1 Kings 1
1
Adonijah Makes Himself King
1King David was now very old. He couldn’t keep warm even when blankets were spread over him. 2So his attendants spoke to him. They said, “You are our king and master. Please let us try to find a young virgin to serve you. She can take care of you. She can lie down beside you to keep you warm.”
3So David’s attendants looked all over Israel for a beautiful young woman. They found Abishag. She was from the town of Shunem. They brought her to the king. 4The woman was very beautiful. She took care of the king and served him. But the king didn’t have sex with her.
5Adonijah was the son of David and his wife Haggith. He came forward and announced, “I’m going to be the next king.” So he got chariots and horses ready. He also got 50 men to run in front of him. 6His father had never tried to stop him from doing what he wanted to. His father had never asked him, “Why are you acting the way you do?” Adonijah was also very handsome. Now that Absalom was dead, Adonijah was David’s oldest son.
7Adonijah talked things over with Joab, the son of Zeruiah. He also talked with Abiathar the priest. They agreed to help him. 8But Zadok the priest and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, didn’t join Adonijah. Nathan the prophet didn’t join him. Shimei and Rei didn’t join him. And neither did David’s special guard.
9Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle and fat calves. He sacrificed them at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah. 10But he didn’t invite Benaiah or Nathan the prophet. He didn’t invite the special guard or his brother Solomon either.
11Nathan asked Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, “Haven’t you heard? Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has made himself king. And King David doesn’t know anything about it. 12So let me tell you what to do to save your life. It will also save the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in and see King David. Say to him, ‘You are my king and master. You promised me, “You can be sure that your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne.” If that’s really true, why has Adonijah become king?’ 14While you are still talking to the king, I’ll come in and support what you have said.”
15So Bathsheba went to see the old king in his room. Abishag, the Shunammite, was taking care of him there. 16Bathsheba bowed low in front of the king.
“What do you want?” the king asked.
17She said to him, “My master, you made a promise in the name of the Lord your God. You promised me, ‘Your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne.’ 18But now Adonijah has made himself king. And you don’t even know about it. 19He has sacrificed large numbers of cattle, fat calves and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons. He has also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab, the commander of the army. But he hasn’t invited your son Solomon. 20You are my king and master. All the Israelites are watching to see what you will do. They want to find out from you who will sit on the throne after you. 21If you don’t do something, I and my son Solomon will be treated like people who have committed crimes. That will happen as soon as you join the members of your family who have already died.”
22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So Nathan went to the king. He bowed down with his face toward the ground.
24Nathan said, “You are my king and master. Have you announced that Adonijah will be king after you? Have you said he will sit on your throne? 25Today he has gone down outside the city. He has sacrificed large numbers of cattle, fat calves and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons. He has also invited the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Even now they are eating and drinking with him. They are saying, ‘May King Adonijah live a long time!’ 26But he didn’t invite me. He didn’t invite Zadok the priest or Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. He didn’t invite your son Solomon either. 27King David, have you allowed all of that to happen? Did you do it without letting us know about it? Why didn’t you tell us who is going to sit on your throne after you?”
David Makes Solomon King
28King David said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in.” So she came and stood in front of the king.
29Then the king made a promise. He said, “The Lord has saved me from all my troubles. You can be sure that he lives. 30And you can be just as sure I will do what I promised. This is the day I will do what I promised in the name of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. I promised you that your son Solomon would be king after me. He will sit on my throne in my place.”
31Then Bathsheba bowed down in front of the king. Her face was toward the ground. She said, “King David, you are my master. May you live forever!”
32King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to come in. Also tell Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, to come.” So they came to the king. 33He said to them, “Take my officials with you. Have my son Solomon get on my own mule. Take him down to the Gihon spring. 34Have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him as king over Israel there. Blow a trumpet. Shout, ‘May King Solomon live a long time!’ 35Then come back up to the city with him. Have him sit on my throne. He will rule in my place. I’ve appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered the king. “Amen!” he said. “May the Lord your God make it come true. 37You are my king and master. The Lord has been with you. May he also be with Solomon. King David, may the Lord make Solomon’s kingdom even greater than yours!”
38So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet left the palace. Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went with them. So did the Kerethites and Pelethites. They had Solomon get on King David’s mule. And they brought him down to the Gihon spring. 39Zadok the priest had taken an animal horn from the sacred tent. The horn was filled with olive oil. He anointed Solomon with the oil. A trumpet was blown. All the people shouted, “May King Solomon live a long time!” 40Then they went up toward the city. Solomon was leading the way. The people were playing flutes. They were filled with great joy. The ground shook because of all the noise.
41Adonijah and all his guests heard it. They were just finishing their meal. Joab heard the sound of the trumpet. So he asked, “What does all this noise in the city mean?”
42While Joab was still speaking, Jonathan arrived. Jonathan was the son of Abiathar the priest. Adonijah said, “Come in. I have respect for you. You must be bringing good news.”
