1 Kings 1
1
David in His Old Age
1Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. 2Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms,#1:2 Or in your bosom that my lord the king may be warm.” 3So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the #Josh. 19:18Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.
Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
5Now #2 Sam. 3:4 Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” #2 Sam. 15:1And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, #2 Sam. 3:3, 4; 1 Chr. 3:2and he was born next after Absalom. 7He conferred with #2 Sam. 2:13, 18 Joab the son of Zeruiah and with #2 Sam. 20:25Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8But #[See ver. 7 above] Zadok the priest and #2 Sam. 8:18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and #2 Sam. 12:1 Nathan the prophet and #ch. 4:18 Shimei and Rei and #See 2 Sam. 23:8-39David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.
9Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside #Josh. 15:7; 2 Sam. 17:17En-rogel, and 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 mighty men or #2 Sam. 12:24Solomon his brother.
Nathan and Bathsheba Before David
11Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that #[See ver. 5 above]Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? 12Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, #ver. 30; [1 Chr. 22:9]“Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ 14Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm#1:14 Or expand on your words.”
15So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). 16Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” 17She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, #[See ver. 13 above]‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. 19#ver. 9 He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, #[See ver. 7 above] Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but #[See ver. 10 above]Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king #ch. 2:10; 2 Sam. 7:12; [Deut. 31:16]sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.”
22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23And they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground. 24And Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25For he has gone down this day and #[See ver. 19 above] has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders#1:25 Hebrew; Septuagint Joab the commander of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, #See 1 Sam. 10:24‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26#ver. 8, 10, 32But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited. 27Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
Solomon Anointed King
28Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29And the king swore, saying, #See Ruth 3:13“As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, 30#ver. 13, 17as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.” 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, #Neh. 2:3; Dan. 2:4; 3:9; 5:10; 6:6, 21“May my lord King David live forever!”
32King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. 33And the king said to them, “Take with you #2 Sam. 11:11; 20:6 the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to #2 Chr. 32:30; 33:14Gihon. 34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there #See 1 Sam. 10:1 anoint him king over Israel. #2 Sam. 15:10; 2 Kgs. 9:13; 11:14 Then blow the trumpet and say, #[ver. 25]; See 1 Sam. 10:24‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” 36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so. 37#See 1 Sam. 20:13 As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, #ver. 47and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, #See 2 Sam. 8:18and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon. 39There Zadok the priest took the horn of #[Ps. 89:20]; See Ex. 30:23-32 oil from the tent and #1 Chr. 29:22 anointed Solomon. #[See ver. 34 above] Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, #[See ver. 34 above]“Long live King Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.
41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” 42While he was still speaking, behold, #2 Sam. 15:27, 36; 17:17 Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, #2 Sam. 18:27for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” 43Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, 44and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the #[See ver. 38 above]Cherethites 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 at #[See ver. 33 above]Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. 46#1 Chr. 29:23Solomon sits on the royal throne. 47Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, #ver. 37 ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king #[Gen. 47:31]bowed himself on the bed. 48And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, #ch. 3:6; [Ps. 132:11, 12]who has granted someone#1:48 Septuagint one of my offspring to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’”
49Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. 50And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went #ch. 2:28 and took hold of #Ex. 27:2the horns of the altar. 51Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, #See 1 Sam. 14:45not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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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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