< Kings III 1 >

1 And king David [was] old and advanced in days, and they covered him with clothes, and he was not warmed.
Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat.
2 And his servants said, Let them seek for the king a young virgin, and she shall wait on the king, and cherish him, and lie with him, and my lord the king shall be warmed.
Why his servants said to 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 your bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
3 So they sought for a fair damsel out of all the coasts of Israel; and they found Abisag the Somanite, and they brought her to the king.
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 extremely beautiful, and she cherished the king, and ministered to him, but the king knew her not.
And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.
5 And Adonias the son of Aggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king; and he prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
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 never at any time checked him, saying, Why hast thou done [thus]? and he was also very handsome in appearance, and his mother bore him after Abessalom.
And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why have you done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bore him after Absalom.
7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Saruia, and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed after Adonias.
And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
8 But Sadoc the priest, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Resi, and the mighty men of David, did not follow Adonias.
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 Adonias sacrificed sheep and calves and lambs by the stone of Zoelethi, which was near Rogel: and he called all his brethren, and all the adult [men] of Juda, servants of the king.
And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brothers the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants:
10 But Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas, and the mighty [men], and Solomon his brother, he did not call.
But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.
11 And Nathan spoke to Bersabee the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Aggith reigns, and our lord David knows it not?
Why Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith does reign, and David our lord knows it not?
12 And now come, let me, I pray, give thee counsel, and thou shalt rescue thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
Now therefore come, let me, I pray you, give you counsel, that you may save your own life, and the life of your son Solomon.
13 Haste, and go in to king David, and thou shalt speak to him, saying, Hast not thou, my lord, O king, sworn to thine handmaid, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then does Adonias reign?
Go and get you in to king David, and say to him, Did not you, my lord, O king, swear to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then does Adonijah reign?
14 And behold, while thou art still speaking there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and will confirm thy words.
Behold, while you yet talk there with the king, I also will come in after you, and confirm your words.
15 So Bersabee went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old, and Abisag the Somanite was ministering to the king.
And Bathsheba went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered to the king.
16 And Bersabee bowed, and did obeisance to the king; and the king said, What is thy request?
And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance to the king. And the king said, What would you?
17 And she said, My lord, thou didst swear by the Lord thy God to thine handmaid, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and shall sit upon my throne.
And she said to him, My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.
18 And now, behold, Adonias reigns, and thou, my lord, O king, knowest [it] not.
And now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and now, my lord the king, you know it not:
19 And he has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander-in-chief of the host; but Solomon thy servant he has not called.
And he has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon your servant has he not called.
20 And thou, my lord, O king, —the eyes of all Israel [are] upon thee, to tell them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.
And you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21 And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son shall be offenders.
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 behold, while she was yet talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came. And it was reported to the king,
And, see, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.
23 Behold, Nathan the prophet [is here]: and he came in to the king's presence, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground.
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, didst thou say, Adonias shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
And Nathan said, My lord, O king, have you said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne?
25 For he has gone down to-day, and has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and the chiefs of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they said, [Long] live king Adonias.
For he is gone down this day, and has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has 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 he has not invited me thy servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and Solomon thy servant.
But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, has he not called.
27 Has this matter happened by the authority of my lord the king, and hast thou not made known to thy servant who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him?
Is this thing done by my lord the king, and you have not showed it to your servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
28 And king David answered and said, Call me Bersabee: and she came in before the king, and stood before him.
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 swore, and said, [As] the Lord lives who redeemed my soul out of all affliction,
And the king swore, and said, As the LORD lives, that has redeemed my soul out of all distress,
30 as I swore to thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day.
Even as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
31 And Bersabee bowed with her face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
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 Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas the son of Jodae: and they came in before the king.
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 And the king said to them, Take the servants of your lord with you, and mount my son Solomon upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gion.
The king also 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 And there let Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him to be king over Israel, and do ye sound the trumpet, and ye shall say, Let king Solomon live.
And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow you with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.
35 And he shall sit upon my throne, and reign in my stead: and I have given charge that he should be for a prince over Israel and Juda.
Then you shall come up after him, that he may come and sit on 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 Banaeas the son of Jodae answered the king and said, So let it be: may the Lord God of my lord the king confirm [it].
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 was with my lord the king, so let him be with Solomon, and let him exalt his throne beyond the throne of my lord king David.
As the LORD has 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 And Sadoc the priest went down, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas son of Jodae, and the Cherethite, and the Phelethite, and they mounted Solomon upon the mule of king David, and led him away to Gion.
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 on king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
39 And Sadoc the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon, and blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Let king Solomon live.
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 went up after him, and they danced in choirs, and rejoiced with great joy, and the earth quaked with their voice.
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 Adonias and all his guests heard, and they had [just] left off eating: and Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, and said, What [means] the voice of the city in tumult?
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, Why is this noise of the city being in an uproar?
42 While he was yet speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came in: and Adonias said, Come in, for thou art a mighty man, and [thou comest] to bring glad tidings.
And while he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said to him, Come in; for you are a valiant man, and bring good tidings.
43 And Jonathan answered and said, Verily our lord king David has made Solomon king:
And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Truly our lord king David has made Solomon king.
44 and the king has sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and the Cherethite, and the Phelethite, and they have mounted him on the king's mule;
And the king has 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 on the king’s mule:
45 and Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him in Gion, and have gone up thence rejoicing, and the city resounded: this [is] the sound which ye have heard.
And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you have heard.
46 And Solomon is seated upon the throne of the kingdom.
And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.
47 And the servants of the king have gone in 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 worshipped upon his bed.
And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, 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 Moreover thus said the king, Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel, who has this day appointed one of my seed sitting on my throne, and my eyes see it.
And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which has given one to sit on my throne this day, my eyes even seeing it.
49 And all the guests of Adonias were dismayed, and every man went his way.
And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
50 And Adonias feared because of Solomon, and arose, and departed, and laid hold on the horns of the altar.
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
51 And it was reported to Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonias fears king Solomon, and holds the horns of the altar, saying, Let Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears king Solomon: for, see, he has caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
52 And Solomon said, If he should be a valiant man, there shall not a hair of his fall to the ground; but if evil be found in him, he shall die.
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 And king Solomon sent, and they brought him away from the altar; and he went in and did obeisance to king Solomon: and Solomon said to him, Go to thy house.
So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.

< Kings III 1 >