CHAPTER 1
Now King
David
was old
and advanced
in years,
and though they covered him
with blankets,
he could not
get warm.
So his servants
said
to him,
“Let us search for
a young
virgin
for our lord
the king,
to attend
to
him
and
care
for him
and lie
by his side
to keep him
warm.”
Then they searched
throughout
Israel
for a beautiful
girl,
and they found
Abishag
the Shunammite
and brought
her
to the king.
The girl
was unsurpassed
in beauty,
and she
cared
for the king
and served him,
but he
had no
relations with her.
At that time Adonijah,
David's son
by Haggith,
began to exalt himself,
saying,
“I
will be king!”
And he acquired
chariots
and horsemen
and fifty
men
to run
ahead of him.
(His father
had never
once reprimanded
him by saying,
“Why
do you act
this way?”
He was
also
very
handsome,
born
next after
Absalom.)
But Zadok
the priest,
Benaiah
son
of Jehoiada,
Nathan
the prophet,
Shimei,
Rei,
and David’s
mighty men
would not
join
Adonijah.
And Adonijah
sacrificed
sheep,
oxen,
and fattened calves
near the stone of Zoheleth,
which
is next to
En-rogel.
He invited
all
his royal
brothers
and all
the men
of Judah
who were servants
of the king.
Then Nathan
said
to
Bathsheba
the mother
of Solomon,
“Have you not
heard
that
Adonijah
son
of Haggith
has become king,
and our lord
David
does not
know it?
Go
at once
to King
David
and say,
‘My lord
the king,
did you
not
swear
to your maidservant,
“Surely
your son
Solomon
will reign
after me,
and he
will sit
on
my throne”?
Why then
has Adonijah
become king?'
Then,
while you are still
there
speaking
with
the king,
I will
come in
after you
and confirm
your words.”
So Bathsheba
went
to see
the king
in his bedroom.
Since the king
was very
old,
Abishag
the Shunammite
was serving
him.
“My lord,”
she replied,
“you yourself
swore
to your maidservant
by the LORD
your God:
‘Surely
your son
Solomon
will reign
after me,
and he
will sit
on
my throne.’
And he has sacrificed
an abundance
of oxen,
fattened calves,
and sheep,
and has invited
all the other
sons
of the king,
as well as Abiathar
the priest
and Joab
the commander
of the army.
But he did not
invite
your servant
Solomon.
And as for you,
my lord
the king,
the eyes
of all
Israel
are upon you
to tell
them
who
will sit
on
the throne
of my lord
the king
after him.
Otherwise, when my lord
the king
rests
with
his fathers,
I
and my son
Solomon
will be counted
as criminals.”
So the king
was told,
“Nathan
the prophet
is here.”
And Nathan went
before
the king
and bowed
facedown
to him.
“My lord
the king,”
said
Nathan,
“did you
say,
‘Adonijah
will reign
after me,
and he
will sit
on
my throne’?
For
today
he has gone down
and sacrificed
an abundance
of oxen,
fattened calves,
and sheep,
and has invited
all
the sons
of the king,
the commanders
of the army,
and Abiathar
the priest.
And behold,
they are eating
and drinking
before him,
saying,
"Long live
King
Adonijah!"
But
me
your servant
he did not
invite,
nor Zadok
the priest,
nor Benaiah
son
of Jehoiada,
nor your servant
Solomon.
Has
my lord
the king
let this
happen
without
informing
your servant
who
should sit
on
the throne
after
my lord
the king?”
Then King
David
said,
“Call in
Bathsheba
for me.”
So she came
into the king’s
presence
and stood
before him.
And the king
swore an oath,
saying,
“As surely as the LORD
lives,
who
has redeemed
my life
from all
distress,
I will carry out
this very
day
exactly
what
I swore
to you
by the LORD,
the God
of Israel:
Surely
your son
Solomon
will reign
after me,
and he
will sit
on
my throne
in my place.”
Then King
David
said,
“Call in
for me
Zadok
the priest,
Nathan
the prophet,
and Benaiah
son
of Jehoiada.”
So they came
before
the king.
“Take
my servants
with you,”
said
the king.
“Set
my son
Solomon
on
my own mule
and take him down
to
Gihon.
There
Zadok
the priest
and Nathan
the prophet
are to anoint
him
king
over
Israel.
You are to blow
the trumpet
and declare,
‘Long live
King
Solomon!’
Then you shall go up
with him,
and he is to come
and sit
on
my throne
and
reign
in my place.
For I have appointed
him
to be
ruler
over
Israel
and
Judah.”
“Amen,”
replied
Benaiah
son
of Jehoiada.
“May the LORD,
the God
of my lord
the king,
so
declare it.
Just as
the LORD
was
with
my lord
the king,
so
may He be
with
Solomon
and make his throne
even greater
than that
of my lord
King
David.”
Then Zadok
the priest,
Nathan
the prophet,
and Benaiah
son
of Jehoiada,
along with the Cherethites
and Pelethites,
went down
and set
Solomon
on
King
David’s
mule,
and they escorted
him
to
Gihon.
Zadok
the priest
took
the horn
of oil
from
the tabernacle
and anointed
Solomon.
Then they blew
the trumpet,
and all
the people
proclaimed,
“Long live
King
Solomon!”
All
the people
followed him,
playing
flutes
and rejoicing
with such a great
joy
that the earth
was split
by the sound.
Now Adonijah
and all
his guests
were finishing
their feast
when they heard
the sound
of the trumpet.
“Why is
the city
in such a loud
uproar?”
asked
Joab.
As he was
speaking,
suddenly
Jonathan
the son
of Abiathar
the priest
arrived.
“Come in,”
said
Adonijah,
“for
you
are a man
of valor.
You must be bringing good
news.”
And with Solomon,
the king
has sent
Zadok
the priest,
Nathan
the prophet,
and Benaiah
son
of Jehoiada,
along with Cherethites,
and Pelethites,
and they have set
him
on
the king’s
mule.
Zadok
the priest
and Nathan
the prophet
have anointed
him king
at Gihon,
and they have gone up
from there
with rejoicing
that rings out
in the city.
That is
the noise
you hear.
The king’s
servants
have also
gone
to congratulate
our lord
King
David,
saying,
‘May your God
make the name
of Solomon
more famous
than your own name,
and may He make his throne
greater
than your throne.’
And the king
has bowed in worship
on
his bed,
saying,
‘May the LORD
God
of Israel
be praised!
Today
He
has provided one
to sit
on
my throne,
and my eyes
have seen it.’”
It was reported
to Solomon:
“Behold,
Adonijah
fears
King
Solomon,
and he has taken hold
of the horns
of the altar,
saying,
‘Let King
Solomon
first
swear
to me
not
to put
his servant
to the sword.'"
And Solomon
replied,
“If
he is
a man
of character,
not
a single hair of his
will fall
to the ground.
But if
evil
is found
in him,
he will die.”
So King
Solomon
summoned Adonijah
down
from
the altar,
and he came
and bowed down
before King
Solomon,
who
said
to him,
“Go
to your home.”