DENISON

[column A]

veritáte, in omni corde suo et in omni ánima sua, non auferétur tibi vir de sólio Israël. Tu quoque nosti quæ fécerit mihi Joab fílius Sárviæ, quæ fécerit duóbus princípibus exércitus Israël, Abner fílio Ner, et Amásæ fílio Jether: quos óccidit, et effúdit sánguinem belli in pace, et pósuit cruórem praelii in bálteo suo qui erat circa lumbos ejus, et in calceaménto suo quod erat in pédibus ejus. Fácies ergo juxta sapiéntiam tuam, et non dedúces canítiem ejus pacífice ad ínferos. Sed et fíliis Berzéllai Galaáditis reddes grátiam, erúntque comedéntes in mensa tua: occurrérunt enim mihi quando fugiébam a fácie Absálom fratris tui. Habes quoque apud te Sémei fílium Gera fílii Jémini de Bahúrim, qui maledíxit mihi maledictióne péssima quando ibam ad castra: sed quia descéndit mihi in occúrsum cum transírem Jordánem, et jurávi ei per Dóminum, dicens: Non te interfíciam gládio: tu noli pati eum esse innóxium. Vir autem sápiens es, ut scias quæ fácies ei: deducésque canos ejus cum sánguine ad ínferos. Dormívit ígitur David cum pátribus suis, et sepúltus est in civitáte David. Dies autem quibus regnávit David super Israël, quadragínta anni sunt: in Hebron regnávit septem annis; in Jerúsalem, trigínta tribus. Sálomon autem sedit super thronum David patris sui, et firmátum est regnum ejus nimis. Et ingréssus est Adónias fílius Haggith ad Bethsábee matrem Salomónis. Quæ dixit ei: Pacificúsne est ingréssus tuus? Qui respóndit: Pacíficus. Addidítque: Sermo mihi est ad te. Cui ait: Lóquere. Et ille: Tu, inquit, nosti, quia meum erat regnum, et me præposúerat omnis Israël sibi in regem: sed translátum est regnum, et factum est fratris mei: a Dómino enim constitútum est ei. Nunc ergo petitiónem unam precor a te: ne confúndas fáciem meam. Quæ dixit ad eum: Lóquere. Et ille ait: Precor ut dicas Salomóni regi (néque enim negáre tibi quidquam potest) ut det mihi Abísag Sunamítidem uxórem. Et ait Bethsábee: Bene: ego loquar pro te regi. Venit ergo Bethsábee ad regem Salomónem ut loquerétur ei pro Adónia: et surréxit rex in occúrsum ejus, adoravítque eam, et sedit super thronum suum: positúsque est thronus matri regis, quæ sedit ad déxteram ejus. Dixítque ei: Petitiónem unam párvulam ego déprecor a te: ne confúndas fáciem meam. Et dixit ei rex: Pete, mater mea: neque enim fas est ut avértam fáciem tuam. Quæ ait: Detur Abísag Sunamítis Adóniæ fratri tuo uxor. Respondítque rex Sálomon, et dixit matri suæ: Quare póstulas Abísag Sunamítidem Adóniæ? póstula ei et regnum: ipse est enim frater meus major me, et habet Abiáthar sacerdótem, et Joab fílium Sárviæ. Jurávit ítaque rex Sálomon per Dóminum, dicens: Hæc fáciat mihi Deus, et hæc

[column B]

addat, quia contra ánimam suam locútus est Adónias verbum hoc. Et nunc vivit Dóminus, qui firmávit me, et collocávit me super sólium David patris mei, et qui fecit mihi domum, sicut locútus est, quia hódie occidétur Adónias. Misítque rex Sálomon per manum Banaíæ fílii Jojádæ, qui interfécit eum, et mórtuus est. Abiáthar quoque sacerdóti dixit rex: Vade in Anáthoth ad agrum tuum: équidem vir mortis es: sed hódie te non interfíciam, quia portásti arcam Dómini Dei coram David patre meo, et sustinuísti labórem in ómnibus in quibus laborávit pater meus. Ejécit ergo Sálomon Abiáthar ut non esset sacérdos Dómini, ut implerétur sermo Dómini quem locútus est super domum Heli in Silo. Venit autem núntius ad Joab, quod Joab declinásset post Adóniam, et post Salomónem non declinásset: fugit ergo Joab in tabernáculum Dómini, et apprehéndit cornu altáris. Nuntiatúmque est regi Salomóni quod fugísset Joab in tabernáculum Dómini, et esset juxta altáre: misítque Sálomon Banaíam fílium Jojádæ, dicens: Vade, intérfice eum. Et venit Banaías ad tabernáculum Dómini, et dixit ei: Hæc dicit rex: Egrédere. Qui ait: Non egrédiar, sed hic móriar. Renuntiávit Banaías regi sermónem, dicens: Hæc locútus est Joab, et hæc respóndit mihi. Dixítque ei rex: Fac sicut locútus est, et intérfice eum, et sépeli: et amovébis sánguinem innocéntem qui effúsus est a Joab, a me, et a domo patris mei. Et reddet Dóminus sánguinem ejus super caput ejus, quia interfécit duos viros justos, meliorésque se: et óccidit eos gládio, patre meo David ignoránte, Abner fílium Ner príncipem milítiæ Israël, et Amásam fílium Jether príncipem exércitus Juda: et revertétur sanguis illórum in caput Joab, et in caput séminis ejus in sempitérnum. David autem et sémini ejus, et dómui, et throno illíus, sit pax usque in ætérnum a Dómino. Ascéndit ítaque Banaías fílius Jojádæ, et aggréssus eum interfécit: sepultúsque est in domo sua in desérto. Et constítuit rex Banaíam fílium Jojádæ pro eo super exércitum, et Sadoc sacerdótem pósuit pro Abiáthar. Misit quoque rex, et vocávit Sémei: dixítque ei: Ædífica tibi domum in Jerúsalem, et hábita ibi: et non egrediéris inde huc atque illuc. Quacúmque autem die egréssus fúeris, et transíeris torréntem Cedron, scito te interficiéndum: sanguis tuus erit super caput tuum. Dixítque Sémei regi: Bonus sermo: sicut locútus est dóminus meus rex, sic fáciet servus tuus. Habitávit ítaque Sémei in Jerúsalem diébus multis. Factum est autem post annos tres ut fúgerent servi Sémei ad Achis fílium Maácha regem Geth: nuntiatúmque est Sémei quod servi ejus issent in Geth. Et surréxit Sémei, et stravit ásinum suum, ivítque ad Achis in Geth ad requiréndum servos suos, et addúxit eos de Geth. Nuntiátum est autem Salomóni quod isset Sémei in Geth de Jerúsalem, et rediísset. Et mittens vocávit eum, dixítque illi: Nonne testificátus sum tibi per Dóminum, et prædíxi tibi: Quacúmque

