1 Kings 1
1
1And king David [is] old, entering into days, and they cover him with garments, and he hath no heat,
2and his servants say to him, ‘Let them seek for my lord the king a young woman, a virgin, and she hath stood before the king, and is to him a companion, and hath lain in thy bosom, and my lord the king hath heat.’
3And they seek a fair young woman in all the border of Israel, and find Abishag the Shunammite, and bring her in to the king,
4and the young woman [is] very very fair, and she is to the king a companion, and serveth him, and the king hath not known her.
5And Adonijah son of Haggith is lifting himself up, saying, ‘I do reign;’ and he prepareth for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men running before him,
6and his father hath not grieved him [all] his days, saying, ‘Wherefore thus hast thou done?’ and he also [is] of a very good form, and [his mother] bare him after Absalom.
7And his words are with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they help after Adonijah;
8and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty ones whom David hath, have not been with Adonijah.
9And Adonijah sacrificeth sheep and oxen and fatlings near the stone of Zoheleth, that [is] by En-Rogel, and calleth all his brethren, sons of the king, and for all the men of Judah, servants of the king;
10and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty ones, and Solomon his brother, he hath not called.
11And Nathan speaketh unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, saying, ‘Hast thou not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith hath reigned, and our lord David hath not known?
12and now, come, let me counsel thee, I pray thee, and deliver thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon;
13go and enter in unto king David, and thou hast said unto him, Hast thou not, my lord, O king, sworn to thy handmaid, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne? and wherefore hath Adonijah reigned?
14Lo, thou are yet speaking there with the king, and I come in after thee, and have completed thy words.’
15And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto the king, to the inner chamber, and the king [is] very aged, and Abishag the Shunammite is serving the king:
16and Bath-Sheba boweth and doth obeisance to the king, and the king saith, ‘What — to thee?’
17And she saith to him, ‘My lord, thou hast sworn by Jehovah thy God to thy handmaid: Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne;
18and now, lo, Adonijah hath reigned, and now, my lord, O king, thou hast not known;
19and he sacrificeth ox, and fatling, and sheep in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab head of the host — and for Solomon thy servant he hath not called.
20And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel [are] on thee, to declare to them who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him;
21and it hath been, when my lord the king lieth with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon — [reckoned] sinners.’
22And lo, she is yet speaking with the king, and Nathan the prophet hath come in;
23and they declare to the king, saying, ‘Lo, Nathan the prophet;’ and he cometh in before the king, and boweth himself to the king, on his face to the earth.
24And Nathan saith, ‘My lord, O king, thou hast said, Adonijah doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne;
25for he hath gone down to-day, and doth sacrifice ox, and fatling, and sheep, in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for the heads of the host, and for Abiathar the priest, and lo, they are eating and drinking before him, and they say, Let king Adonijah live!
26‘And for me — me, thy servant, and for Zadok the priest, and for Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and for Solomon thy servant, he hath not called;
27if from my lord the king this thing hath been, then thou hast not caused thy servant to know who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.’
28And king David answereth and saith, ‘Call for me for Bath-Sheba;’ and she cometh in before the king, and standeth before the king.
29And the king sweareth and saith, ‘Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity;
30surely as I sware to thee by Jehovah, God of Israel, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne in my stead; surely so I do this day.’
31And Bath-Sheba boweth — face to the earth — and doth obeisance to the king, and saith, ‘Let my lord, king David, live to the age.’
32And king David saith, ‘Call for me for Zadok the priest, and for Nathan the prophet, and for Benaiah son of Jehoiada;’ and they come in before the king.
33And the king saith to them, ‘Take with you the servants of your lord, and ye have caused Solomon my son to ride on mine own mule, and caused him to go down unto Gihon,
34and anointed him there hath Zadok the priest — and Nathan the prophet — for king over Israel, and ye have blown with a trumpet, and said, Let king Solomon live;
35and ye have come up after him, and he hath come in and hath sat on my throne, and he doth reign in my stead, and him I have appointed to be leader over Israel, and over Judah.’
36And Benaiah son of Jehoiada answereth the king, and saith, ‘Amen! so doth Jehovah, God of my lord the king, say;
37as Jehovah hath been with my lord the king, so is He with Solomon, and doth make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.’
