Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, September 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

Wycliffe Bible

1 Kings 2:2

Y entre in to the weie of al erthe; be thou coumfortid, and be thou a strong man.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   David;   Death;   Will;   Thompson Chain Reference - Battle of Life;   Be Strong;   Conflict, Spiritual;   Courage-Fear;   Devout Fathers;   Fathers;   Fight of Faith;   Home;   Manliness;   Religion;   Spiritual;   Strong, Be;   The Topic Concordance - Strength;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Death of Saints, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Preaching;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Solomon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Adonijah;   Reuben;   Solomon;   1910 New Catholic Dictionary - canticle;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Solomon;   Talent;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth. Be strong and be a man,
Hebrew Names Version
I am going the way of all the eretz: be you strong therefore, and show yourself a man;
King James Version
I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
English Standard Version
"I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,
New Century Version
David said, "My time to die is near. Be a good and strong leader.
New English Translation
"I am about to die. Be strong and become a man!
Amplified Bible
"I am going the way of all the earth [as dust to dust]. Be strong and prove yourself a man.
New American Standard Bible
"I am going the way of all the earth. So be strong, and prove yourself a man.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I go the way of all the earth: be strong therefore, and shew thy selfe a man,
Legacy Standard Bible
"I am going the way of all the earth. So you shall be strong, and be a man.
Contemporary English Version
My son, I will soon die, as everyone must. But I want you to be strong and brave.
Complete Jewish Bible
"I am going the way of all the earth. Therefore, be strong; show yourself a man.
Darby Translation
I go the way of all the earth: be of good courage therefore, and be a man;
Easy-to-Read Version
"I am about to die, like all men must. But you are growing stronger and becoming a man.
George Lamsa Translation
I go the way of all the earth; be strong therefore, and show yourself a man;
Good News Translation
"My time to die has come. Be confident and determined,
Lexham English Bible
"I am about to go the way of all the world. Be strong and be courageous.
Literal Translation
I am going in the way of all the earth. And you be strong, and be a man,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I go the waye of all the worlde, Be thou stroge therfore, and shewe thyselfe a man,
American Standard Version
I am going the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man;
Bible in Basic English
I am going the way of all the earth: so be strong and be a man;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I go the way of al the earth, be thou strong therfore, & shewe thy selfe a man.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man;
King James Version (1611)
I goe the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thy selfe a man.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
but be thou strong, and shew thyself a man;
English Revised Version
I go the way of all the earth: he thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
Berean Standard Bible
"I am about to go the way of all of the earth. So be strong and prove yourself a man.
Young's Literal Translation
`I am going in the way of all the earth, and thou hast been strong, and become a man,
Update Bible Version
I am going the way of all the earth: be strong therefore, and show yourself a man;
Webster's Bible Translation
I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man;
World English Bible
I am going the way of all the earth: be you strong therefore, and show yourself a man;
New King James Version
"I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.
New Living Translation
"I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man.
New Life Bible
"I am going the way of all the earth. So be strong. Show yourself to be a man.
New Revised Standard
"I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I, am going the way of all the earth, - thou must be strong, therefore, and show thyself a man;
Douay-Rheims Bible
I am going the way of all flesh: take thou courage and shew thyself a man.
Revised Standard Version
"I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.

