“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 shewed [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 to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword. 52 And
Solomon said, If he will shew 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.” (1 Kings 1:1-53 AV)
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