1 Kings 2:1-3

David’s Final Words to Solomon

2:1 When David was close to death, ¹  he told ²  Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. ³  Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you ⁴  by following his instructions ⁵  and obeying ⁶  his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, ⁷ 

1 Kings 2:9

2:9 But now ⁸  don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; ⁹  make sure he has a bloody death.” ¹⁰ 

---

¹ tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”

² tn Or “commanded.”

³ tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”

⁴ tn Heb “keep the charge of the Lord your God.”

⁵ tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”

⁶ tn Or “keeping.”

⁷ tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”

⁸ tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek and the Vulgate have here “you” rather than “now.” The two words are homonyms in Hebrew.

⁹ tn Heb “what you should do to him.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”