43“No! I’m not!” Jonathan answered. “Our master King David has made Solomon king. 44David sent Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet along with Solomon. He also sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, with him. He sent the Kerethites and Pelethites with him too. They put him on the king’s mule. 45They took him down to the Gihon spring. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him as king. Now they’ve gone back up to the city. They were cheering all the way. The city is filled with the sound of it. That’s the noise you hear. 46And that’s not all. Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. 47The royal officials came to give their blessing to our master King David. They said, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours! May he make Solomon’s kingdom greater than yours!’ While King David was sitting on his bed, he bowed in worship. 48He said, ‘I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He has let me live to see my son sitting on my throne today as the next king.’ ”
49When all Adonijah’s guests heard that, they were terrified. So they got up and scattered. 50Adonijah was afraid of what Solomon might do to him. So he went and grabbed the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. Those horns stuck out from its upper corners. 51Then Solomon was told, “King Solomon, Adonijah is afraid of you. He’s holding onto the horns of the altar. He says, ‘I want King Solomon to make a promise today. I want him to promise that he won’t kill me with his sword.’ ”
52Solomon replied, “Let him show that he’s a man people can respect. Then not even one hair on his head will fall to the ground. But if I find out he’s done something evil, he will die.” 53King Solomon got some men to bring Adonijah down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon. Solomon said, “Go on home.”
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1 Kings 1: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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3 Kings 1
1
1Now king David was old, and advanced in years: and when he was covered with clothes, he was not warm.
2His servants therefore said to him: Let us seek for our lord the king, a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him, and sleep in his bosom, and warm our lord the king.
3So they sought a beautiful young woman in all the coasts of Israel: and they found Abisag a Sunamitess, and brought her to the king.
4And the damsel was exceeding beautiful; and she slept with the king, and served him: but the king did not know her.
5And Adonias the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying: I will be king. And he made himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
6Neither did his father rebuke him at any time, saying: Why hast thou done this? And he also was very beautiful, the next in birth after Absalom.
7And he conferred with Joab the son of Sarvia, and with Abiathar the priest, who furthered Adonias's side.
8But Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Rei, and the strength of David's army was not with Adonias.
9And Adonias, having slain rams and calves, and all fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which was near the fountain Rogel, invited all his brethren, the king's sons, and all the men of Juda, the king's servants:
10But Nathan the prophet, and Banaias, and all the valiant men, and Solomon his brother he invited not.
11And Nathan said to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Haggith reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not?
12Now then come, take my counsel and save thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
13Go, and get thee in to king David, and say to him: Didst not thou, my lord O king, swear to me thy handmaid, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then doth Adonias reign?
14And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and will fill up thy words.
15So Bethsabee went in to the king into the chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abisag the Sunamitess ministered to him.
16Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is thy will?
17She answered and said: My lord, thou didst swear to thy handmaid by the Lord thy God, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.
18And, behold, now Adonias reigneth, and thou, my lord the king, knowest nothing of it.
19He hath killed oxen, and all fat cattle, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the general of the army: but Solomon thy servant he invited not.
20And now, my lord O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them, who shall sit on thy throne, my lord the king, after thee.
21Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king sleepeth with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
22As she was yet speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came.
23And they told the king, saying: Nathan the prophet is here. And when he was come in before the king, and had worshipped, bowing down to the ground,
24Nathan said: My lord O king, hast thou said: Let Adonias reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne?
25Because he is gone down to-day, and hath killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And they are eating and drinking before him, and saying: God save king Adonias:
26But me thy servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and Solomon thy servant he hath not invited.
27Is this word come out from my lord the king, and hast thou not told me thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
28And king David answered and said: Call to me Bethsabee. And when she was come in to the king, and stood before him,
29The king swore and said: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress,
30Even as I swore to thee by the Lord the God of Israel, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me; and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day.
31And Bethsabee bowing with her face to the earth worshipped the king, saying: May my lord David live for ever.
32King David also said: Call me Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada. And when they were come in before the king,
33He said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, and set my son Solomon upon my mule, and bring him to Gihon.
34And let Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel. And you shall sound the trumpet, and shall say: God save king Solomon.
35And you shall come up after him: and he shall come, and shall sit upon my throne. And he shall reign in my stead: and I will appoint him to be ruler over Israel, and over Juda.
36And Banaias the son of Joiada answered the king, saying: Amen. So say the Lord the God of my lord the king!
37As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, so be he with Solomon, and make his throne higher than the throne of my lord king David.
38So Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet went down, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi: and they set Solomon upon the mule of king David, and brought him to Gihon.
39And Sadoc the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they sounded the trumpet; and all the people said: God save king Solomon.
40And all the multitude went up after him, and the people played with pipes, and rejoiced with a great joy: and the earth rang with the noise of their cry.
41And Adonias, and all that were invited by him, heard it, and now the feast was at an end. Joab also hearing the sound of the trumpet said: What meaneth this noise of the city in an uproar?
42While he yet spoke, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonias said to him: Come in, because thou art a valiant man, and bringest good news.
43And Jonathan answered Adonias: Not so: for our lord king David hath appointed Solomon king.
44And hath sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi: and they have set him upon the king's mule.
45And Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are gone up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you have heard.
46Moreover Solomon sitteth upon the throne of the kingdom,
47And the king's servants going in have blessed our lord king David, saying: May God make the name of Solomon greater than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king adored in his bed.
48And he said: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who hath given this day one to sit on my throne, my eyes seeing it.
49Then all the guests of Adonias were afraid: and they all arose and every man went his way.
50And Adonias fearing Solomon arose, and went, and took hold on the horn of the altar.
51And they told Solomon, saying: Behold, Adonias, fearing king Solomon, hath taken hold of the horn of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not kill his servant with the sword.
52And Solomon said: If he be a good man, there shall not so much as one hair of his head fall to the ground; but if evil be found in him, he shall die.
53Then king Solomon sent, and brought him out from the altar. And going in he worshipped king Solomon: and Solomon said to him: Go to thy house.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.