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.
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.