Now King David
was old
, advanced
in age
; and they covered
him with clothes
, but he could not keep
warm
.
So his servants said
to him, "Let them seek
a young
virgin
for my lord
the king
, and let her 1attend
the king
and become
his nurse
; and let her lie
in your bosom
, that my lord
the king
may keep
warm
."
So they searched for a beautiful
girl
throughout all
the territory
of Israel
, and found
Abishag
the aShunammite
, and brought
her to the king
.
The girl was very
beautiful
; and she became
the king's
nurse
and served
him, but the king
did not 1cohabit
with her.
Now aAdonijah the son
of Haggith
exalted
himself, saying
, "I will be king
." So bhe prepared
for himself chariots
and horsemen
with fifty
men
to run
before
him.
His father had never
1crossed
him at any
time
by asking
, "Why
have you done
so
?" And he was also
a very
handsome
man
, and 2 ahe was born
after
Absalom
.
1He had conferred with aJoab
the son
of Zeruiah
and with bAbiathar
the priest
; and following
cAdonijah
they helped
him.
But aZadok the priest
, bBenaiah
the son
of Jehoiada
, cNathan
the prophet
, dShimei
, Rei
, and ethe mighty
men
who
belonged to David
, were not with Adonijah
.
Adonijah sacrificed
sheep
and oxen
and fatlings
by the 1stone
of Zoheleth
, which
is beside
aEn-rogel
; and he invited
all
his brothers
, the king's
sons
, and all
the men
of Judah
, the king's
servants
.
But he did not invite Nathan
the prophet
, Benaiah
, the mighty
men
, and aSolomon
his brother
.
Then Nathan spoke
to aBathsheba
the mother
of Solomon
, saying
, "Have you not heard
that Adonijah
the son
of Haggith
has become
king
, and David
our lord
does not know
it?
"So now come
, please
let me agive
you counsel
and save
your life
and the life
of your son
Solomon
.
"Go 1at once
to King
David
and say
to him, `Have you not, my lord
, O king
, sworn
to your maidservant
, saying
, " aSurely
Solomon
your son
shall be king
after
me, and he shall sit
on my throne
"? Why
then has Adonijah
become
king
?'
"Behold, while you are still
there
speaking
with the king
, I will come
in after
you and confirm
your words
."
So Bathsheba went
in to the king
in the bedroom
. Now athe king
was very
old
, and Abishag
the Shunammite
was ministering
to the king
.
Then Bathsheba bowed
and prostrated
herself 1before the king
. And the king
said
, "What
2do you wish?"
She said to him, "My lord
, you swore
to your maidservant
by the LORD
your God
, saying, ` aSurely
your son
Solomon
shall be king
after
me and he shall sit
on my throne
.'
"Now, behold
, Adonijah
is king
; and now
, my lord
the king
, you do not know
it.
" aHe has sacrificed oxen
and fatlings
and sheep
in abundance
, and has invited
all
the sons
of the king
and Abiathar
the priest
and Joab
the commander
of the army
, but he has not invited
Solomon
your servant
.
"As for you now, my lord the king
, the eyes
of all
Israel
are on you, to tell
them who
shall sit
on the throne
of my lord
the king
after
him.
"Otherwise it will come about, aas soon as my lord
the king
sleeps
with his fathers
, that I and my son
Solomon
will be considered 1offenders
."
Behold, while she was still
speaking
with the king
, Nathan
the prophet
came
in.
They told the king
, saying
, "Here
is Nathan
the prophet
." And when he came
in before
the king
, he prostrated
himself 1before the king
with his face
to the ground
.
Then Nathan said
, "My lord
the king
, have you said
, `Adonijah
shall be king
after
me, and he shall sit
on my throne
'?
" aFor he has gone down
today
and has sacrificed
oxen
and fatlings
and sheep
in abundance
, and has invited
all
the king's
sons
and the commanders
of the army
and Abiathar
the priest
, and behold
, they are eating
and drinking
before
him; and they say
, ` bLong live
King
Adonijah
!'
" aBut me, even me your servant, and Zadok
the priest
and Benaiah
the son
of Jehoiada
and your servant
Solomon
, he has not invited
.
"Has this thing
been
done
by my lord
the king
, and you have not shown
to your 1servants
who
should sit
on the throne
of my lord
the king
after
him?"