Contextual Overview

1 Forsothe the daies of Dauid neiyiden, that he schulde die; and he comaundide to Salomon, his sone, and seide, Lo! 2 Y entre in to the weie of al erthe; be thou coumfortid, and be thou a strong man. 3 And kepe thou the kepyngis and heestis of thi Lord God, that thou go in hise weies, and kepe hise cerymonyes, and hise heestis, and hise domes, and witnessyngis, as it is writun in the lawe of Moises; that thou vndurstonde alle thingis whiche thou doist, and whidur euer thou schalt turne thee. 4 That the Lord conferme hise wordis, whiche the Lord spak of me, and seide, If thi sones kepen my weies, and goen bifor me in treuthe, in al her herte, and in al her soule, a man schal not be takun awei of thee fro the trone of Israel. 5 Also thou knowist what thingis Joab, the sone of Saruye, dide to me; what thingis he dide to twey princis of the oost of Israel, to Abner, sone of Ner, and to Amasa, sone of Jether, whiche he killide, and schedde the blood of batel in pees; and puttide the blood of batel in his girdil, that was aboute hise leendis, and in his scho, that was in hise feet. 6 Therfor thou schalt do by thi wisdom, and thou schalt not lede forth his hoornesse pesibli to hellis. 7 But also thou schalt yelde grace to the sones of Bersellai of Galaad, and thei schulen be eetynge in thi boord; for thei metten me, whanne Y fledde fro the face of Absolon, thi brother. 8 Also thou hast anentis thee Semey, sone of Gera, sone of Gemyny, of Bahurym, which Semei curside me bi the worste cursyng, whanne Y yede to `the castels; but for he cam doun to me in to metyng, whanne Y passide Jordan, and Y swoor to him bi the Lord, and seide, Y schal not slee thee bi swerd, 9 nyle thou suffre hym to be vnpunyschid; forsothe thou art a wise man, and thou schalt wite what thou schalt do to hym, and thou schalt lede forth hise hoor heeris with blood to hellis. 10 Sotheli Dauid slepte with hise fadris, and was biriede in the citee of Dauid.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I go: Joshua 23:14, Job 16:22, Job 30:23, Psalms 89:48, Hebrews 9:27

be thou: Deuteronomy 17:19, Deuteronomy 17:20, Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:6, Joshua 1:7, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Ephesians 6:10, 2 Timothy 2:1

and show: 1 Kings 3:7, 2 Samuel 10:12, Ecclesiastes 12:13, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 1 Timothy 4:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 48:21 - Behold 1 Chronicles 28:7 - constant 1 Timothy 3:15 - know 2 Peter 1:14 - shortly

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
And God seiy alle thingis whiche he made, and tho weren ful goode. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the sixte day.
Genesis 2:8
Forsothe the Lord God plauntide at the bigynnyng paradis of likyng, wherynne he settide man whom he hadde formed.
Genesis 2:11
The name of the o ryuer is Fyson, thilke it is that cumpassith al the lond of Euilath, where gold cometh forth,
Exodus 23:12
Sixe dayes thou schalt worche, in the seuenthe dai thou schalt ceesse, that thin oxe and asse reste, and the sone of thin handmaide, and the comelyng be refreischid.
Exodus 31:17
it is a couenaunt euerlastinge bitwixe me and the sones of Israel, and it is `a signe euerlastynge; for in sixe daies God made heuene and erthe, and in the seuenthe day he ceessid of werk.
Deuteronomy 5:14
the seventhe day is `of sabat, that is the reste of thi Lord God. Thou schalt not do therynne ony thing of werk; thou, and thi sone, and douyter, seruaunt, and handmaide, and oxe, and asse, and `al thi werk beeste, and the pilgrym which is with ynne thi yatis; that thi seruaunt reste and thin handmaide, as also thou.
Isaiah 58:13
If thou turnest awei thi foot fro the sabat, to do thi wille in myn hooli dai, and clepist the sabat delicat, and hooli, the gloriouse of the Lord, and glorifiest him, while thou doist not thi weies, and thi wille is not foundun, that thou speke a word;
John 5:17
And Jhesus answeride to hem, My fadir worchith til now, and Y worche.
Hebrews 4:4
he seide thus in a place of the seuenthe dai, And God restide in the seuenthe dai from alle hise werkis.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I go the way of all the earth,.... A path which is the path of death o, which all pass in, kings and peasants, high and low, rich and poor, great and small, good and bad; none are exempted, all must die, and do; it is the appointment of God, a decree which can never be reversed; all experience confirms it: this same phrase is used by Joshua, from whom David seems to have borrowed it, and shows that that book was written in his days, Joshua 23:14;

