1 Kings 1
1
Adonijah Tries to Become King
1At this time King David was very old, and although his servants covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm. 2They said to him, “We will look for a young woman to care for you. She will lie close to you and keep you warm.” 3After searching everywhere in Israel for a beautiful young woman, they found a girl named Abishag from Shunam and brought her to the king. 4The girl was very beautiful, and she cared for the king and served him. But the king did not have sexual relations with her.
5Adonijah was the son of King David and Haggith, and he was very proud. “I will be the king,” he said. So he got chariots and horses for himself and fifty men for his personal bodyguard. 6Now David had never interfered with Adonijah by questioning what he did. Born next after Absalom, Adonijah was a very handsome man.
7Adonijah spoke with Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest, and they agreed to help him. 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and King David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.
9Then Adonijah killed some sheep, cows, and fat calves for sacrifices at the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the other sons of King David, to come, as well as all the men of Judah. 10But Adonijah did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, his father’s special guard, or his brother Solomon.
11When Nathan heard about this, he went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you heard that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, has made himself king?” Nathan asked. “Our real king, David, does not know it. 12I strongly advise you to save yourself and your sons. 13Go to King David and tell him, ‘My master and king, you promised that my son Solomon would be king and would rule on your throne after you. Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14While you are still talking to the king, I will come in and tell him that what you have said about Adonijah is true.”
15So Bathsheba went in to see the aged king in his bedroom, where Abishag, the girl from Shunam, was caring for him. 16Bathsheba bowed and knelt before the king. He asked, “What do you want?”
17She answered, “My master, you made a promise to me in the name of the Lord your God. You said, ‘Your son Solomon will become king after me, and he will rule on my throne.’ 18But now, unknown to you, Adonijah has become king. 19He has killed many cows, fat calves, and sheep for sacrifices. And he has invited all your sons, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite Solomon, who serves you. 20My master and king, all the Israelites are watching you, waiting for you to decide who will be king after you. 21As soon as you die, Solomon and I will be treated as criminals.”
22While Bathsheba was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23The servants told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So Nathan went to the king and bowed facedown on the ground before him.
24Nathan said, “My master and king, have you said that Adonijah will be the king after you and that he will rule on your throne? 25Today he has sacrificed many cows, fat calves, and sheep, and he has invited all your other sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him. They are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26But he did not invite me, your own servant, or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your son Solomon. 27Did you do this? Since we are your servants, why didn’t you tell us who should be king after you?”
David Makes Solomon King
28Then the king said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in!” So she came in and stood before the king.
29Then the king made this promise, “The Lord has saved me from all trouble. As surely as he lives, 30I will do today what I have promised you in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised that your son Solomon would be king after me and rule on my throne in my place.”
31Then Bathsheba bowed facedown on the ground and knelt before the king and said, “Long live my master King David!”
32Then King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to come in.” When they came before the king, 33he said to them, “Take my servants with you and put my son Solomon on my own mule. Take him down to the spring called Gihon. 34There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet should pour olive oil on him and make him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and rule in my place, because he is the one I have chosen to be the ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! This is what the Lord, the God of my master, has declared! 37The Lord has always helped you, our king. May he also help Solomon and make King Solomon’s throne an even greater throne than yours.”
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada left with the Kerethites and Pelethites. They put Solomon on King David’s mule and took him to the spring called Gihon. 39Zadok the priest took the container of olive oil from the Holy Tent and poured the oil on Solomon’s head to show he was the king. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40All the people followed Solomon into the city. Playing flutes and shouting for joy, they made so much noise the ground shook.
41At this time Adonijah and all the guests with him were finishing their meal. When he heard the sound from the trumpet, Joab asked, “What does all that noise from the city mean?”
42While Joab was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in! You are an important man, so you must be bringing good news.”
43But Jonathan answered, “No! Our master King David has made Solomon the new king. 44King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the king’s bodyguards with him, and they have put Solomon on the king’s own mule. 45Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet poured olive oil on Solomon at Gihon to make him king. After that they went into the city, shouting with joy. Now the whole city is excited, and that is the noise you hear. 46Solomon has now become the king. 47All the king’s officers have come to tell King David that he has done a good thing. They are saying, ‘May your God make Solomon even more famous than you and an even greater king than you.’ ” Jonathan continued, “And King David bowed down on his bed to worship God, 48saying, ‘Bless the Lord, the God of Israel. Today he has made one of my sons the king and allowed me to see it.’ ”
49Then all of Adonijah’s guests were afraid, and they left quickly and scattered. 50Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went and took hold of the corners of the altar. 51Then someone told Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you, so he is at the altar, holding on to its corners. He says, ‘Tell King Solomon to promise me today that he will not kill me.’ ”
52So Solomon answered, “Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise he will not lose even a single hair from his head. But if he does anything wrong, he will die.” 53Then King Solomon sent some men to get Adonijah. When he was brought from the altar, he came before King Solomon and bowed down. Solomon told him, “Go home.”