[3 Kings 2:4-42]

...with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from thee a man on the throne of Israel. 5 Thou knowest also what Joab the son of Sarvia hath done to me, what he did to the two captains of the army of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether: whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war on his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down to hell in peace. 7 But shew kindness to the sons of Berzellai the Galaadite, and let them eat at thy table: for they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom thy brother. 8 Thou hast also with thee Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse, when I went to the camp: but because he came down to meet me when I passed over the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying: I will not kill thee with a sword: 9 Do not thou hold him guiltless. But thou art a wise man, and knowest what to do with him, and thou shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to hell. 10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the days that David reigned in Israel, were forty years: in Hebron he reigned seven years, in Jerusalem thirty-three. 12 And Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly. 13 And Adonias the son of Haggith came to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon. And she said to him: Is thy coming peaceable? he answered: Peaceable. 14 And he added: I have a word to speak with thee. She said to him: Speak. And he said: 15 Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had preferred me to be their king: but the kingdom is transferred, and is become my brother's: for it was appointed him by the Lord. 16 Now therefore I ask one petition of thee: turn not away my face. And she said to him: Say on. 17 And he said: I pray thee speak to king Solomon (for he cannot deny thee any thing) to give me Abisag the Sunamitess to wife. 18 And Bethsabee said: Well, I will speak for thee to the king. 19 Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand. 20 And she said to him: I desire one small petition of thee, do not put me to confusion. And the king said to her: My mother, ask: for I must not turn away thy face. 21 And she said: Let Abisag the Sunamitess be given to Adonias thy brother to wife. 22 And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother: Why dost thou ask Abisag the Sunamitess for Adonias? ask for him also the kingdom: for he is my elder brother, and hath Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Sarvia. 23 Then king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying: So and so may God do to me, and add more, if Adonias hath not spoken this word against his own life. 24 And now as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and placed me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as he promised, Adonias shall be put to death this day. 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Banaias the son of Joiada, who slew him, and he died. 26 And the king said also to Abiathar the priest: Go to Anathoth to thy lands, for indeed thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst carry the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and hast endured trouble in all the troubles my father endured. 27 So Solomon cast out Abiathar, from being the priest of the Lord, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke concerning the house of Heli in Silo. 28 And the news came to Joab, because Joab had turned after Adonias, and had not turned after Solomon: and Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord and laid hold on the horn of the altar. 29 And it was told king Solomon, that Joab was fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and was by the altar: and Solomon sent Banaias the son of Joiada, saying: Go, kill him. 30 And Banaias came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him: Thus saith the king: Come forth. And he said: I will not come forth, but here I will die. Banaias brought word back to the king, saying: Thus saith Joab, and thus he answered me. 31 And the king said to him: Do as he hath said: and kill him, and bury him, and thou shalt remove the innocent blood which hath been shed by Joab, from me, and from the house of my father. 32 And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, because he murdered two men, just and better than himself: and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it, Abner the son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, general of the army of Juda. 33 And their blood shall return the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever. But to David and his seed and his house, and to his throne be peace for ever from the Lord. 34 So Banaias the son of Joiada went up, and setting upon him slew him, and he was buried in his house in the desert. 35 And the king appointed Banaias the son of Joiada in his room over the army, and Sadoc the priest he put in the place of Abiathar. 36 The king also sent, and called for Semei, and said to him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there: and go not out from thence any whither. 37 For on what day soever thou shalt go out, and shalt pass over the brook Cedron, know that thou shalt be put to death: thy blood shall be upon thy own head: 38 And Semei said to the king: The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Semei dwelt in Jerusalem, many days. 39 And it came to pass after three years, that the servants of Semei ran away to Achis the son of Maacha the king of Geth: and it was told Semei that his servants were gone to Geth. 40 And Semei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Achis to Geth to seek his servants, and he brought them out of Geth. 41 And it was told Solomon that Semei had gone from Jerusalem to Geth, and was come back. 42 And sending he called for him, and said to him: Did I not protest to thee by the Lord, and tell thee before: On what day soever...