1 Kings 2:36-45

Easy-to-Read Version

³⁶ Next, the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house here in Jerusalem to live in and don’t leave the city. ³⁷ If you leave the city and go any further than Kidron Brook, you will be killed, and it will be your own fault.”

³⁸ Shimei answered, “Yes, my king. I will obey you.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. ³⁹ But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away. They went to King Achish of Gath, who was the son of Maacah. Shimei heard that his slaves were in Gath, ⁴⁰ so he saddled his donkey and went to King Achish at Gath to find them. He found them there and brought them back home.

⁴¹ But someone told Solomon that Shimei had left Jerusalem and gone to Gath and back. ⁴² So Solomon sent for him and said, “I made you promise in the Lord’s name not to leave Jerusalem. And I warned you that if you went anywhere, you would die. And you agreed to what I said. You said that you would obey me. ⁴³ So why didn’t you obey me? Why did you break your promise to the Lord? ⁴⁴ You know all the bad things you did to my father David. Now the Lord will punish you for it. ⁴⁵ But the Lord will bless me and keep David’s throne before him forever.”