1:1 Now king David was old [and] advanced in years; and they
covered him with clothes, but he got no heat.
1:2 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 let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom,
that my lord the king may get heat.
1:3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders
of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunamite, and brought her to
the king.
1:4 And the damsel [was] very fair, and cherished the king, and
ministered to him: but the king knew her not.
1:5 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.
1:6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying,
Why hast thou done so? and he also [was a] very goodly [man];
and [his mother] bore him after Absalom.
1:7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with
Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah, helped [him].
1:8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and
Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who
[belonged] to David, were not with Adonijah.
1:9 And Adonijah slew sheep, and oxen, and fat cattle, by the
stone of Zoheleth, which [is] by En-rogel, and called all his
brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's
servants:
1:10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men,
and Solomon his brother, he called not.
1:11 Wherefore Nathan spoke to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon,
saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith
doth reign, and David our lord knoweth [it] not?
1:12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel,
that thou mayest save thy own life, and the life of thy son
Solomon.
1:13 Go, and enter in to king David, and say to him, Didst not
thou, my lord, O king, swear to thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly
Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my
throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?
1:14 Behold, while thou art yet talking there with the king, I
will also come in after thee, and confirm thy words.
1:15 And Bath-sheba went to the king into the chamber: and the
king was very old; and Abishag the Shunamite ministered to the
king.
1:16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance to the king. And
the king said, What wouldst thou?
1:17 And she said to him, My lord, thou didst swear by the LORD
thy God to thy handmaid, [saying], Assuredly Solomon thy son
shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
1:18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the
king, thou knowest [it] not:
1:19 And he hath slain oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep in
abundance, and hath called 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.
1:20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel [are]
upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them who shall sit on the
throne of my lord the king after him.
1:21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king
shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall
be counted offenders.
1:22 And lo, while she was yet talking with the king, Nathan the
prophet also came in.
1:23 And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet.
And when he had come in before the king, he bowed himself
before the king with his face to the ground.
1:24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah
shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
1:25 For he hath gone down this day, and hath slain oxen, and
fat cattle, and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the
king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the
priest; and behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God
save king Adonijah.
1:26 But me, [even] me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he
not called.
1:27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not
shown [it] to thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my
lord the king after him?
1:28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And
she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.
1:29 And the king swore, and said, [As] the LORD liveth, that
hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
1:30 Even as I swore to thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying,
Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall
sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do
this day.
1:31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with [her] face to the earth, and did
reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live
for ever.
1:32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan
the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came
before the king.
1:33 The king also said to them, Take with you the servants of
your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon my own mule,
and bring him down to Gihon:
1:34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him
there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say,
God save king Solomon.
1:35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit
upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have
appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
1:36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and
said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so [too].
1:37 As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so let
him be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the
throne of my lord king David.
1:38 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.
1:39 And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the
tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet;
and all the people said, God save king Solomon.
1:40 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.
1:41 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, Why [is this] noise of the city
being in an uproar?
1:42 And while he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of
Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said to him, Come in;
for thou [art] a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.
1:43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord
king David hath made Solomon king.
1:44 And the king hath 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:
1:45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed
him king in Gihon: and they have come from thence rejoicing, so
that the city resounded. This [is] the noise that ye have
heard.
1:46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.
1:47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord
king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than
thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the
king bowed himself upon the bed.
1:48 And also thus said the king, Blessed [be] the LORD God of
Israel, who hath given [one] to sit on my throne this day, my
eyes even seeing [it].
1:49 And all the guests that [were] with Adonijah were afraid,
and arose, and went every man his way.
1:50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and
went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
1:51 And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth
king Solomon: for lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the
altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me to-day that he will
not slay his servant with the sword.
1:52 And Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man,
there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth: but if
wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.
1:53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the
altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and
Solomon said to him, Go to thy house.
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