Page:JPS-1917-Universal.djvu/425

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FIRST KINGS
2.7

that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said: 'Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?' 42While he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said: 'Come in; for thou art a worthy man, and bringest good tidings.' 43And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah: 'Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. 44And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule. 45And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that ye have heard. 46And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 47And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying: God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne; and the king bowed down upon the bed. 48And also thus said the king: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.'

49And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 50And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 51And it was told Solomon, saying: 'Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon; for, lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear unto me first of all that he will not slay his servant with the sword.' 52And Solomon said: 'If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.' 53So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before king Solomon; and Solomon said unto him: 'Go to thy house.'

2Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2'I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; 3and keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself; 4that the Lord may establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying: If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee, said He, a man on the throne of Israel. 5Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did unto me, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 6Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. 7But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table; for so they drew nigh unto me when I

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