1 Kings 1
1
King David in his Old Age
1King David was now a very old man, and although his servants covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm. 2So his officials said to him, “Your Majesty, let us find a young woman to stay with you and take care of you. She will lie close to you and keep you warm.” 3A search was made all over Israel for a beautiful young woman, and in Shunem they found such a woman named Abishag, and brought her to the king. 4She was very beautiful, and waited on the king and took care of him, but he did not have intercourse with her.
Adonijah Claims the Throne
5-6 #
2 Sam 3.4
Now that Absalom was dead, Adonijah, the son of David and Haggith, was the eldest surviving son. He was a very handsome man. David had never reprimanded him about anything, and he was ambitious to be king. He provided for himself chariots, horses, and an escort of fifty men. 7He talked with Joab (whose mother was Zeruiah) and with Abiathar the priest, and they agreed to support his cause. 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's bodyguard were not on Adonijah's side.
9One day Adonijah offered a sacrifice of sheep, bulls, and fattened calves at Snake Rock, near the spring of Enrogel. He invited the other sons of King David and the king's officials who were from Judah to come to this sacrificial feast, 10but he did not invite his half brother Solomon or Nathan the prophet, or Benaiah, or the king's bodyguard.
Solomon is Made King
11 #
2 Sam 12.24
Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, and asked her, “Haven't you heard that Haggith's son Adonijah has made himself king? And King David doesn't know anything about it! 12If you want to save your life and the life of your son Solomon, I would advise you 13to go at once to King David and ask him, ‘Your Majesty, didn't you solemnly promise me that my son Solomon would succeed you as king? How is it, then, that Adonijah has become king?’ ” 14And Nathan added, “Then, while you are still talking with King David, I will come in and confirm your story.”
15So Bathsheba went to see the king in his bedroom. He was very old, and Abishag, the woman from Shunem, was taking care of him. 16Bathsheba bowed low before the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”
17She answered, “Your Majesty, you made me a solemn promise in the name of the LORD your God that my son Solomon would be king after you. 18But Adonijah has already become king, and you don't know anything about it. 19He has offered a sacrifice of many bulls, sheep, and fattened calves, and he invited your sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of your army to the feast, but he did not invite your son Solomon. 20Your Majesty, all the people of Israel are looking to you to tell them who is to succeed you as king. 21If you don't, as soon as you are dead my son Solomon and I will be treated as traitors.”
22She was still speaking, when Nathan arrived at the palace. 23The king was told that the prophet was there, and Nathan went in and bowed low before the king. 24Then he said, “Your Majesty, have you announced that Adonijah would succeed you as king? 25This very day he has gone and offered a sacrifice of many bulls, sheep, and fattened calves. He invited all your sons, Joab the commander of your army,#1.25 One ancient translation Joab the commander of your army; Hebrew your army commanders. and Abiathar the priest, and just now they are feasting with him and shouting, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26But he did not invite me, sir, or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah, or Solomon. 27Did Your Majesty approve all this and not even tell your officials who is to succeed you as king?”
28King David said, “Ask Bathsheba to come back in” — and she came and stood before him. 29Then he said to her, “I promise you by the living LORD, who has rescued me from all my troubles, 30that today I will keep the promise I made to you in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, that your son Solomon would succeed me as king.”
31Bathsheba bowed low and said, “May my lord the king live for ever!”
32Then King David sent for Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah. When they came in, 33he said to them, “Take my court officials with you; let my son Solomon ride my own mule, and escort him down to the spring of Gihon, 34where Zadok and Nathan are to anoint him as king of Israel. Then blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35Follow him back here when he comes to sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, because he is the one I have chosen to be the ruler of Israel and Judah.”
36“It shall be done,” answered Benaiah, “and may the LORD your God confirm it. 37As the LORD has been with Your Majesty, may he also be with Solomon, and make his reign even more prosperous than yours.”
38So Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the royal bodyguard put Solomon on King David's mule, and escorted him to the spring of Gihon. 39Zadok took the container of olive oil which he had brought from the Tent of the LORD's presence, and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet, and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40Then they all followed him back, shouting for joy and playing flutes, making enough noise to shake the ground.
