The Benjamite in the Hands of King Solomon

Then the days of king David drew near that he should die. Among his instructions to the king his son, King Solomon, is the fate of Shimei the Benjamite.

“…And see, you have with you Shimei the Benjamite, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord saying, ” I will not put you to death with the sword.”

Now therefore, DO NOT HOLD HIM GUILTLESS, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; BUT BRING HIS GREY HAIR DOWN TO THE GRAVE WITH BLOOD.”

Shimei the Benjamite Executed

King Solomon sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on you own head.”

And Shimei said to the king, “The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Gath. So Shimei went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath.

King Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back. Then the king sent and called for Shimei.

“Why have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the commandment that I gave you?”

The king said moreover to Shimei, You know as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the Lord will return your wickedness on your own head.”

So the king commanded Benaiah; and he went out and struck him down, and Shimei died.

Story of Naaman, Commander of the Syrian Army

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.

A captive young girl from the land of Israel told Naaman’s mistress that her master knew of a prophet who can heal leprosy.

Naaman went in and told his master. So the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. So Naaman brought the letter to the king of Israel which said: Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of leprosy.

When the king of Israel read the letter that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that his man sends a man to make me heal him of his leprosy? Now therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me?”

So it was when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

Then Naaman went with his horses and chariots, and he stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger to him saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”

But Naaman became furious and went away and said, “Indeed I said to myself, ‘ he will surely come to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave is hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.'”

Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?

His servants pleaded with him and said, “Master, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you have not done it? How much, more then, when he says to you, “Wash and be clean.?”

So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan according to what the man of God said; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.

And he returned to Elisha the man of God, he and all is aides, and come and stood before him and he said, “Indeed now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive no nothing.

“When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon me in this thing?”

Then Elisha said to him, Go in peace”. 2Kings 5: 1-19