| Chapter
1 |
| 1 | Now
king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes,
but he gat no heat. |
| 2 |
Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king
a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and
let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. |
| 3 | So they sought for a fair damsel
throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and
brought her to the king. |
| 4 |
And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to
him: but the king knew her not. |
| 5
| Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be
king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before
him. |
| 6 | And his father had
not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also
was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. |
| 7 | And he conferred with Joab the son of
Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped
him. |
| 8 | But Zadok the
priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei,
and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with
Adonijah. |
| 9 | And Adonijah
slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by
Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah
the king's servants: |
| 10 |
But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his
brother, he called not. |
| 11 |
Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast
thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord
knoweth it not? |
| 12 | Now
therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save
thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. |
|
13 | Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto
him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying,
Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my
throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? |
| 14 | Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I
also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. |
| 15 | And Bathsheba went in unto the king
into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite
ministered unto the king. |
| 16 |
And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said,
What wouldest thou? |
| 17 |
And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine
handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall
sit upon my throne. |
| 18 |
And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it
not: |
| 19 | And he hath
slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons
of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but
Solomon thy servant hath he not called. |
| 20 | And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are
upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord
the king after him. |
| 21 |
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his
fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. |
| 22 | And, lo, while she yet talked with the
king, Nathan the prophet also came in. |
| 23 | And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the
prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the
king with his face to the ground. |
|
24 | And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall
reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? |
|
25 | For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen
and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and
the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and
drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah. |
|
26 | But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the
priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not
called. |
| 27 | Is this thing
done by my lord the king, and thou hast not showed it unto thy servant, who
should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? |
| 28 | Then king David answered and said,
Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the
king. |
| 29 | And the king
sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all
distress, |
| 30 | Even as I
sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son
shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will
I certainly do this day. |
| 31 |
Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the
king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. |
| 32 | And king David said, Call me Zadok the
priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came
before the king. |
| 33 | The
king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause
Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: |
| 34 | And let Zadok the priest
and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the
trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. |
| 35 | Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and
sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him
to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. |
| 36 | And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and
said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. |
| 37 | As the LORD hath been with my lord the
king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne
of my lord king David. |
| 38 |
So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused
Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. |
| 39 | And Zadok the priest took an horn
of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet;
and all the people said, God save king Solomon. |
|
40 | And all the people came up after him, and the people
piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the
sound of them. |
| 41 | And
Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end
of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is
this noise of the city being in an uproar? |
| 42 | And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of
Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a
valiant man, and bringest good tidings. |
| 43 | And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our
lord king David hath made Solomon king. |
| 44 | And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and
Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and
the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule: |
| 45 | And Zadok the priest and
Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from
thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have
heard. |
| 46 | And also
Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. |
| 47 | And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord
king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make
his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the
bed. |
| 48 | And also thus
said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit
on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it. |
|
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, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. |
| 51 | And it was told Solomon, saying,
Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the
horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me today that he will
not slay his servant with the sword. |
|
52 | And Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man, there
shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in
him, he shall die. |
| 53 | So
king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and
bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine
house. |