41As Adonijah and all his guests were finishing the feast, they heard the noise. And when Joab heard the trumpet, he asked, “What's the meaning of all that noise in the city?” 42Before he finished speaking, Jonathan, the son of the priest Abiathar, arrived. “Come in,” Adonijah said. “You're a good man — you must be bringing good news.”
43“I'm afraid not,” Jonathan answered. “His Majesty King David has made Solomon king. 44He sent Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the royal bodyguard to escort him. They made him ride on the king's mule, 45and Zadok and Nathan anointed him as king at the spring of Gihon. Then they went into the city, shouting for joy, and the people are now in an uproar. That's the noise you just heard. 46Solomon is now the king. 47What is more, the court officials went in to pay their respects to His Majesty King David, and said, ‘May your God make Solomon even more famous than you, and may Solomon's reign be even more prosperous than yours.’ Then King David bowed in worship on his bed 48and prayed, ‘Let us praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has today made one of my descendants succeed me as king, and has let me live to see it!’ ”
49Then Adonijah's guests were afraid, and they all got up and left, each going his own way. 50Adonijah, in great fear of Solomon, went to the Tent of the LORD's presence and took hold of the corners of the altar.#1.50 corners of the altar: Small projections at the four corners of the altar that looked like horns. Anyone holding on to them was safe from being killed. 51King Solomon was told that Adonijah was afraid of him and that he was holding on to the corners of the altar and had said, “First, I want King Solomon to swear to me that he will not have me put to death.”
52Solomon replied, “If he is loyal, not even a hair on his head will be touched; but if he is not, he will die.” 53King Solomon then sent for Adonijah and had him brought down from the altar. Adonijah went to the king and bowed low before him, and the king said to him, “You may go home.”
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1 Kings 1: GNBDK
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
1 Kings 1
1
1 Now king David had become elderly, and he had many days in his lifetime. And though he was covered with clothes, he was not warmed.
2 Therefore, his servants said to him: "Let us seek, for our lord the king, a young virgin. And let her stand before the king, and warm him, and sleep in his bosom, and provide warmth for our lord the king."
3 And so they sought a beautiful young woman in all the parts of Israel. And they found Abishag, a Shunammite, and they led her to the king.
4 Now the girl was exceedingly beautiful. And she slept with the king, and she ministered to him. Yet truly, the king did not know her.
5 Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, "I shall reign!" And he appointed for himself chariots and horsemen, with fifty men who would run before him.
6 Neither did his father chastise him at any time, saying, "Why have you done this?" Now he, too, was very beautiful, the second in birth, after Absalom.
7 And he conferred with Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar, the priest, who gave assistance to the side of Adonijah.
8 Yet truly, Zadok, the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan, the prophet, and Shimei and Rei, and the mature men of the army of David were not with Adonijah.
9 Then Adonijah, having immolated rams and calves and every kind of fat cattle beside the Stone of the Serpent, which was in the vicinity of the fountain Rogel, summoned all his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king.
10 But he did not summon Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, and all the mature men, and Solomon, his brother.
11 And so Nathan said to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon: "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has begun to reign, and that our lord David is ignorant of this?
12 Now then, come, accept my counsel, and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
13 Go and enter to king David, and say to him: 'Did you not, my lord the king, swear to me, your handmaid, saying: "Your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he himself shall sit on my throne?" Then why does Adonijah reign?'
14 And while you are still speaking with the king there, I will enter after you, and I will complete your words."
15 And so Bathsheba entered to the king in the bedroom. Now the king was very old, and Abishag, the Shunammite, was ministering to him.
16 Bathsheba bowed herself, and she reverenced the king. And the king said to her, "What do you wish?"
17 And responding, she said: "My lord, you swore to your handmaid, by the Lord your God: 'your son Solomon will reign after me, and he himself shall sit upon my throne.'
18 And now behold, Adonijah reigns, while you, my lord the king, are ignorant of it.
19 He has slain oxen, and every kind of fattened cattle, and many rams. And he has summoned all the sons of the king, as well as Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the leader of the military. But Solomon, your servant, he did not summon.