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
1 Kings 1
1
Adonijah Seeks Kingship
1Now King David was old and advanced in years, and they covered him with clothes, but he could not get warm. 2Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young virgin be found for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king and care for him, and let her lie by your side so that my lord the king may keep warm.”
3So they searched for a beautiful young woman throughout the land of Israel and found Abishag, a Shunammite, # Jos 19:18; 1Sa 28:4; SS 6:13 and brought her to the king. 4She was very beautiful and cared for the king and ministered to him, but the king did not know her intimately.
5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith # 2Sa 3:4 exalted himself, saying, “I will be king,” and he assembled chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him. # 2Sa 15:1 6His father had not confronted him at any time by asking, “Why have you done this?” He also was a very attractive man, and he was born next after Absalom. # 2Sa 3:3–4; 1Ch 3:2
7He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, # 2Sa 20:25; 1Ki 2:22 and they agreed to help him. 8But Zadok the priest # 2Sa 20:25 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei # 1Ki 4:18 and Rei and David’s mighty men did not join Adonijah.
9Adonijah slaughtered sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the Stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, # 2Sa 17:17 and invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or his brother Solomon. # 2Sa 12:24
11Therefore Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith # 2Sa 3:4 reigns and David our lord does not know it? 12Now please come and let me give you some advice, so that you may save your own life as well as that of your son Solomon. 13Go 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? # 1Ki 1:17, 30 Why then does Adonijah reign?’ 14Then while you are still there talking with the king, I will come in and confirm your words.”
15So Bathsheba went to the king’s chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite ministered to him. 16Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king.
And the king said, “What do you want?”
17And she said to him, “My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your handmaid, saying: Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. # 1Ki 1:13, 30 18Now, behold, Adonijah reigns, although you, my lord, O king, do not know it. 19He has slain oxen and fat cattle 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 your servant Solomon. 20And you, my lord, O king, all the eyes of Israel are upon you that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise it shall be that when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, # Dt 31:16; 1Ki 2:10 I and my son Solomon shall be considered offenders.”
22While she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. 23The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here,” and when he entered the king’s presence, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
24Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne’? 25For he has gone down this day and has slain oxen, fat cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, # 1Ki 1:9 the commanders of the guard, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking with him, saying, ‘God save King Adonijah!’ # 1Sa 10:24 26But he has not invited me, your servant, or Zadok the priest or Benaiah the son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon. # 1Ki 1:8, 10 27Is this thing done by my lord the king, and you have not let your servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
Solomon Becomes King
1Ch 29:21–25
28King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
29The king vowed, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all distress, # 2Sa 4:9 30even as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead,’ # 1Ki 1:13, 17 even so will I certainly do this day.”
31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground in reverence to the king and said, “Let my lord King David live forever.” # Da 2:4; 3:9
32King David said, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada for me.” # 1Ki 1:8 So they came before the king. 33And the king 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. # 1Ki 1:38; 2Ch 32:30 34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel, # 1Sa 10:1 and blow the trumpet and say, ‘God save King Solomon!’ # 2Sa 15:10 35Then you shall come up after him. And he shall come and sit on my throne, for he will be king in my place as I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.”
36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, also say so! 37As the Lord has been with my lord the king, # 1Sa 20:13 may He also be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.” # 1Ki 1:47
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Kerethites and the Pelethites # 2Sa 8:18; 1Ki 1:8 went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon. 39Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. # Ps 89:20 Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “God save King Solomon!” # 1Sa 10:24 40All the people came up to see him and played flutes and greatly rejoiced, so that the earth shook at the sound.
41Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard the commotion as they were finishing their meal, and when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the city so loud and in an uproar?”
42While he was speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar # 2Sa 15:36; 17:17 the priest came. Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good tidings.”
43Jonathan answered Adonijah, saying, “Surely our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Kerethites, and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king’s mule. 45And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from their rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. # 1Ki 1:40 This is the noise that you heard. 46Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. # 1Ch 29:23 47Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon better than your name and make his throne greater than your throne.’ # 1Ki 1:37 And the king bowed himself upon the bed. # Ge 47:31 48The king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day # 1Ki 3:6; Ps 132:11–12 so that I could see with my own eyes.’ ”
49All the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid and rose up and went on their way. 50Adonijah feared Solomon. So he got up and went to the altar and held on to its horns. # 1Ki 2:28 51Then Solomon was told, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for he has caught hold of the horns on the altar, saying ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.’ ”
52And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground, # 1Sa 14:45; 2Sa 14:11 but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53So King Solomon sent for him, and they brought him down from the altar, and he came and bowed himself to King Solomon. And Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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