Solomon's Reign Established

1 Kings 2

13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, l "Do you come peacefully?" He said, "Peacefully." 14 Then he said, "I have something to say to you." She said, "Speak." 15 He said, "You know that m the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's, n for it was his from the Lord. 16 And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me." She said to him, "Speak." 17 And he said, "Please ask King Solomon - he will not refuse you - to give me o Abishag the Shunammite as my wife." 18 Bathsheba said, "Very well; I will speak for you to the king."

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king's mother, p and she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, "I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me." And the king said to her, "Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you." 21 She said, "Let o Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife." 22 King Solomon answered his mother, "And why do you ask o Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, q for he is my older brother, and on his side r are Abiathar 1 the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah." 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, s "God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! 24 Now therefore t as the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, u as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today." 25 So King Solomon sent v Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.

26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go to w Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, x because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, y and because you shared in all my father's affliction." 27 z So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling a the word of the Lord that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 When the news came to Joab - for Joab b had supported Adonijah although c he had not supported Absalom - Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and caught hold of the d horns of the altar. 29 And when it was told King Solomon, "Joab has fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar," Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, strike him down." 30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, "The king commands, 'Come out.'" But he said, "No, I will die here." Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, "Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me." 31 The king replied to him, e "Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, f and thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. 32 The Lord will g bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men h more righteous and better than himself, i Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and j Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 g So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the Lord forevermore." 34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35 k The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put l Zadok the priest m in the place of Abiathar.

36 Then the king sent and summoned n Shimei and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever. 37 For on the day you go out and cross o the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. p Your blood shall be on your own head." 38 And Shimei said to the king, "What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

39 But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shimei's servants ran away to q Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shimei, "Behold, your servants are in Gath," 40 Shimei arose and saddled a donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 41 And when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, 42 the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn you, saying, 'Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die'? And you said to me, 'What you say is good; I will obey.' 43 Why then have you not kept your oath to the Lord and the commandment with which I commanded you?" 44 The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your own heart r all the harm that you did to David my father. So the Lord will s bring back your harm on your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, t and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever."

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

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:4
    Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, "Do you come peaceably?
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:5
    Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
    1 Kings 1:25
    For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!
  3. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 22:9 - 10
    Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.
    1 Chronicles 28:5 - 7
    And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
  4. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:3 - 4
    So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
  5. Cross References
    Psalms 45:9
    Daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
  6. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:17
    And he said, "Please ask King Solomon - he will not refuse you - to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.
  7. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:17
    And he said, "Please ask King Solomon - he will not refuse you - to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:6
    His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, "Why have you done thus and so?" He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.
    1 Chronicles 3:2
    The third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith.
    1 Chronicles 3:5
    These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel.
  9. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:7
    He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him.
  10. Cross References
    Ruth 1:17
    Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.
  11. Cross References
    Ruth 3:13
    Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
  12. Cross References
    2 Samuel 7:11
    From the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.
    2 Samuel 7:13
    He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
    1 Chronicles 22:10
    He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.
  13. Cross References
    2 Samuel 8:18
    And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were priests.
  14. Cross References
    Joshua 21:18
    Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands - four cities.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 23:6
    When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.
    2 Samuel 15:24
    And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city.
    2 Samuel 15:29
    So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:20 - 23
    But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
  17. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:35
    The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.
  18. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:27 - 36
    And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, "Thus the Lord has said, 'Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh?
  19. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:7
    He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him.
  20. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:25
    Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
    2 Samuel 18:2
    And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will also go out with you.
  21. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:50
    And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
  22. Cross References
    Exodus 21:14
    But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
  23. Cross References
    Numbers 35:33
    You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
    Deuteronomy 19:13
    Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you.
    Deuteronomy 21:8 - 9
    Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.
  24. Cross References
    Judges 9:24
    That the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
  25. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 21:13
    But have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom, as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom, and also you have killed your brothers, of your father's house, who were better than yourself.
  26. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:5
    Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet.
    2 Samuel 3:27
    And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
  27. Cross References
    2 Samuel 20:9 - 10
    And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
  28. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:32
    The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.
  29. Cross References
    1 Kings 4:4
    Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
  30. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:22
    And they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed him as prince for the Lord, and Zadok as priest.
  31. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:27
    So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling the word of the Lord that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
  32. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:8
    And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.
  33. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:23
    And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.
  34. Cross References
    2 Samuel 1:16
    And David said to him, "Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord 's anointed.'
  35. Cross References
    1 Samuel 27:2
    So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
  36. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:5 - 14
    When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually.
  37. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:39
    When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
  38. Cross References
    Proverbs 25:5
    Take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
  39. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:12
    So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
    2 Chronicles 1:1
    Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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