1 Kings 1

¹ Now King David was old, well along in years, and though they covered him with blankets, he could not get warm.

² So his servants said to him, "Let a young virgin be found for my lord the king, to wait on the king and care for him. She will lie close to you, and my lord the king will be warm."

³ They searched throughout all the territory of Israel for a beautiful young woman, and they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king.

⁴ The young woman was exceedingly beautiful. She cared for the king and waited on him, but the king did not have relations with her.

⁵ Now Adonijah son of Haggith was exalting himself, saying, "I will be king." He provided himself with chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run ahead of him.

⁶ His father had never crossed him in his whole life by asking, "Why have you done this?" He too was very handsome, and he was born after Absalom.

⁷ He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave their support to Adonijah.

⁸ But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's mighty warriors did not side with Adonijah.

⁹ Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants.

¹⁰ But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty warriors, or his brother Solomon.

¹¹ Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it?

¹² Now come, let me give you advice, so that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

¹³ Go in to King David and say to him, "My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant, 'Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne'? Why then has Adonijah become king?"

¹⁴ Then, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words."

¹⁵ So Bathsheba went in to the king in his room. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending him.

¹⁶ Bathsheba bowed low and prostrated herself before the king. The king asked, "What do you want?"

¹⁷ She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to your servant by the LORD your God, 'Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.'

¹⁸ But now, look, Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know it.

¹⁹ He has sacrificed oxen, fattened calves, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon.

²⁰ And you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹ Otherwise, when my lord the king lies down with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be counted as criminals."

²² While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.

²³ They told the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." He came before the king and bowed down before him with his face to the ground.

²⁴ Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you declared, 'Adonijah will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne'?

²⁵ For today he has gone down and sacrificed oxen, fattened calves, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking before him, saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!'

²⁶ But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.

²⁷ Has this thing been done by my lord the king without letting your servant know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

²⁸ Then King David answered, "Call Bathsheba in to me." So she came into the king's presence and stood before the king.

²⁹ And the king swore an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has rescued me from every trouble,

³⁰ I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, when I said, 'Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.'"

³¹ Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, prostrated herself before the king, and said, "May my lord King David live forever!"

³² Then King David said, "Call for me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." So they came before the king.

³³ The king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.

³⁴ There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram's horn and say, 'Long live King Solomon!'

³⁵ Then come up after him, and he will come and sit on my throne; he will reign in my place, for I have appointed him ruler over Israel and over Judah."

³⁶ Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, declare it so.

³⁷ As the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David."

³⁸ So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down, had Solomon ride on King David's mule, and led him to Gihon.

³⁹ Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram's horn, and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"

⁴⁰ And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such great joy that the ground shook with the sound of them.

⁴¹ Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it just as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the ram's horn, he asked, "Why is the city in such an uproar?"

⁴² While he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are a worthy man and surely bring good news."

⁴³ But Jonathan answered Adonijah, "On the contrary! Our lord King David has made Solomon king.

⁴⁴ The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have had him ride on the king's mule.

⁴⁵ Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. They have come up from there rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the noise you have heard.

⁴⁶ And what is more, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.

⁴⁷ Moreover, the king's servants have come to bless our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make Solomon's name greater than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king bowed himself on his bed.

⁴⁸ And the king also said this: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted that one of my own should sit on my throne this day, while my own eyes look on.'"

⁴⁹ Then all of Adonijah's guests trembled. They got up and each went his own way.

⁵⁰ Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he got up, went, and took hold of the horns of the altar.

⁵¹ Solomon was told, "Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'"

⁵² Solomon said, "If he proves himself a worthy man, not a single hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die."

⁵³ So King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed down before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house."