1 Kings 1
1
Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
1When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”
3Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.
5Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses#1:5 Or charioteers ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. 6(His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)
7Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.
9Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves 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 did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.
11Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? 12Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”
15So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. 16Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king.
“What is it you want?” the king asked.
17She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ 18But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”
22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
24Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? 25Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. 27Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
David Makes Solomon King
28Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.
29The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 30I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”
31Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
32King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, 33he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. 37As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. 39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”
42Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”
43“Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, 45and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. 46Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. 47Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed 48and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’ ”
49At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. 50But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”
52Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”
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1 Kings 1: NIV
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 1
1
1And Sovereign Dawiḏ was old, advanced in years. And they covered him with garments, but he could not get warm.
2So his servants said to him, “Let them seek for our master the sovereign a young woman, a maiden, and she shall stand before the sovereign and be his companion, and shall lie in your bosom, so that our master the sovereign gets warm.”
3And they sought for a beautiful young woman in all the border of Yisra’ĕl, and found Aḇishaḡ the Shunammite, and brought her to the sovereign.
4And the young woman was very beautiful. And she was a companion for the sovereign, and served him, but the sovereign did not know her.
5And Aḏoniyah son of Ḥaggith exalted himself, saying, “I reign.” And he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
6Now his father had not worried him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. And he was born after Aḇshalom.
7And he talked with Yo’aḇ son of Tseruyah and with Eḇyathar the priest, and they supported Aḏoniyah.
8But Tsaḏoq the priest, and Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa, and Nathan the prophet, and Shim‛i, and Rĕ‛i, and the mighty men who belonged to Dawiḏ were not with Aḏoniyahu.
9And Aḏoniyahu slaughtered sheep and cattle and fatlings by the stone of Zoḥeleth, which is by Ěn Roḡĕl. He also invited all his brothers, the sovereign’s sons, and all the men of Yehuḏah, servants of the sovereign.
10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, or Benayahu, or the mighty men, or Shelomoh his brother.
11Nathan then spoke to Bathsheḇa the mother of Shelomoh, saying, “Have you not heard that Aḏoniyahu son of Ḥaggith has become sovereign, and Dawiḏ our master does not know it?
12“And now, come let me give you advice, and deliver your own life and the life of your son Shelomoh.
13“Go immediately to Sovereign Dawiḏ and say to him, ‘Did you not, my master, O sovereign, swear to your female servant, saying, “Certainly, your son Shelomoh shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Aḏoniyahu become sovereign?’
14“Look, while you are still speaking there with the sovereign let me come in after you and confirm your words.”
15And Bathsheḇa went into the room to the sovereign. Now the sovereign was very old, and Aḇishaḡ the Shunammite was serving the sovereign.
16And Bathsheḇa bowed and did obeisance to the sovereign. And the sovereign said, “What do you wish?”
17And she said to him, “My master, you swore by יהוה your Elohim to your female servant, saying, ‘Certainly, Shelomoh your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’
18“And now, look! Aḏoniyah has become sovereign. And now, my master the sovereign, you do not know about it.
19“And he has slaughtered great numbers of bulls and fatlings and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the sovereign, and Eḇyathar the priest, and Yo’aḇ the commander of the army, but he did not invite Shelomoh your servant.
20“And you my master, O sovereign, the eyes of all Yisra’ĕl are on you, to declare to them who is going to sit on the throne of my master the sovereign after him.
21“Otherwise it shall be, when my master the sovereign rests with his fathers, that I and my son Shelomoh shall be considered sinners.”
22And see, while she was still speaking with the sovereign, Nathan the prophet also came in.
23So they informed the sovereign, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the sovereign, he bowed down before the sovereign with his face to the ground.
24And Nathan said, “My master, O sovereign, have you said, ‘Aḏoniyahu shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?
