David’s Instructions to Solomon

1 When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 ^w“I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, ^xthat you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to ^ywalk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack¹ a man on the throne of Israel.’

5 “Moreover, you also know ^zwhat Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging² in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war³ on the belt around his⁴ waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his ^agray head go down to Sheol in peace. 7 But deal loyally with the sons of ^bBarzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who ^ceat at your table, for ^dwith such loyalty⁵ they met me when I ^efled from Absalom your brother. 8 And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, ^fwho cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But ^gwhen 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.’ 9 Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”

The Death of David

10 ^hThen David slept with his fathers ⁱand was buried in the city of David. 11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned ^jseven years ^kin Hebron and thirty-three years ^lin Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

Solomon’s Reign Established

13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peacefully?” He said, “Peacefully.” 14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his ^mfrom the Lord. 16 And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Speak.” 17 And he said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me ⁿAbishag the Shunammite as my wife.” 18 Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and ^oon his side are Abiathar⁶ the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! 24 Now therefore as the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, ^pas he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25 So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.

26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to ^qAnathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you ^rcarried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you ^sshared in all my father’s affliction.” 27 So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling ^tthe word of the Lord that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 When the news came to Joab—for Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom—Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and ^ucaught hold of the horns of the altar. 29 And when it was told King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar,” Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, ^v“Go, strike him down.” 30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “The king commands, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, I will die here.” Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.” 31 The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and ^wthus take away from me and from my father’s house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. 32 The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the Lord forevermore.” 34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35 The king put ^xBenaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

36 Then the king sent and summoned ^yShimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever. 37 For on the day you go out and cross the brook ^zKidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head.” 38 And Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

39 But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shimei’s servants ran away to ^aAchish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shimei, “Behold, your servants are in Gath,” 40 Shimei arose and saddled a donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 41 And when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, 42 the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘What you say is good; I will obey.’ 43 Why then have you not kept your oath to the Lord and the commandment with which I commanded you?” 44 The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the Lord will bring back your harm on your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the ^bthrone of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” 46 Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died.

So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

Book Five

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

Sons and Heirs

1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,¹ though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is ^wunder guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were ^xenslaved to the ^yelementary principles² of the world. 4 But when the ^zfullness of time had come, God ^asent forth his Son, ^bborn ^cof woman, born ^dunder the law, 5 to ^eredeem those who were ^funder the law, so that we might receive ^gadoption as sons. 6 And ^hbecause you are sons, God has sent the ⁱSpirit of his Son ^jinto our hearts, crying, ^k“Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and ^lif a son, then an ^mheir through God.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

8 ⁿFormerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are ^onot gods. 9 ^pBut now that you have come to ^qknow God, or rather to be ^rknown by God, how can you turn back again to the ^sweak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 ^tYou observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you ^uin vain.

12 Brothers,³ I entreat you, ^vbecome as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a ^wbodily ailment that ^xI preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, ^yas Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your ^zeyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the ^atruth?⁴ 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, ^bfor whom I am again ^cin the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed ^din you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^eone by a slave woman and ^fone by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^gthe son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted ^hallegorically: these women are ⁱtwo covenants. ^jOne is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for ^kslavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;⁵ she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But ^lthe Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,

28 Now you,⁶ brothers, like Isaac, are ⁿchildren of promise. 29 But just as at that time ^ohe who was born according to the flesh ^ppersecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^qso also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? ^r“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^sof the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

1 For freedom Christ has set us ^tfree; ^ustand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a ^vyoke of ^wslavery.

2 ^xLook: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to ^yevery man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified⁷ by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by ^zfaith, we ourselves eagerly ^await for the ^bhope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus ^cneither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

7 You were ^drunning well. ^eWho hindered you from obeying the ^ftruth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 ^gA little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 ^hI have confidence in the Lord that ⁱyou will take no other view, and the one who is ^jtroubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,⁸ still preach⁹ circumcision, ^kwhy am I still being persecuted? In that case the ^loffense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would ^memasculate themselves!

13 For you were called to ⁿfreedom, brothers. ^oOnly do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^pserve one another. 14 For ^qthe whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^r“You shall ^slove your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

16 But I say, ^twalk by the Spirit, and you will ^unot gratify the ^vdesires of the flesh. 17 For ^wthe desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^xto keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are ^yled by the ^zSpirit, you are ^anot under the law. 19 Now ^bthe works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,¹⁰ drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^cthose who do¹¹ such things ^dwill not ^einherit the kingdom of God. 22 But ^fthe fruit of the Spirit is ^glove, ^hjoy, ⁱpeace, ^jpatience, ^kkindness, ^lgoodness, ^mfaithfulness, 23 ⁿgentleness, ^oself-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And ^pthose who ^qbelong to Christ Jesus have ^rcrucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become ^sconceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear One Another’s Burdens

1 Brothers,^{12 t}if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him ^uin a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 ^vBear one another’s burdens, ^wand so fulfill the ^xlaw of Christ. 3 ^yFor if anyone ^zthinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But ^alet each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.

6 ^bLet the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^cwhatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And ^dlet us not grow weary ^eof doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not ^fgive up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, ^glet us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the ^hhousehold of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

11 ⁱSee with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would ^jforce you to be circumcised, and only ^kin order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised ^ldo not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast ^mexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which¹³ the world has been crucified to me, and ⁿI to the world. 15 ^oFor neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a ^pnew creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^qthe Israel of God.

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.