1 Kings 1

1 Now king David was old, and advanced in years: and when he was covered with clothes, he was not warm.

Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat.

2 His servants therefore said to him: Let us seek for our lord the king, a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him, and sleep in his bosom, and warm our lord the king.

Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my master 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 master the king may get heat.

3 So they sought a beautiful young woman in all the coasts of Israel, and they found Abisag a Sunamitess, and 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 exceeding beautiful, and she slept with the king: and served him, but the king did not know her.

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 Haggith exalted himself, saying: I will be king. And he made himself chariots and horsemen, 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 Neither did his father rebuke him at any time, saying: Why hast thou done this? And he also was very beautiful, the next in birth after Absalom.

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 Sarvia, and with Abiathar the priest, who furthered Adonias’s side.

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 Banaias the son of Joiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Rei, and the strength of David’s army was not with 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 having slain rams and calves, and all fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which was near the fountain Rogel, invited all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Juda, the king’s servants:

And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, 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 Banaias, and all the valiant men, and Solomon his brother, he invited not.

But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

11 And Nathan said to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Haggith reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not?

Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our master knoweth it not?

12 Now then come, take my counsel and save thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

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 to king David, and say to him: Didst not thou, my lord O king, swear to me thy handmaid, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then doth Adonias reign?

Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my master, 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 And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and will fill up thy words.

Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.

15 So Bethsabee went in to the king into the chamber: now the king was very old, and Abisag the Sunamitess ministered to him.

And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

16 Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is thy will?

And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?

17 She answered and said: My lord, thou didst swear to thy handmaid by the Lord thy God, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.

And she said unto him, My master, thou swarest by YHWH thy Elohim unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

18 And behold now Adonias reigneth, and thou, my lord the king, knowest nothing of it.

And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my master the king, thou knowest it not:

19 He hath killed oxen, and all fat cattle, and many rams, and invited all the king’s sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the general of the army: but Solomon thy servant he invited not.

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 now, my lord O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them, who shall sit on thy throne, my lord the king, after thee.

And thou, my master, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my master the king after him.

21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king sleepeth with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my master the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

22 As she was yet speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came.

And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.

23 And they told the king, saying: Nathan the prophet is here. And when he was come in before the king, and had worshipped, bowing down 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 Nathan said: My lord O king, hast thou said: Let Adonias reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne?

And Nathan said, My master, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

25 Because he is gone down today, and hath killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and invited all the king’s sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest: and they are eating and drinking before him, and saying: God save king Adonias:

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, Elohim save king Adonijah.

26 But me thy servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and Solomon thy servant he hath not invited.

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 word come out from my lord the king, and hast thou not told me thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

Is this thing done by my master the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my master the king after him?

28 And king David answered and said: Call to me Bethsabee. And when she was come in to the king, and stood before him,

Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.

29 The king swore and said: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress,

And the king sware, and said, As YHWH liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

30 Even as I swore to thee by the Lord the 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 sware unto thee by YHWH Elohim 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 And Bethsabee bowing with her face to the earth worshipped the king, saying: May my lord David live for ever.

Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my master king David live for ever.

32 King David also said: Call me Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada. And when they were come 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 He said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, and set my son Solomon upon my mule: and bring him to Gihon.

The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your master, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:

34 And let Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and you shall sound the trumpet, and shall say: God save king Solomon.

And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, Elohim save king Solomon.

35 And you shall come up after him, and he shall come, and shall sit upon my throne, and he shall reign in my stead: and I will appoint him to be ruler over Israel, and over Juda.

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 Banaias the son of Joiada answered the king, saying: Amen: so say the Lord the God of my lord the king.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: YHWH Elohim of my master the king say so too.

37 As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, so be he with Solomon, and make his throne higher than the throne of my lord king David.

As YHWH hath been with my master the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my master king David.

38 So Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet went down, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi: and they set Solomon upon the mule of king David, and brought him to Gihon.

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 Sadoc the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon: and they sounded the trumpet, and all the people said: God save king Solomon.

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, Elohim save king Solomon.

40 And all the multitude went up after him, and the people played with pipes, and rejoiced with a great joy, and the earth rang with the noise of their cry.

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 that were invited by him, heard it, and now the feast was at an end: Joab also hearing the sound of the trumpet, said: What meaneth this noise of the city in an uproar?

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 While he yet spoke, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonias said to him: Come in, because thou art a valiant man, and bringest good news.

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 Adonias: Not so: for our lord king David hath appointed Solomon king.

And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our master king David hath made Solomon king.

44 And hath sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi, and they have set him upon the king’s mule.

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 Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are gone up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again: this is the noise that you have heard.

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 Moreover Solomon sitteth upon the throne of the kingdom,

And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

47 And the king’s servants going in have blessed our lord king David, saying: May God make the name of Solomon greater than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king adored in his bed:

And moreover the king's servants came to bless our master king David, saying, Elohim 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 he said: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who hath given this day one to sit on my throne, my eyes seeing it.

And also thus said the king, Blessed be YHWH Elohim of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

49 Then all the guests of Adonias were afraid, and they all arose 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 fearing Solomon, arose, and went, and took hold on the horn of the altar.

And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

51 And they told Solomon, saying: Behold Adonias, fearing king Solomon, hath taken hold of the horn of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not kill his servant with the sword.

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 be a good man, there shall not so much as one hair of his head fall to the ground: but if evil be found in him, he shall die.

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 Then king Solomon sent, and brought him out from the altar: and going in he worshipped 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 unto him, Go to thine house.