25“For he has gone down today, and has slaughtered great numbers of bulls and fatlings and sheep, and has invited all the sovereign’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Eḇyathar the priest. And look! They are eating and drinking before him. And they say, ‘Let Sovereign Aḏoniyahu live!’
26“But he has not invited me, me your servant, nor Tsaḏoq the priest, nor Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa, nor your servant Shelomoh.
27“If this matter is from my master the sovereign, then you did not let your servant know who should sit on the throne of my master the sovereign after him.”
28And Sovereign Dawiḏ answered and said, “Call Bathsheḇa to me.” So she came into the sovereign’s presence and stood before the sovereign.
29And the sovereign took an oath and said, “As יהוה lives, who has ransomed my life out of all distress,
30even as I swore to you by יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘Certainly, Shelomoh your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so I do this day.”
31And Bathsheḇa bowed with her face to the earth, and did obeisance to the sovereign, and said, “Let my master Sovereign Dawiḏ live forever!”
32And Sovereign Dawiḏ said, “Call me Tsaḏoq the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa.” And they came before the sovereign.
33And the sovereign said to them, “Take with you the servants of your master, and you shall have Shelomoh my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Giḥon.
34“And there Tsaḏoq the priest and Nathan the prophet shall anoint him sovereign over Yisra’ĕl. And blow the shophar, and say, ‘Let Sovereign Shelomoh live!’
35“And you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall reign in my place. For I have commanded him to be ruler over Yisra’ĕl and over Yehuḏah.”
36And Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa answered the sovereign and said, “Amĕn! So says יהוה Elohim of my master the sovereign.
37“As יהוה has been with my master the sovereign, so let Him be with Shelomoh and make his throne greater than the throne of my master Sovereign Dawiḏ.”
38Then Tsaḏoq the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa, and the Kerĕthites, and the Pelĕthites went down and had Shelomoh ride on Sovereign Dawiḏ’s mule, and took him to Giḥon.
39And Tsaḏoq the priest took a horn of oil from the Tent and anointed Shelomoh. And they blew with the shophar, and all the people said, “Let Sovereign Shelomoh live!”
40And all the people came up after him. And the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise!
41And Aḏoniyahu and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had finished eating. And Yo’aḇ heard the voice of the shophar, and said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?”
42And he was still speaking, then see, Yonathan came, son of Eḇyathar the priest. And Aḏoniyahu said to him, “Come in, for you are a brave man, and you bring good news.”
43But Yonathan answered and said to Aḏoniyahu, “No! Our master Sovereign Dawiḏ has made Shelomoh sovereign,
44and the sovereign has sent with him Tsaḏoq the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa, and the Kerĕthites, and the Pelĕthites. And they had him ride on the sovereign’s mule.
45“And Tsaḏoq the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him sovereign at Giḥon. And they have gone up from there rejoicing, and the city is moved. This is the noise you heard.
46“And further, Shelomoh sits on the throne of the reign.
47“And further, the servants of the sovereign have gone to bless our master Sovereign Dawiḏ, saying, ‘Let your Elohim make the name of Shelomoh better than your name, and his throne greater than your throne.’ And the sovereign bowed himself on the bed.
48“And the sovereign also said thus, ‘Blessed be יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!’ ”
49And all the guests who were invited by Aḏoniyahu were afraid, and rose, and each one went his way.
50And Aḏoniyahu was afraid of Shelomoh, and rose, and went and took hold of the horns of the slaughter-place.
51And it was reported to Shelomoh, saying, “Look, Aḏoniyahu is afraid of Sovereign Shelomoh. And look, he has taken hold of the horns of the slaughter-place, saying, ‘Let Sovereign Shelomoh swear to me today that he does not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”
52And Shelomoh said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him is going to fall to the earth, but if evil is found in him, then he shall die.”
53And Sovereign Shelomoh sent, and they brought him down from the slaughter-place. And he came and fell down before Sovereign Shelomoh. And Shelomoh said to him, “Go to your house.”
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