1 Kings 2:25-46

New International Version

²⁵ So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah^(A) son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.^(B)

²⁶ To Abiathar^(C) the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth.^(D) You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark^(E) of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.”^{(F) 27} So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling^(G) the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

²⁸ When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns^(H) of the altar. ²⁹ King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar.^(I) Then Solomon ordered Benaiah^(J) son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”

³⁰ So Benaiah entered the tent^(K) of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!^(L)’”

But he answered, “No, I will die here.”

Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”

³¹ Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood^(M) that Joab shed. ³² The Lord will repay^(N) him for the blood he shed,^(O) because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa^(P) son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better^(Q) men and more upright than he. ³³ May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord’s peace forever.”

³⁴ So Benaiah^(R) son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab^(S) and killed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country. ³⁵ The king put Benaiah^(T) son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok^(U) the priest.

³⁶ Then the king sent for Shimei^(V) and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. ³⁷ The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley,^(W) you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”^(X)

³⁸ Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

³⁹ But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish^(Y) son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” ⁴⁰ At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

⁴¹ When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, ⁴² the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn^(Z) you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’ ⁴³ Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

⁴⁴ The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong^(AA) you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. ⁴⁵ But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure^(AB) before the Lord forever.”

⁴⁶ Then the king gave the order to Benaiah^(AC) son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei^(AD) down and he died.

The kingdom was now established^(AE) in Solomon’s hands.