20 Truly now, my lord the king, the eyes of all of Israel look with favor upon you, that you may indicate to them who ought to sit upon your throne, my lord the king, after you.
21 Otherwise, this will be: when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be as sinners."
22 And while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan, the prophet, arrived.
23 And they announced to the king, saying, "Nathan, the prophet, is here." And when he had entered in the sight of the king, and he had reverenced prone on the ground,
24 Nathan said: "My lord the king, did you say, 'Let Adonijah reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne?'
25 For today, he descended, and he immolated oxen, and fattened cattle, and many rams. And he summoned all the sons of the king, and the leaders of the army, along with Abiathar, the priest. And they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, 'As king Adonijah lives.'
26 But he did not summon me, your servant, and Zadok, the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Solomon, your lowly servant.
27 Could this word have gone out from my lord the king, and could you not have revealed it to me, your servant, as to who would be seated upon the throne of my lord the king after him?"
28 And king David responded, saying, "Summon to me Bathsheba." And when she had entered before the king, and she had stood before him,
29 the king swore and said: "As the Lord lives, who has rescued my soul from all distress,
30 just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying: 'Your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he himself shall sit upon my throne in my place,' so shall I do this day."
31 And Bathsheba, having lowered her face to the ground, reverenced the king, saying, "May my lord David live forever."
32 And king David said, "Summon to me Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada." And when they had entered before the king,
33 he said to them: "Take with you the servants of your lord, and place my son Solomon upon my mule. And lead him to Gihon.
34 And let Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, anoint him in that place as the king over Israel. And you shall sound the trumpet, and you shall say, 'As king Solomon lives.'
35 And you shall ascend after him, and he shall arrive and shall sit upon my throne. And he himself shall reign in my place. And I will command that he be the ruler over Israel and over Judah."
36 And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, responded to the king, saying: "Amen. So says the Lord, the God of my lord the king.
37 In the same way that the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon. And may he make his throne more sublime than the throne of my lord, king David."
38 Then Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, descended, with Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites. And they placed Solomon on the mule of king David, and they led him to Gihon.
39 And Zadok, the priest, took the horn of oil from the tabernacle, and he anointed Solomon. And they sounded the trumpet. And all the people said, "As king Solomon lives."
40 And the entire multitude ascended after him. And the people were playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy. And the earth resounded before the noise of them.
41 Then Adonijah, and all who had been summoned by him, heard it. And now the feast had ended. Then, too, Joab, hearing the voice of the trumpet, said, "What is the meaning of this clamor from the tumultuous city?"
42 While he was still speaking, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest, arrived. And Adonijah said to him, "Enter, for you are a valiant man, and you report good news."
43 And Jonathan answered Adonijah: "By no means. For our lord king David has appointed Solomon as king.
44 And he has sent with him Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites. And they have placed him on the mule of the king.
45 And Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, have anointed him king, at Gihon. And they are ascending from there, rejoicing, and so the city resounds. This is the noise that you have heard.
46 But also, Solomon sits upon the throne of the kingdom.
47 And the servants of the king, entering, have blessed our lord king David, saying: 'May God amplify the name of Solomon above your name, and may he magnify his throne above your throne.' And the king reverenced from his bed.
48 And he said: 'Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who today has bestowed someone to sit upon my throne, while my eyes may see it.' "
49 Therefore, all those who had been summoned by Adonijah were terrified. And they all rose up, and each one went his own way.
50 Then Adonijah, fearing Solomon, rose up and went away. And he took hold of the horn of the altar.
51 And they reported to Solomon, saying: "Behold, Adonijah, fearing king Solomon, has taken hold of the horn of the altar, saying: 'May king Solomon swear to me this day that he will not put to death his servant with the sword.' "
52 And Solomon said: "If he is a good man, not so much as one hair of his head shall fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he shall die."
53 Therefore, king Solomon sent and brought him from the altar. And entering, he reverenced king Solomon. And Solomon said to him, "Go to your own house."
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