Chapter 1

Now king David was old¹ [and] stricken¹ in years; and they covered¹⁷ him with clothes, but he gat no heat.⁴

Wherefore his servants said⁴ unto him, Let there be sought¹⁷ for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand¹ before the king, and let her cherish⁶ him, and let her lie¹ in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.¹

So they sought¹⁷ for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found⁴ Abishag a Shunammite, and brought⁵⁵ her to the king.

And the damsel [was] very fair, and cherished⁶ the king, and ministered¹⁷ to him: but the king knew¹ her not.

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted^{102 5375 102} himself, saying,² I will be king:⁴ and he prepared⁴ him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run⁵ before him.

And his father had not displeased¹ him at any time in saying,² Why hast thou done¹ so? and he also [was a] very goodly ⁸³⁸⁹ [man]; and [his mother] bare¹ him after Absalom.

And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped⁴ [him].

But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which [belonged] to David, were not with Adonijah.

And Adonijah slew⁴ sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which [is] by Enrogel, and called⁴ all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:

But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called¹ not.

Wherefore Nathan spake⁴ unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying,² Hast thou not heard¹ that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign,¹ and David our lord knoweth¹ [it] not?

Now therefore come,³ let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel,^{4 6098} that thou mayest save¹⁶ thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

Go³ and get thee in³ unto king David, and say¹ unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear⁸ unto thine handmaid, saying,² Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign⁴ after me, and he shall sit⁴ upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?¹

Behold, while thou yet talkest¹⁸ there with the king, I also will come in⁴ after thee, and confirm¹⁴ thy words.

And Bathsheba went in⁴ unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old;¹ and Abishag the Shunammite ministered¹⁸ unto the king.

And Bathsheba bowed,⁴ and did obeisance¹⁰¹ unto the king. And the king said,⁴ What wouldest thou?

And she said⁴ unto him, My lord, thou swarest⁸ by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, [saying], Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign⁴ after me, and he shall sit⁴ upon my throne.

And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth;¹ and now, my lord the king, thou knowest¹ [it] not:

And he hath slain⁴ oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called⁴ all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.¹

And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel [are] upon thee, that thou shouldest tell⁵³ them who shall sit⁴ on the throne of my lord the king after him.

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep² with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

And, lo, while she yet talked¹⁸ with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.¹

And they told⁵⁵ the king, saying,² Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in⁴ before the king, he bowed¹⁰¹ himself before the king with his face to the ground.

And Nathan said,⁴ My lord, O king, hast thou said,¹ Adonijah shall reign⁴ after me, and he shall sit⁴ upon my throne?

For he is gone down¹ this day, and hath slain⁴ oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called⁴ all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat⁶ and drink⁶ before him, and say,⁴ God save⁴ king Adonijah.

But me, [even] me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.¹

Is this thing done⁸ by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed⁵² [it] unto thy servant, who should sit⁴ on the throne of my lord the king after him?

Then king David answered⁴ and said,⁴ Call³ me Bathsheba. And she came⁴ into the king's presence, and stood⁴ before the king.

And the king sware,¹¹ and said,⁴ [As] the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed¹ my soul out of all distress,

Even as I sware⁸ unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying,² Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign⁴ after me, and he shall sit⁴ upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do⁴ this day.

Then Bathsheba bowed⁴ with [her] face to the earth, and did reverence¹⁰¹ to the king, and said,⁴ Let my lord king David live⁴ for ever.

And king David said,⁴ Call³ me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came⁴ before the king.

The king also said⁴ unto them, Take³ with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride⁵² upon mine own mule, and bring him down⁵² to Gihon:

And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint¹ him there king over Israel: and blow¹ ye with the trumpet, and say,¹ God save⁴ king Solomon.

Then ye shall come up¹ after him, that he may come¹ and sit¹ upon my throne; for he shall be king⁴ in my stead: and I have appointed¹⁴ him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered⁴ the king, and said,⁴ Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say⁴ so [too].

As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater¹⁷ than the throne of my lord king David.

So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down,⁴ and caused Solomon to ride⁵⁵ upon king David's mule, and brought⁵⁵ him to Gihon.

And Zadok the priest took⁴ an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed⁴ Solomon. And they blew⁴ the trumpet; and all the people said,⁴ God save⁴ king Solomon.

And all the people came up⁴ after him, and the people piped¹⁸ with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent¹¹ with the sound of them.

And Adonijah and all the guests⁷ that [were] with him heard⁴ [it] as they had made an end¹⁴ of eating.² And when Joab heard⁴ the sound of the trumpet, he said,⁴ Wherefore [is this] noise of the city being in an uproar?⁶

And while he yet spake,¹⁸ behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came:¹ and Adonijah said⁴ unto him, Come in;³ for thou [art] a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.¹⁷

And Jonathan answered⁴ and said⁴ to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.⁵²

And the king hath sent⁴ 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 ride⁵⁵ upon the king's mule:

And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed⁴ him king in Gihon: and they are come up⁴ from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again.¹¹ This [is] the noise that ye have heard.¹

And also Solomon sitteth¹ on the throne of the kingdom.

And moreover the king's servants came¹ to bless¹⁵ our lord king David, saying,² God make the name of Solomon better⁵⁵ than thy name, and make his throne greater¹⁷ than thy throne. And the king bowed¹⁰¹ himself upon the bed.

And also thus said¹ the king, Blessed⁷ [be] the LORD God of Israel, which hath given¹ [one] to sit⁶ on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing⁶ [it].

And all the guests⁷ that [were] with Adonijah were afraid,⁴ and rose up,⁴ and went⁴ every man his way.

And Adonijah feared¹ because of Solomon, and arose,⁴ and went,⁴ and caught hold⁵⁵ on the horns of the altar.

And it was told⁹³ Solomon, saying,² Behold, Adonijah feareth¹ king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold¹ on the horns of the altar, saying,² Let king Solomon swear¹¹ unto me to day that he will not slay⁵⁵ his servant with the sword.

And Solomon said,⁴ If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall⁴ to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found¹¹ in him, he shall die.¹

So king Solomon sent,⁴ and they brought him down⁵⁵ from the altar. And he came⁴ and bowed¹⁰¹ himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said⁴ unto him, Go³ to thine house.