38And Zadok the priest goeth down, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and they cause Solomon to ride on the mule of king David, and cause him to go unto Gihon,
39and Zadok the priest taketh the horn of oil out of the tent, and anointeth Solomon, and they blow with a trumpet, and all the people say, ‘Let king Solomon live.’
40And all the people come up after him, and the people are piping with pipes, and rejoicing — great joy, and the earth rendeth with their voice.
41And Adonijah heareth, and all those called, who [are] with him, and they have finished to eat, and Joab heareth the noise of the trumpet, and saith, ‘Wherefore [is] the noise of the city roaring?’
42He is yet speaking, and lo, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest hath come in, and Adonijah saith, ‘Come in, for a man of valour thou [art], and thou bearest good tidings.’
43And Jonathan answereth and saith to Adonijah, ‘Verily our lord king David hath caused Solomon to reign,
44and the king sendeth with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and they cause him to ride on the king's mule,
45and they anoint him — Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet — for king in Gihon, and are come up thence rejoicing, and the city is moved; it [is] the noise that ye have heard.
46‘And also Solomon hath sat on the throne of the kingdom,
47and also the servants of the king have come into bless our lord king David, saying, Thy God doth make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and his throne greater than thy throne; and the king boweth himself on the bed,
48and also thus hath the king said, Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of Israel, who hath given to-day [one] sitting on my throne, and mine eyes seeing.’
49And they tremble, and rise — all those called who [are] for Adonijah — and go, each on his way;
50and Adonijah feareth because of Solomon, and riseth, and goeth, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar.
51And it is declared to Solomon, saying, ‘Lo, Adonijah feareth king Solomon, and lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me as to-day — he doth not put to death his servant by the sword.’
52And Solomon saith, ‘If he becometh a virtuous man — there doth not fall of his hair to the earth, and if evil is found in him — then he hath died.’
53And king Solomon sendeth, and they bring him down from off the altar, and he cometh in and boweth himself to king Solomon, and Solomon saith to him, ‘Go to thy house.’
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1 Kings 1: YLT98
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1 Kings 1
1
Adonijah Wants to Be King
1King David was very old and could not keep warm. His servants covered him with blankets, but he was still cold. 2So they said to him, “We will find a young woman to care for you. She will lie next to you and keep you warm.” 3So the king’s servants began looking everywhere in the country of Israel for a beautiful young woman to keep the king warm. They found a young woman named Abishag, from the town of Shunem, and brought her to the king. 4She was very beautiful. She cared for the king and served him, but King David did not have sexual relations with her.
5-6Adonijah was the son of King David and his wife Haggith. He was born after Absalom. Adonijah was a very handsome man. King David never corrected his son Adonijah, and he never made him explain his actions. Adonijah became very proud and decided that he would be the next king. He wanted very much to be the king, so he got himself a chariot, horses, and 50 men to run ahead of him.
7Adonijah talked with Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest. They decided to help make him the new king, 8but several important men did not join Adonijah. They were Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and King David’s special guard.#1:8 Shimei, Rei … guard Or “Shimei and his friends, the Heroes.”
9One day, at Zoheleth Rock near En Rogel,#1:9 En Rogel A spring of water in the valley south of Jerusalem, about 1/4 mile from Gihon Spring. Adonijah sacrificed some sheep, cattle, and fat calves as a fellowship offering. He invited his brothers (the other sons of King David) and all the officers from Judah. 10But he did not invite his brother Solomon, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, or the men in the king’s special guard.
Nathan Advises Bathsheba
11When Nathan heard about this, he went to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba and asked her, “Have you heard what Haggith’s son, Adonijah, is doing? He is making himself king. And our master, King David, knows nothing about it. 12You and your son Solomon are in danger, but I will tell you what to do to save yourself. 13Go to King David and tell him, ‘My lord and king, you promised me that my son Solomon would be the next king after you. So why is Adonijah becoming the new king?’ 14Then while you are still talking with him, I will come in. After you leave I will tell the king what has happened. This will show that what you said is true.”
15So Bathsheba went in to see the king in his bedroom. The king was very old. Abishag, the girl from Shunem, was caring for him there. 16Bathsheba bowed down before the king. The king asked, “What can I do for you?”
