1 Kings 2:13-27

Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She said, “Do you come in peace?” He said, “In peace.” And then, “May I say something to you?” “Go ahead,” she said, “speak.” “You know that I had the kingdom right in my hands and everyone expected me to be king, and then the whole thing backfired and the kingdom landed in my brother’s lap—GOD’s doing. So now I have one request to ask of you; please don’t refuse me.” “Go ahead, ask,” she said. “Ask King Solomon—he won’t turn you down—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” “Certainly,” said Bathsheba. “I’ll speak to the king for you.” Bathsheba went to King Solomon to present Adonijah’s request. The king got up and welcomed her, bowing respectfully, and returned to his throne. Then he had a throne put in place for his mother, and she sat at his right hand. She said, “I have a small favor to ask of you. Don’t refuse me.” The king replied, “Go ahead, Mother; of course I won’t refuse you.” She said, “Give Abishag the Shunammite to your brother Adonijah as his wife.” King Solomon answered his mother, “What kind of favor is this, asking that Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah? Why don’t you just ask me to hand over the whole kingdom to him on a platter since he is my older brother and has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side!” Then King Solomon swore under GOD, “May God do his worst to me if Adonijah doesn’t pay for this with his life! As surely as GOD lives, the God who has set me firmly on the throne of my father David and has put me in charge of the kingdom just as he promised, Adonijah will die for this—today!” King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he struck Adonijah and he died. The king then told Abiathar the priest, “You’re exiled to your place in Anathoth. You deserve death but I’m not going to kill you—for now anyway—because you were in charge of the Chest of our ruling GOD in the company of David my father, and because you shared all the hard times with my father.” Solomon stripped Abiathar of his priesthood, fulfilling GOD’s word at Shiloh regarding the family of Eli.