1 And the days of David approached that he should die, and he commanded his son Salomon, saying:
1 And the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged his son Solomon, saying:
2 I enter into the way of all flesh: take courage, and play the man.
2 I am going the way of all flesh: take thou courage and show thyself a man.
3 And observe the watches of our Lord thy God, that thou walk in his ways, and keep his ceremonies, and his precepts & judgments, and testimonies as is written in the law of Moyses: that thou mayst understand all things which thou doest, and whithersoever thou shalt turn thyself:
3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and observe his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, ¹as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayst understand all thou dost, and whithersoever thou shalt turn thyself:
4 that our Lord may confirm his words, which he hath spoken of me, saying: If thy children shall keep their ways, and shall walk before me in truth, in all their heart, and in all their soul, there shall not altogether be taken from thee a man out of the throne of Israel.
4 That the Lord may confirm his words, which he hath spoken of me, saying: If thy children shall take heed to their ways, and shall walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from thee a man on the throne of Israel.
5 Thou knowest also what Joab the son of Sarvia hath done to me, what he did to the two Princes of the army of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, & Amasa the son of Jether: whom he slew, & shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of battle in his belt, which was about his loins, and in his shoe, which was on his feet.
5 Thou knowest also what Joab the son of Sarvia hath done to me, what he did to the two captains of the army of Israel, ²to Abner the son of Ner, and ³to Amasa the son of Jether: whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war on his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
6 Thou shalt do therefore according to thy wisdom, and shalt not bring his hoar head peaceably unto hell.
6 Do, therefore, according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down to hell in peace.
7 But to the sons also of Berzellai the Galaadite thou shalt render kindness, and they shall eat on thy table: for they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom thy brother.
7 But show kindness to the sons of Berzellai the Galaadite, and let them eat at thy table: ⁴for they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom thy brother.
8 Thou shalt also with thee Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, who cursed me with a wicked curse, when I went to the Camp; but because he came down to meet me when I passed Jordan, and I sware to him by our Lord, saying: I will not kill thee with the sword;
8 ⁵Thou hast also with thee Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse, when I went to the camp: but because he came down to meet me when I passed over the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying: I will not kill thee with the sword:
9 do not thou suffer him to be guiltless. But thou art a wise man, so that thou knowest what thou shalt do to him, and thou shalt bring his hoar hair with blood unto hell.
9 Do not thou hold him guiltless. But thou art a wise man, and knowest what to do with him, and thou shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave.
10 David therefore slept with his fathers, & was buried in the city of David.
10 ⁶So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
11 And the days that David reigned in Israel, are forty years: in Hebron he reigned seven years, in Jerusalem thirty three.
11 ⁷And the days that David reigned in Israel, were forty years: in Hebron he reigned seven years, in Jerusalem thirty-three.
12 And Salomon sat upon the throne of David his father, & his Kingdom was confirmed exceedingly.
12 And Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly.
13 And Adonias the son of Haggith entered in to Bethsabee the mother of Salomon. Who said to him: Is thy coming peaceable? Who answered: Peaceable.
13 And Adonias the son of Haggith came to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon. And she said to him: Is thy coming peaceable? He answered: It is peaceable.
14 And he added: I have a word to speak with thee. To whom she said: Speak. And he:
14 And he added: I have a word to speak with thee. She said to him: Speak. And he said:
15 Thou knowest, quoth he, that the kingdom was mine, & all Israel had purposed to make me over them to be their king: but the kingdom is transposed, & is made my brother's: for it was appointed him of our Lord.
15 Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had preferred me to be their king: but the kingdom is transferred, and is become my brother’s: for it was appointed him by the Lord.
16 Now therefore I desire one petition of thee; Confound not my face. Who said to him: Speak.
16 Now therefore, I ask one petition of thee; turn not away my face. And she said to him: Say on.
17 And he said: I pray speak to Salomon the king (for he cannot deny thee any thing) that he give me Abisag the Sunamite to wife.
17 And he said I pray thee speak to king Solomon (for he cannot deny thee anything) to give me Abisag the Sunamitess to wife.
18 And Bethsabee said: Well, I will speak for thee to the king.
18 And Bethsabee said: Well, I will speak for thee to the king.
19 Bethsabee therefore came to king Salomon, to speak unto him for Adonias: & the king arose to meet her, & adored her, & sat down upon his throne: & a throne was set for the king's mother, who sat on his right hand.
19 Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right hand.
20 And she said to him: One little petition I desire of thee, confound not my face. And the king said to her: My mother ask: for it behoveth not that I turn away thy face.
20 And she said to him: I desire one small petition of thee; do not put me to confusion. And the king said to her: My mother ask, for I must not turn away thy face.
21 Who said: Let Abisag the Sunamite be given to Adonias thy brother to wife.
21 And she said: Let Abisag the Sunamitess be given to Adonias thy brother to wife.
22 And king Salomon answered, and said to his mother: Why doest thou ask Abisag the Sunamite for Adonias? Ask for him also the Kingdom: for he is my brother elder than I, & hath Abiathar the priest, & Joab the son of Sarvia.
22 And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother: Why dost thou ask Abisag the Sunamitess for Adonias? Ask for him also the kingdom; for he is my elder brother, and hath Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Sarvia.
23 Therefore king Salomon sware by our Lord, saying: These things do God to me, & these add he, because Adonias hath spoken this word against his life.
23 Then king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying: So and so may God do to me, and add more, if Adonias hath not spoken this word against his own life.
24 And now, our Lord liveth which hath established me, & placed me upon the throne of David my father, and which hath made me a house, as he spake, this day shall Adonias be slain.
