Chapter 1
1 Now King David was old and advanced in years ; and they covered him with clothes, but he couldn’t keep warm .
2 Therefore his servants said to him , " Let a young virgin be sought for my lord the king . Let her stand before the king , and cherish him ; and let her lie in your bosom , that my lord the king may keep warm ."
3 So they sought for a beautiful young lady throughout all the borders of Israel , and found Abishag the Shunammite , and brought her to the king .
4 The young lady was very beautiful ; and she cherished the king , and served him ; but the king didn’t know her intimately .
5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself , saying, " I will be king ." Then he prepared him chariots and horsemen , and fifty men to run before him .
6 His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, " Why have you done so ?" and he was also a very handsome man ; and he was born after Absalom.
7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest ; and they followed Adonijah and helped him .
8 But Zadok the priest , Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , Nathan the prophet , Shimei , Rei , and the mighty men who belonged to David , were not with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah killed sheep , cattle , and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth , which is beside En Rogel; and he called all his brothers , the king ’s sons , and all the men of Judah , the king ’s servants ;
10 but he didn’t call Nathan the prophet , and Benaiah , and the mighty men , and Solomon his brother.
11 Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon , saying, "Haven’t you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns , and David our lord doesn’t know it ?
12 Now therefore come , please let me give you counsel , that you may save your own life and your son Solomon ’s life .
13 Go in to King David , and tell him , ‘Didn’t you , my lord the king , swear to your servant, saying, " Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me , and he shall sit on my throne "? Why then does Adonijah reign ?’
14 Behold , ", means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection. while you are still talking there with the king , I will also come in after you and confirm your words ."
15 Bathsheba went in to the king in his room . The king was very old ; and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king .
16 Bathsheba bowed and showed respect to the king . The king said, " What would you like?"
17 She said to him , " My lord , you swore by the LORD your God " (Elohim). to your servant, ‘ Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me , and he shall sit on my throne .’
18 Now , behold , Adonijah reigns ; and you , my lord the king , don’t know it .
19 He has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance , and has called all the sons of the king , Abiathar the priest , and Joab the captain of the army ; but he hasn’t called Solomon your servant .
20 You , my lord the king , the eyes of all Israel are on you , that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him .
21 Otherwise it will happen , when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered criminals ."
22 Behold , while she was still talking with the king , Nathan the prophet came in .
23 They told the king , saying, " Behold , Nathan the prophet !" When he had come in before the king , he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground .
24 Nathan said, " My lord, King , have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me , and he shall sit on my throne ’?
25 For he has gone down today , and has slain cattle , fatlings , and sheep in abundance , and has called all the king ’s sons , the captains of the army , and Abiathar the priest . Behold , they are eating and drinking before him , and saying, ‘ Long live King Adonijah!’
26 But he hasn’t called me , even me your servant , Zadok the priest , Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and your servant Solomon .
27 Was this thing done by my lord the king , and you haven’t shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him ?"
28 Then King David answered , " Call Bathsheba in to me ." She came into the king ’s presence and stood before the king .
29 The king vowed and said, " As the LORD lives , who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity ,
30 most certainly as I swore to you by the LORD , the God of Israel , saying, ‘ Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me , and he shall sit on my throne in my place ;’ I will most certainly do this today ."
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth and showed respect to the king , and said, "Let my lord King David live forever !"
32 King David said , " Call to me Zadok the priest , Nathan the prophet , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ." They came before the king .
33 The king said to them , " Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule , and bring him down to Gihon .
34 Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel . Blow the shofar, and say , ‘ Long live King Solomon !’
35 Then come up after him , and he shall come and sit on my throne ; for he shall be king in my place . I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah ."
36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king , and said , "Amen. May the LORD , the God of my lord the king , say so .
37 As the LORD has been with my lord the king , even so may he be with Solomon , and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David ."
38 So Zadok the priest , Nathan the prophet , Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David ’s mule , and brought him to Gihon .
39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the Tent, and anointed Solomon . They blew the shofar; and all the people said, " Long live King Solomon !"
40 All the people came up after him , and the people piped with pipes , and rejoiced with great joy , so that the earth shook with their sound .
41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the shofar, he said , " Why is this noise of the city being in an uproar ?"
42 While he yet spoke , behold , Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came ; and Adonijah said , " Come in ; for you are a worthy man , and bring good news ."
43 Jonathan answered Adonijah, " Most certainly our lord King David has made Solomon king .
44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest , Nathan the prophet , Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and the Cherethites and the Pelethites ; and they have caused him to ride on the king ’s mule .
45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon . They have come up from there rejoicing , so that the city rang again . This is the noise that you have heard .
46 Also , Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom .
47 Moreover the king ’s servants came to bless our lord King David , saying, ‘ May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name , and make his throne greater than your throne ;’ and the king bowed himself on the bed .
48 Also thus said the king , ‘ Blessed be the LORD , the God of Israel , who has given one to sit on my throne today , my eyes even seeing it .’"
49 All the guests of Adonijah were afraid , and rose up , and each man went his way .
50 Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon ; and he arose , and went , and hung onto the horns of the altar .
51 Solomon was told , " Behold , Adonijah fears King Solomon ; for , behold , he is hanging onto the horns of the altar , saying, ‘ Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword .’"
52 Solomon said, " If he shows himself a worthy man , not a hair of his shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him , he shall die ."
53 So King Solomon sent , and they brought him down from the altar . He came and bowed down to King Solomon ; and Solomon said to him , " Go to your house ."