1Kgs 1
1
Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but
he gat no heat.
2
Wherefore his servants said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young
virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in your
bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
3
So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag
the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4
And the damsel was very fair; and she cherished the king, and ministered to him; but
the king knew her not.
5
Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared
him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
6
And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why have you done so?
and he was also a very goodly man; and he was born after Absalom.
7
And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they
following Adonijah helped him.
8
But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and
Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men that belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
9
And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside
En-rogel; and he called all his brethren, the king`s sons, and all the men of Judah,
the king`s servants:
10
but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother,
he called not.
11
Then Nathan spoke to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Have you not heard
that Adonijah the son of Haggith does reign, and David our lord knows it not?
12
Now therefore come, let me, I pray you, give you counsel, that you may save your own
life, and the life of your son Solomon.
13
Go and get you in to king David, and say to him, Did not you, my lord, O king, swear
to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he
shall sit upon my throne? why then does Adonijah reign?
14
Behold, while you yet talk there with the king, I also will come in after you, and
confirm your words.
15
And Bath-sheba went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and
Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king.
16
And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance to the king. And the king said, What would
you?
17
And she said to him, My lord, you swore by YHWH your God to your handmaid, [saying],
Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
18
And now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and you, my lord the king, know it not:
19
and he has slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the
sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon
your servant has he not called.
20
And you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, that you should tell
them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers,
that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
22
And, behold, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
23
And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in
before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
24
And Nathan said, My lord, O king, have you said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and
he shall sit upon my throne?
25
For he is gone down this day, and has slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance,
and has called all the king`s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the
priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and say, [Long] live
king Adonijah.
26
But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,
and your servant Solomon, has he not called.
27
Is this thing done by my lord the king, and you have not showed to your servants who
should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
28
Then king David answered and said, Call to me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king`s
presence, and stood before the king.
29
And the king swore, and said, As YHWH lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
30
truly as I swore to you by YHWH, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your
son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; truly so will
I do this day.
31
Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did obeisance to the king, and
said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
32
And king David said, Call to me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah
the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
33
And the king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon
my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
34
and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel;
and blow you the trumpet, and say, [Long] live king Solomon.
35
Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my throne; for he
shall be king in my stead; and I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over
Judah.
36
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: YHWH, the God of
my lord the king, say so [too].
37
As YHWH has been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne
greater than the throne of my lord king David.
38
So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and
the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king
David`s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
39
And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. And
they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, [Long] live king Solomon.
40
And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced
with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
41
And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end
of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore 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 tidings.
43
And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Truly our lord king David has made Solomon
king:
44
and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah
the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they have caused
him to ride upon the king`s mule;
45
and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they
are come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that
you have heard.
46
And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.
47
And moreover the king`s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, Your God
make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your
throne: and the king bowed himself upon the bed.
48
And also thus said the king, Blessed be YHWH, the God of Israel, who has given one
to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
49
And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
50
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on
the horns of the altar.
51
And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears king Solomon; for, behold,
he has laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me first
that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
52
And Solomon said, If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of
him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.
53
So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and did
obeisance to king Solomon; and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.