1 Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her 1Lit stand beforeattend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3 So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the AJosh 19:18; 1 Sam 28:4Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not 1Lit know hercohabit with her.

5 Now A2 Sam 3:4Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So B2 Sam 15:1he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. 6 His father had never 1Lit pained himcrossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and 2Lit she gave him birthA2 Sam 3:3, 4he was born after Absalom. 7 1Lit his words wereHe had conferred with A1 Chr 11:6Joab the son of Zeruiah and with B1 Sam 22:20, 23; 2 Sam 20:25Abiathar the priest; and following C1 Kin 2:22Adonijah they helped him. 8 But A2 Sam 20:25; 1 Chr 16:39Zadok the priest, B2 Sam 8:18Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, C2 Sam 12:1Nathan the prophet, D1 Kin 4:18Shimei, Rei, and E2 Sam 23:8-39the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the 1Or Gliding or Serpent Stonestone of Zoheleth, which is beside AJosh 15:7; 18:16; 2 Sam 17:17En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and A2 Sam 12:24Solomon his brother.

11 Then Nathan spoke to A2 Sam 12:24Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12  “So now come, please let me AProv 15:22give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13  “Go 1Lit and enterat once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “A1 Kin 1:30; 1 Chr 22:9-13Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 “Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”

15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now A1 Kin 1:1the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself 1Lit tobefore the king. And the king said, “What 2Lit to youdo you wish?” 17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the Loʀᴅ your God, saying, ‘A1 Kin 1:13Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18  “Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 19  “A1 Kin 1:9He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20  “As for you 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. 21  “Otherwise it will come about, ADeut 31:16; 2 Sam 7:12; 1 Kin 2:10as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered 1Lit sinnersoffenders.”

22 Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 They told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself 1Lit tobefore the king with his face to the ground. 24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25  “A1 Kin 1:9For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘B1 Sam 10:24Long live King Adonijah!’ 26  “A1 Kin 1:8, 10But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. 27  “Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your 1Some mss read servantservants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

28 Then King David said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 The king vowed and said, “A2 Sam 4:9As the Loʀᴅ lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30 surely as A1 Kin 1:13, 17I vowed to you by the Loʀᴅ the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so this day.” 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself 1Lit tobefore the king and said, “ADan 2:4; 3:9May my lord King David live forever.”

32 Then King David said, “Call to me A1 Kin 1:8Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. 33 The king said to them, “Take with you A2 Sam 20:6, 7the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to B2 Chr 32:30; 33:14Gihon. 34  “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet A1 Sam 10:1; 16:3, 12; 2 Sam 5:3; 1 Kin 19:16; 2 Kin 9:3anoint him there as king over Israel, and B2 Sam 15:10blow the trumpet and say, ‘C1 Kin 1:25Long live King Solomon!’ 35  “Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may the Loʀᴅ, the God of my lord the king, say. 37  “AJosh 1:5, 17; 1 Sam 20:13As the Loʀᴅ has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and B1 Kin 1:47make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

38 So A1 Kin 1:8Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, B2 Sam 8:18the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to C1 Kin 1:33Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest then AEx 30:23-32; Ps 89:20took the horn of oil from the tent and B1 Chr 29:22anointed Solomon. Then they C1 Kin 1:34blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “D1 Sam 10:24Long live King Solomon!” 40 All the people went up after him, and the people 1Lit flutingwere playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth 2Lit was splitshook at their noise.

41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why 1Lit is the sound of the city an uproaris the city making such an uproar?” 42 While he was still speaking, behold, A2 Sam 15:27, 36; 17:17Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for B2 Sam 18:27you are a valiant man and bring good news.” 43 But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44  “The king has also 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. 45  “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, A1 Kin 1:40so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard. 46  “Besides, A1 Chr 29:23Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47  “Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May A1 Kin 1:37your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And BGen 47:31the king bowed himself on the bed. 48  “The king has also said thus, ‘Blessed be the Loʀᴅ, the God of Israel, who A2 Sam 7:12; 1 Kin 3:6has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’ ”

49 Then all the guests of Adonijah were terrified; and they arose and each went on his way. 50 And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went and AEx 27:2; 30:10; 1 Kin 2:28took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Now it was told Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for behold, 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.’ ” 52 Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, A1 Sam 14:45; 2 Sam 14:11; Acts 27:34not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.” 53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself 1Lit tobefore King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”