be thou strong therefore; not discouraged at my death, being a common thing, and to be expected; nor at being left alone, the Lord can give thee wisdom and counsel, assistance and strength, protection, and defence; take heart therefore, and be of good courage:

and show thyself a man; in wisdom and understanding, and in fortitude of mind, though so young a man; which were necessary for the government of so great a people, and to guard against the secret intrigues of some, and the open flatteries of others, and the fear of attempts against his person and government, and the temptations he might be liable to, to do wrong things; and especially they were necessary to enable him to keep the commands of God, as follows; which required great strength of mind and of grace, considering the corruptions of nature, the temptations of Satan, and the snares of men; see Joshua 1:7.

o "------ omnes una manet nox, Et calcanda semel via lethi". Horat. Carmin. l. 1. ode 28. ver. 15, 16.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

David appears to have in his thoughts the divine address to Joshua. Without following it servilely, he reproduces several of its leading expressions and sentiments (compare the margin reference). Solomon’s youth clearly constituted one of the chief difficulties of his position. If he was about nineteen or twenty, and known to be of a pacific disposition 1 Chronicles 22:9, then to have to rule over the warlike and turbulent Hebrew nation, with a strong party opposed to him, and brothers of full age ready to lead it, was evidently a most difficult task. Hence, he is exhorted, though in years a boy, to show himself in Spirit “a man.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 2:2. I go the way of all the earth — I am dying. All the inhabitants of the earth must come to the dust. In life, some follow one occupation, some another; but all must, sooner or later, come to the grave. Death is no respecter of persons; he visits the palace of the king as well as the cottage of the peasant.

Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas,

Regumque turres.

- HOR. Odar. lib. i., od. iv., ver. 13.

"With equal pace, impartial fate

Knocks at the palace as the cottage gate."

FRANCIS.

_________ Sed omnes una manet nox,

Et calcanda semel via lethi.

- Ib. od. xxviii., ver. 15.

"One dreary night for all mankind remains,

And once we all must tread the shadowy plains."

Ibid.


There is no respect to age or youth more than to station or external circumstance: -


Mixta senum ac juvenum densantur funera: nullum

Saeva caput Proserpina fugit.

- Ib. od. xxviii., ver. 19.

Thus age and youth promiscuous crowd the tomb;

No mortal head can shun the impending doom."

Ibid.


And it is not merely man that is subjected to this necessity; all that have in them the breath of life must lose it; it is the way of all the earth, both of men and inferior animals.


__________ Terrestria quando

Mortales animas vivunt sortita, neque ulla est

Aut parvo aut magno lethi fuga.

Vive memor quam sis aevi brevis.

HOR. Sat. l. ii., s. vi., ver. 93.


"All that tread the earth are subject to mortality; neither great nor small can avoid death. Live therefore conscious that your time is short."

It is painful to the pride of the great and mighty that, however decorated their tombs may be, they must undergo the same dissolution and corruption with the vulgar dead; for the grave is the house appointed for all living: man is born to die.

Omnium idem exitus est, sed et idem domicilium.

"For all have the same end, and are huddled together in the same narrow house."

Here emperors, kings, statesmen, warriors, heroes, and butchers of all kinds, with peasants and beggars, meet; however various their routes, they terminate in the same point. This and all other kindred sentiments on the subject are well expressed in that excellent little poem of Mr. Blair, entitled THE GRAVE, which opens with the following lines: -

While some affect the sun, and some the shade;

Some flee the city, some the hermitage;

Their aims as various as the roads they take

In journeying through life; the task be mine

To paint the gloomy horrors of the tomb,

The appointed place of rendezvous, where all

These travellers meet.


Show thyself a man — Act like a rational being, and not like a brute; and remember, that he acts most like a man who is most devoted to his GOD.


 
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