24 And now, as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and placed me upon the throne of David my father and who hath made me a house, as he promised, Adonias shall be put to death this day.
25 And king Salomon sent by the hand of Banaias the son of Joiada, who slew him, & he died.
25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Banaias the son of Joiada, who slew him, and he died.
26 To Abiathar also the priest the king said: Go into Anathoth to thy field, and thou indeed art a man of death: but today I will not kill thee, because thou didst carry the ark of our Lord God before David my father, & hast sustained labour in all things, wherein my father laboured.
26 And the king said also to Abiathar the priest: Go to Anathoth, to thy lands, for indeed thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst carry the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and hast endured trouble in all the troubles my father endured.
27 Salomon therefore cast out Abiathar, that he should not be the priest of our Lord, that the word of our Lord might be fulfilled, which he spake concerning the house of Heli in Silo.
27 So Solomon cast out Abiathar from being the priest of the Lord, ⁸that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke concerning the house of Heli in Silo.
28 And then a messenger came to Joab, for that Joab had turned after Adonias, and after Salomon had not turned: Joab therefore fled into the tabernacle of our Lord, & caught the horn of the altar.
28 And the news came to Joab, because Joab had turned after Adonias, and had not turned after Solomon: and Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and took hold on the horn of the altar.
29 And it was told king Salomon, that Joab was fled into the tabernacle of our Lord, and was beside the altar: and Salomon sent Banaias the son of Joiada, saying: Go, kill him
29 And it was told king Solomon, that Joab was fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and was by the altar: and Solomon sent Banaias the son of Joiada, saying: Go, kill him.
30 And Banaias came to the tabernacle of our Lord, and said to him: Thus saith the king: Come forth. Who said: I will not come forth, but here will I die. Banaias reported his word to the king, saying: Thus spake Joab, and thus he answered me.
30 And Banaias came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him: Thus saith the king: Come forth. And he said: I will not come forth, but here I will die. Banaias brought word back to the king, saying: Thus saith Joab, and thus he answered me.
31 And the king said to him: Do as he hath spoken: and kill him, and bury him, and thou shalt remove the innocent blood, which hath been shed of Joab, from me, and from the house of my father.
31 And the king said to him: Do as he hath said; and kill him, and bury him, and thou shalt remove the innocent blood which hath been shed by Joab, from me, and from the house of my father:
32 And our Lord shall render his blood upon his head, because he murdered two just men, and better than himself: and slew them with his sword, my father David not knowing, Abner the son of Ner general of the warfare of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether general of the army of Juda:
32 And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head; because he murdered two men, just and better than himself: and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it; ⁹Abner the son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, general of the army of Juda;
33 and their blood shall return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever. But to David & his seed & his house, & to his throne be peace for ever from our Lord.
33 And their blood shall return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed forever. But to David and his seed, and his house, and to his throne, be peace forever from the Lord.
34 Banaias therefore the son of Joiada went up, and setting upon him slew him: and he was buried in his house in the desert.
34 So Banaias the son of Joiada went up, and setting upon him slew him, and he was buried in his house in the desert.
35 And the king appointed Banaias the son of Joiada for him over the army, and Sadoc the priest he placed for Abiathar.
35 And the king appointed Banaias the son of Joiada in his room over the army; and Sadoc the priest he put in the place of Abiathar.
36 The king also sent, and called Semei, and said to him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there: and thou shalt not go out thence hither and thither.
36 The king also sent, and called for Semei, and said to him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there: and go not out from thence any where.
37 But what day soever thou shalt go out, and shalt pass the Torrent Cedron, know that thou art to be slain: thy blood shall be upon thy head.
37 For on what day soever thou shalt go out, and shalt pass over the brook Cedron, know that thou shalt be put to death: thy blood shall be upon thy own head.
38 And Semei said to the king: The saying is good: as my lord the king hath spoken, so will thy servant do. Semei therefore dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
38 And Semei said to the king: The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Semei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
39 And it came to pass after three years, that the servants of Semei fled to Achis the son of Maacha the king of Geth: and it was told Semei that his servants were gone into Geth.
39 And it came to pass after three years, that the servants of Semei ran away to Achis the son of Maacha the king of Geth: and it was told Semei that his servants were gone to Geth.
40 And Semei arose, and saddled his ass, & went to Achis into Geth to require his servants, & he brought them out of Geth.
40 And Semei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Achis, to Geth, to seek his servants, and he brought them out of Geth.
41 And it was told Salomon that Semei went into Geth out of Jerusalem, & was returned.
41 And it was told Solomon, that Semei had gone from Jerusalem to Geth, and was come back.
42 And sending he called him, & said to him: Did I not testify to thee by our Lord, & told thee before: What day soever thou going out shalt pass hither and thither, know that thou shalt die? And thou didst answer me: The saying is good, which I have heard.
42 And sending he called for him, and said to him: Did I not protest to thee by the Lord, and tell thee before: On what day soever thou shalt go out and walk abroad any where, know that thou shalt die? And thou answeredst me: The word that I have heard is good.
43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of our Lord, and the precept that I commanded thee?
43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I laid upon thee?
44 And the king said to Semei: Thou knowest all the evil, whereof thy heart is privy to thyself, which thou didst to David my father: our Lord hath rendered thy malice upon thy head.
44 And the king said to Semei: Thou knowest all the evil, of which thy heart is conscious, which thou didst to David my father: the Lord hath returned thy wickedness upon thy own head.
45 And king Salomon be blessed, and the throne of David shall be stable before our Lord for ever.
45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.
46 The king therefore commanded Banaias the son of Joiada: who going out, struck him, and he died.
46 So the king commanded Banaias the son of Joiada: and he went out and struck him; and he died.