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Now the dayes of Dauid drew nigh, that he should die, and he charged Solomon his sonne, saying;

I goe the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thy selfe a man.

And keepe the charge of the Lord thy God, to walke in his wayes, to keepe his Statutes, and his Commandements, & his Iudgements, and his Testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoeuer thou turnest thy selfe:

That the Lord may continue his word which hee spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heede to their way, to walke before mee in trueth, with all their heart, and with all their soule, there shall not faile thee (sayd hee) a man on the throne of Israel.

Moreouer thou knowest also what Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah did to mee, and what he did to the two captaines of the hostes of Israel, vnto Abner the sonne of Ner, and vnto Amasa the sonne of Iether, whom hee slewe, and shed the blood of warre in peace, and put the blood of warre vpon his girdle that was about his loynes, and in his shooes that were on his feet.

Doe therefore according to thy wisedome, and let not his hoare head goe downe to the graue in peace.

But shewe kindnesse vnto the sonnes of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eate at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

And behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the sonne of Gera, a Beniamite of Bahurim, which cursed mee with a grieuous curse, in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but hee came downe to meete me at Iordane, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

Nowe therefore holde him not guiltlesse: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to doe vnto him, but his hoare head bring thou downe to the graue with blood.

So Dauid slept with his fathers, and was buried in the citie of Dauid.

And the dayes that Dauid raigned ouer Israel, were fourty yeeres: seuen yeeres raigned hee in Hebron, and thirty and three yeeres raigned hee in Ierusalem.