilderness. 35aAnd the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed bZadok the priest cin the place of Abiathar.
Shimei Put to Death
36Then the king sent and called for aShimei and said to him, “Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any place. 37“Now it will be on the day you go out and across over the 1brook Kidron, that you will know for certain that you shall surely die; byour blood shall be on your own head.” 38Shimei then said to the king, “The word is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.
39But it happened at the end of three years, that two of the slaves of Shimei ran away ato Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.” 40Then Shimei arose and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to search for his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. 41And it was told to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. 42So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by Yahweh and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you go out and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’ 43“Why then have you not kept the oath of Yahweh, and the command which I have commanded you?” 44The king also said to Shimei, “aYou know all the evil which 1you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore bYahweh shall return your evil on your own head. 45“But King Solomon shall be blessed, and athe throne of David shall be established before Yahweh forever.” 46aSo the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him so that he died. bThus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.