Then King David
said
, "Call
Bathsheba
to me." And she came
into the king's
presence
and stood
before
the king
.
The king vowed
and said
, " aAs the LORD
lives
, who
has redeemed
my life
from all
distress
,
surely as aI vowed
to you by the LORD
the God
of Israel
, saying
, `Your son
Solomon
shall be king
after
me, and he shall sit
on my throne
in my place
'; I will indeed
do
so
this
day
."
Then Bathsheba bowed
with her face
to the ground
, and prostrated
herself 1before the king
and said
, " aMay my lord
King
David
live
forever
."
Then King David
said
, "Call
to me aZadok
the priest
, Nathan
the prophet
, and Benaiah
the son
of Jehoiada
." And they came
into the king's
presence
.
The king said
to them, "Take
with you athe servants
of your lord
, and have my son
Solomon
ride
on my own mule
, and bring
him down
to bGihon
.
"Let Zadok the priest
and Nathan
the prophet
aanoint
him there
as king
over
Israel
, and bblow
the trumpet
and say
, ` cLong live
King
Solomon
!'
"Then you shall come up after
him, and he shall come
and sit
on my throne
and be king
in my place
; for I have appointed
him to be ruler
over
Israel
and Judah
."
Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada
answered
the king
and said
, "Amen
! Thus
may the LORD
, the God
of my lord
the king
, say
.
" aAs the LORD has been
with my lord
the king
, so
may He be with Solomon
, and bmake
his throne
greater
than
the throne
of my lord
King
David
!"
So aZadok the priest
, Nathan
the prophet
, Benaiah
the son
of Jehoiada
, bthe Cherethites
, and the Pelethites
went
down
and had Solomon
ride
on King
David's
mule
, and brought
him to cGihon
.
Zadok the priest
then atook
the horn
of oil
from the tent
and banointed
Solomon
. Then they cblew
the trumpet
, and all
the people
said
, " dLong live
King
Solomon
!"
All the people
went
up after
him, and the people
1were playing
on flutes
and rejoicing
with great
joy
, so that the earth
2shook
at their noise
.
Now Adonijah and all
the guests
who
were with him heard
it as they finished
eating
. When Joab
heard
the sound
of the trumpet
, he said
, "Why
1is the city
making
such an uproar
?"
While he was still speaking
, behold
, aJonathan
the son
of Abiathar
the priest
came
. Then Adonijah
said
, "Come
in, for byou are a valiant
man
and bring
good
news
."
But Jonathan replied
to Adonijah
, "No
! Our lord
King
David
has made
Solomon
king
.
"The king has also sent
with him Zadok
the priest
, Nathan
the prophet
, Benaiah
the son
of Jehoiada
, the Cherethites
, and the Pelethites
; and they have made him ride
on the king's
mule
.
"Zadok the priest
and Nathan
the prophet
have anointed
him king
in Gihon
, and they have come
up from there
rejoicing
, aso that the city
is in an uproar
. This
is the noise
which
you have heard
.
"Besides, aSolomon
has even
taken
his seat
on the throne
of the kingdom
.
"Moreover, the king's
servants
came
to bless
our lord
King
David
, saying
, `May ayour God
make
the name
of Solomon
better
than
your name
and his throne
greater
than
your throne
!' And bthe king
bowed
himself on the bed
.
"The king has also
said
thus
, `Blessed
be the LORD
, the God
of Israel
, who
ahas granted
one to sit
on my throne
today
while my own eyes
see
it."'
Then all the guests
of Adonijah
were terrified
; and they arose
and each
went
on his way
.
And Adonijah was afraid
of Solomon
, and he arose
, went
and atook
hold
of the horns
of the altar
.
Now it was told Solomon
, saying
, "Behold
, Adonijah
is afraid
of King
Solomon
, for behold
, he has taken
hold
of the horns
of the altar
, saying
, `Let King
Solomon
swear
to me today
that he will not put
his servant
to death
with the sword
.' "
Solomon said
, "If
he is a worthy
man
, anot one of his hairs
will fall
to the ground
; but if
wickedness
is found
in him, he will die
."
So King Solomon
sent
, and they brought
him down
from the altar
. And he came
and prostrated
himself 1before King
Solomon
, and Solomon
said
to him, "Go
to your house
."