The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Kings 01
1 Now King David was old and advanced
in years; and they covered him with
clothes, but he couldn’t keep warm.
2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let
a young virgin be sought for my lord the
king. Let her stand before the king, and
cherish him; and let her lie in your bosom,
that my lord the king may keep warm.”
3 So they sought for a beautiful young
lady throughout all the borders of Israel,
and found Abishag the Shunammite, and
brought her to the king.
4 The young lady was very beautiful; and
she cherished the king, and served him;
but the king didn’t know her intimately.
5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” Then
he prepared him chariots and horsemen,
and fifty men to run before him.
6 His father had not displeased him at
any time in saying, “Why have you done
so?” and he was also a very handsome
man; and he was born after Absalom.
7 He conferred with Joab the son of
Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and
they followed Adonijah and helped him.
8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei,
Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to
David, were not with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah killed sheep, cattle, and
fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which
is beside En Rogel; and he called all his
brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men
of Judah, the king’s servants;
10 but he didn’t call Nathan the prophet,
and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and
Solomon his brother.
11 Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the
mother of Solomon, saying, “Haven’t you
heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith
reigns, and David our lord doesn’t know it?
12 Now therefore come, please let me
give you counsel, that you may save your
own life and your son Solomon’s life.
13 Go in to King David, and tell him,
‘Didn’t you, my lord the king, swear to your
servant, saying, “Assuredly Solomon your
son shall reign after me, and he shall sit
on my throne”? Why then does Adonijah
reign?’
14 Behold,† while you are still talking
there withthe king,I will also come inafter
you and confirm your words.”
15 Bathsheba went in to the king in his
room. The king was very old; and Abishag
the Shunammite was serving the king.
16 Bathsheba bowed and showed respect
to the king. The king said, “What would
you like?”
17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore
by Yahweh‡ your God§ to your servant,
‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign
after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’
18 Now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and
you, my lord the king, don’t know it.
19 He has slain cattle and fatlings and
sheep in abundance, and has called all the
sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and
Joab the captain of the army; but he hasn’t
called Solomon your servant.
20 You, my lord the king, the eyes of all
Israel are on you, that you should tell them
who will sit on the throne of my lord the
king after him.
21 Otherwise it will happen, when my
lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that
I and my son Solomon will be considered
criminals.”
22 Behold, while she was stilltalking with
the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
23 They told the king, saying, “Behold,
Nathan the prophet!”
When he had come in before the king,
he bowed himself before the king with his
face to the ground.
24 Nathan said, “My lord, King, have you
said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he
shall sit on my throne’?
25 For he has gone down today, and has
slain cattle, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons,
the captains of the army, and Abiathar
the priest. Behold, they are eating and
drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live
King Adonijah!’
26 But he hasn’t called me, even me your
servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon.
27 Was this thing done by my lord the
king, and you haven’t shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my
lord the king after him?”
28 Then King David answered, “Call
Bathsheba in to me.” She came into the
king’s presence and stood before the king.
29 The king vowed and said, “As Yahweh
lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all
adversity,
30 most certainly as I swore to you by
Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after
me, and he shall sit on my throne in my
place;’ I will most certainly do this today.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face
to the earth and showed respect to the
king, and said, “Let my lord King David live
forever!”
32 King David said, “Call to me Zadok the
priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah
the son ofJehoiada.” They came before the
king.
33 The king said to them, “Take with
you the servants of your lord, and cause
Solomon my son to ride on my own mule,
and bring him down to Gihon.
34 Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the
prophet anoint him there king over Israel.
Blow the trumpet, and say, ‘Long live King
Solomon!’
35 Then come up after him, and he shall
come and sit on my throne; for he shall be
king in my place. I have appointed him to
be prince over Israel and over Judah.”
36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered
the king, and said, “Amen. May Yahweh,
the God of my lord the king, say so.
37 As Yahweh has been with my lord the
king, even so may he be with Solomon, and
make his throne greater than the throne of
my lord King David.”
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the
prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,
and the Cherethites and the Pelethites
went down and had Solomon ride on King
David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
39 Zadok the priest took the horn of
oil from the Tent, and anointed Solomon.
They blew the trumpet; and all the people
said, “Long live King Solomon!”
40 All the people came up after him, and
the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced
with great joy, so that the earth shook with
their sound.
41 Adonijah and all the guests who were
with him heard it as they had finished
eating. When Joab heard the sound of the
trumpet, he said, “Why is this noise of the
city being in an uproar?”
42 While he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan
the son of Abiathar the priest came; and
Adonijah said, “Come in; for you are a
worthy man, and bring good news.”
43 Jonathan answered Adonijah, “Most
certainly our lord King David has made
Solomon king.
44 The king has sent with him Zadok the
priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the
son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and
the Pelethites; and they have caused him
to ride on the king’s mule.
45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the
prophet have anointed him king in Gihon.
Theyhave comeupfromthere rejoicing, so
that the city rang again. This is the noise
that you have heard.
46 Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the
kingdom.
47 Moreover the king’s servants came to
bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May
your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne
greater than your throne;’ and the king
bowed himself on the bed.
48 Also thus said the king, ‘Blessed be
Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has given
one to sit on my throne today, my eyes even
seeing it.’ ”
49 All the guests of Adonijah were afraid,
and rose up, and each man went his way
50 Adonijah was afraid because of
Solomon; and he arose, and went, and
hung onto the horns of the altar.
51 Solomon was told, “Behold, Adonijah
fears King Solomon; for, behold, he is
hanging onto the horns of the altar, saying,
‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he
will not kill his servant with the sword.’ ”
52 Solomon said, “If he shows himself a
worthy man, not a hair of his shall fall to
the earth; but if wickedness is found in
him, he shall die.”
53 So King Solomon sent, and they
brought him down from the altar. He came
and bowed down to King Solomon; and
Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”