17Bathsheba answered, “Sir, you used the name of the Lord your God and made a promise to me. You said, ‘Your son Solomon will be the next king after me. He will sit on my throne.’ 18Now, you don’t know this, but Adonijah is making himself king. 19He is giving a big fellowship meal. He has killed many cattle and the best sheep, and he has invited all of your sons to the meal. He also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab, the commander of your army, but he did not invite your faithful son Solomon. 20Now, my lord and king, all the Israelites are watching you. They are waiting for you to decide who will be the next king after you. 21If you don’t decide, then after you are buried, these men will say that Solomon and I are criminals.”
22While Bathsheba was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came to see him. 23The servants told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan went in to speak to the king. He bowed down before the king 24and said, “My lord and king, did you announce that Adonijah will be the new king after you? Have you decided that he will rule the people now? 25Today he went down into the valley to offer many cattle and the best sheep as fellowship offerings. He invited all your other sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. They are now eating and drinking with him. And they are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26But he did not invite me, or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your son Solomon. 27My lord and king, did you do this without telling us? Please tell us, who will be the next king after you?”
28Then King David said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in!” So she came in and stood before the king.
29Then the king made a promise: “The Lord has saved me from every danger. As surely as he lives, I make this promise to you. 30Today I will do what I promised you in the past. I made that promise by the power of the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised that your son Solomon would be the next king after me. I promised that he would take my place on my throne, and I will keep my promise!”
31Then Bathsheba bowed down before the king and said, “Long live King David!”
Solomon Is Anointed King
32Then King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to come in here.” So the three men came in to meet with the king. 33Then the king said to them, “Take my officers with you. Put my son Solomon on my mule and take him to Gihon Spring.#1:33 Gihon Spring A spring of water just outside the city walls in the valley east of Jerusalem. It was the main source of water for the city of Jerusalem. 34There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him to be the new king of Israel. Blow the trumpet and announce, ‘This is the new king, Solomon!’ 35Then come back here with him. Solomon will sit on my throne and be the new king in my place. I have chosen him to be the ruler of Israel and Judah.”
36Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! It is as true as if the Lord God himself had said it, my lord and king. 37My lord and king, the Lord has been with you, and now I pray that he will be with Solomon! And I pray that King Solomon’s kingdom will grow and be even more powerful than yours, my lord and king.”
38So Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the king’s officers obeyed King David. They put Solomon on David’s mule and went with him down to Gihon Spring. 39Zadok the priest carried the oil from the Holy Tent and poured it on Solomon’s head to show that he was the new king. They blew the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40Then all the people followed Solomon back into the city. They were very happy and excited. They were playing flutes and making so much noise that the ground shook.
41Meanwhile, Adonijah and his guests were just finishing their meal. They heard the sound of the trumpet, and Joab asked, “What is that noise? What is happening in the city?”
42While Joab was still speaking, Jonathan, son of Abiathar the priest, arrived. Adonijah said, “Come here! You are a good man,#1:42 good man Or “important man.” This Hebrew word means a person from an important family. so you must be bringing good news.”
43But Jonathan answered, “No, it is not good news for you! King David has made Solomon the new king. 44King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the king’s officers with Solomon out to Gihon Spring. They put Solomon on the king’s mule. 45Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon at Gihon Spring and then went back into the city. The people followed them, and now everyone in the city is celebrating. That is the noise you hear. 46-47Solomon is sitting on the king’s throne and the king’s officers are congratulating King David, saying, ‘King David, you are a great king!’ And now we pray that your God will make Solomon a great king too. We pray your God will make him even more famous than you. And we pray that his kingdom will be even greater than yours is! Even King David was there. From his bed, the king bowed before Solomon 48and said, ‘Praise the Lord, the God of Israel. He has put one of my own sons on my throne, and he has let me live to see it.’”
49All of Adonijah’s guests were afraid and left very quickly. 50Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went to the altar and held onto the horns of the altar. 51Then someone told Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you, King Solomon. He is at the Holy Tent holding onto the horns of the altar, and he refuses to leave. Adonijah says, ‘Tell King Solomon to promise that he will not kill me.’”
52So Solomon answered, “If Adonijah shows that he is a good man, I promise that not a hair on his head will be hurt. But if he does anything wrong, he will die.” 53Then King Solomon sent some men to get Adonijah and brought him in. He approached the king and bowed before him. Then Solomon said, “Go home.”
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