1 Kings 1
1
1 AND KING David was old and advanced in years; they covered him with [bed]clothes, but he could not get warm.
2 So his servants [the physicians] said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her wait on and be useful to the king; let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may get warm.
3 So they sought a fair maiden through all the territory of Israel and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 The maiden was beautiful; and she waited on and nursed him. But the king had no intercourse with her.
5 Then Adonijah son of [David's wife] Haggith exalted himself, saying, I [the eldest living son] will be king. And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, with fifty men to run before him.
6 David his father had never in his life displeased him by asking, Why have you done so? He was also a very attractive man and was born after Absalom.
7 He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah [David's half sister] and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed Adonijah and helped him.
8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's mighty men did not side with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatlings by the Stone of Zoheleth, which is beside [the well] En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah.
10 But Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother he did not invite.
11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, reigns and David our lord does not know it?
12 Come now, let me advise you how to save your own life and your son Solomon's.
13 Go to King David and say, Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then does Adonijah reign?
14 Behold, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.
15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in his chamber. Now the king was very old and feeble, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to [him].
16 Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king. The king said, What do you wish?
17 And she said to him, My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me and sit upon my throne.
18 And now, behold, Adonijah is reigning, and, my lord the king, you do not know it.
19 He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army. But he did not invite Solomon your servant.
20 Now, my lord O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after you.
21 Otherwise, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall be counted as offenders.
22 While she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.
23 The king was told, Here is Nathan the prophet. And when he came before the king, he bowed himself before him with his face to the ground.
24 And Nathan said, My lord the king, have you said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne?
25 He has gone this day and sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and they eat and drink before him and say, Long live King Adonijah!
26 But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited.
27 Is this done by my lord the king and you have not shown your servants who shall succeed my lord the king?
28 Then King David answered, Call Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence and stood before him.
29 And the king took an oath and said, As the Lord lives, Who has redeemed my soul out of all distress,
30 Even as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead–even so will I certainly do this day.
31 Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and did obeisance to the king and said, Let my lord King David live forever!
32 King David said, Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
33 The king told them, Take the servants of your lord and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gihon [in the Kidron Valley].
34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, Long live King Solomon!
35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my stead; I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.
36 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so too.
37 As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites [the king's bodyguards] went down and caused Solomon to ride upon King David's mule and brought him to Gihon.
39 Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet and all the people said, Long live King Solomon!
40 All the people followed him; they played on pipes and rejoiced greatly, so that the earth [resounded] with the joyful sound.
41 And Adonijah and all the guests with him heard it as they finished feasting. When Joab heard the trumpet sound, he said, What does this uproar in the city mean?
42 While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, Come in, for you are a trustworthy man and bring good news.
43 Jonathan replied, Adonijah, truly our lord King David has made Solomon king!
44 The king has sent him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule.
45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; they have come up from there rejoicing, so the city resounds. This is the noise you heard.
46 Solomon sits on the royal throne.
47 Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name and make his throne greater than your throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed
48 And said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who has granted me to see one of my offspring sitting on my throne this day.
49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid and rose up and went every man his way.
50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose and went [to the tabernacle tent on Mt. Zion] and caught hold of the horns of the altar [as a fugitive's refuge].
51 And it was told Solomon, Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has caught hold of the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
52 Solomon said, If he will show himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of him shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.
53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought Adonijah down from the altar [in front of the tabernacle]. He came and bowed himself to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.
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1 Kings 1: AMPC
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
I Kings 1
1
Adonijah Presumes to Be King
1Now King David was #1 Chr. 23:1old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm. 2Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.” 3So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found #1 Kin. 2:17Abishag the #Josh. 19:18; 1 Sam. 28:4Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her.
5Then #2 Sam. 3:4Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and #2 Sam. 15:1he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6(And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. #2 Sam. 3:3, 4; 1 Chr. 3:2His mother had borne him after Absalom.) 7Then he conferred with #1 Chr. 11:6Joab the son of Zeruiah and with #2 Sam. 20:25Abiathar the priest, and #1 Kin. 2:22, 28they followed and helped Adonijah. 8But #1 Kin. 2:35Zadok the priest, #1 Kin. 2:25; 2 Sam. 8:18Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, #2 Sam. 12:1Nathan the prophet, #1 Kin. 4:18Shimei, Rei, and #2 Sam. 23:8the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.
9And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by #Josh. 15:7; 18:16; 2 Sam. 17:17En Rogel; he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or #2 Sam. 12:24Solomon his brother.
11So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of #2 Sam. 3:4Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, #1 Kin. 1:30; 1 Chr. 22:9–13“Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne“? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 16And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?”
17Then she said to him, “My lord, #1 Kin. 1:13, 30you swore by the Lord your God to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it. 19#1 Kin. 1:7–9, 25He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king #Deut. 31:16; 2 Sam. 7:12; 1 Kin. 2:10rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.”
22And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. 23So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 24And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25#1 Kin. 1:9, 19For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, #1 Sam. 10:24‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26But he has not invited me—me your servant—nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. 27Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
David Proclaims Solomon King
28Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29And the king took an oath and said, #2 Sam. 4:9; 12:5“As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, 30#1 Kin. 1:13, 17just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.”
31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, #Neh. 2:3; Dan. 2:4; 3:9“Let my lord King David live forever!”
32And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. 33The king also said to them, #2 Sam. 20:6“Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own #Esth. 6:8mule, and take him down to #2 Chr. 32:30; 33:14Gihon. 34There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet #1 Sam. 10:1; 16:3, 12; 2 Sam. 2:4; 5:3; 1 Kin. 19:16; 2 Kin. 9:3; 11:12; 1 Chr. 29:22anoint him king over Israel; and #2 Sam. 15:10; 2 Kin. 9:13; 11:14blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, #Jer. 28:6“Amen! May the Lord God of my lord the king say so too. 37#Josh. 1:5, 17; 1 Sam. 20:13As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and #1 Kin. 1:47make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, #2 Sam. 8:18; 23:20–23Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the #2 Sam. 20:7; 1 Chr. 18:17Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39Then Zadok the priest took a horn of #Ex. 30:23, 25, 32; Ps. 89:20oil from the tabernacle and #1 Chr. 29:22anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, #1 Sam. 10:24and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.
41Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?” 42While he was still speaking, there came #2 Sam. 17:17, 20Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for #2 Sam. 18:27you are a prominent man, and bring good news.”
43Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at 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. 46Also Solomon #1 Kin. 2:12; 1 Chr. 29:23sits on the throne of the kingdom. 47And moreover the king’s servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, #1 Kin. 1:37‘May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ #Gen. 47:31Then the king bowed himself on the bed. 48Also the king said thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has #1 Kin. 3:6; (Ps. 132:11, 12)given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see #2 Sam. 7:12it!’ ”
49So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way.
50Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and #Ex. 27:2; 30:10; 1 Kin. 2:28took hold of the horns of the altar. 51And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”
52Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, #1 Sam. 14:45; 2 Sam. 14:11; Acts 27:34not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.