Study Desk

As David's ^(F1)(C1)time to die drew near, he commanded his son Solomon, saying,

"^(C1)I am going the way of all the earth. So ^(C2)be strong, and ^(F1)prove yourself a man.

"Do your duty to the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to ^(F1)keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, ^(C1)according to what is written in the Law of Moses, so that ^(C2)you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,

so that ^(C1)the LORD may fulfill His ^(F1)promise which He spoke regarding me, saying, '^(C2)If your sons are careful about their way, ^(C3)to walk before Me in ^(F2)truth with all their heart and all their soul, ^(F3)(C4)you shall not be deprived of a man to occupy the throne of Israel.'

"Now you yourself also know what Joab the ^(C1)son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to ^(C2)Abner the son of Ner and to ^(C3)Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also ^(F1)shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt that was on his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet.

"^(C1)So act as your wisdom dictates, and do not let his gray hair go down to ^(F1)Sheol in peace.

"However, ^(C1)show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and ^(C2)let them be among those who eat at your table; ^(C3)for ^(F1)they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

"And behold, you have with you ^(C1)Shimei the son of Gera the Benjaminite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a painful curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when ^(C2)he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'

"But now do not leave him unpunished, ^(C1)for you are a wise man; and you will know what to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to ^(F1)Sheol with blood."

Then ^(C1)David ^(F1)lay down with his fathers, and he was buried in ^(C2)the city of David.

Now ^(C1)the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: in Hebron he reigned for ^(C2)seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years.