Study Desk

But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's most formidable warriors did not side with Adonijah [in his desire to become king].

But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the most formidable warriors, or his brother Solomon.

"But now, behold, Adonijah is [acting as] king; and now [as things stand], my lord the king, you do not know it.

"He has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army [to a feast], but he did not invite your servant Solomon.

"But he has not invited me, your servant, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.

But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, "No, on the contrary, our lord King David has made Solomon king!

Solomon said, "If he [proves he] is a worthy man, not even one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die."

"So act in accordance with your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in peace.

"But be gracious and kind to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who [have the honor to] eat at your table; for they met me [with kindness] when I fled from your brother Absalom.

"And look, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim; he is the one who cursed me with a sinister curse the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan [on my return], and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'

"But now do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what to do to him, and you will bring his gray head down to Sheol [covered] with blood."

Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go to Anathoth to your own fields, for you certainly deserve to die; but I will not put you to death this day, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered everything that my father endured."

So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and told Joab, "This is what the king commands, 'Come out of there.'" But Joab said, "No, for I will die here." Then Benaiah brought word to the king again, saying, "This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me."

"So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and the heads of his descendants forever. But for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, may there be peace from the LORD forever."

But it happened after three years, that two of Shimei's servants ran away to Achish the son of Maacah, the king of Gath. And Shimei was told, "Behold, your [runaway] servants are in Gath."

"But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever."

But [in the meantime] the people were still sacrificing [to God] on the high places (hilltops) [as the pagans did to their idols], for there was no [permanent] house yet built for the Name of the LORD.

"So now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king].

God said to him, "Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice,

"When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead. But when I examined him carefully in the morning, behold, it was not my son, the one whom I had borne."