1 Kings 1

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

And King David [is] old, entering into days, and they cover him with garments, and he has 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.

and his servants say to him, “Let them seek [for] a young woman, a virgin, for my lord the king, and she has stood before the king, and is a companion to him, and has lain in your bosom, and my lord the king has 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.

And they seek [for] a beautiful young woman in all the border of Israel, and find Abishag the Shunammite, and bring 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.

and the young woman [is] very, very beautiful, and she is a companion to the king, and serves him, and the king has not known her.

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.

And Adonijah son of Haggith is lifting himself up, saying, “I reign”; and he prepares for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men running 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.

and his father has not grieved him [all] his days, saying, “Why have you done this?” And he also [is] of a very good form, and [his mother] bore him after Absalom.

7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.

And his words are with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they help after Adonijah;

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.

and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty ones whom David has, have not been with Adonijah.

9 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:

And Adonijah sacrifices sheep and oxen and fatlings near the stone of Zoheleth that [is] by En-Rogel, and calls all his brothers, sons of the king, and for all the men of Judah, servants of the king;

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

and he has not called Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty ones, and his brother Solomon.

11 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 lord knoweth it not?

And Nathan speaks to Bathsheba, mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has reigned, and our lord David has not known?

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.

And now, come, please let me counsel you, and deliver your life and the life of your 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?

go and enter in to King David, and you have said to him: Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your handmaid, saying, Surely your son Solomon reigns after me, and he sits on my throne? And why has Adonijah reigned?

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

Behold, you are yet speaking there with the king, and I come in after you, and have completed your words.”

15 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.

And Bathsheba comes in to the king, [into] the inner chamber, and the king [is] very aged, and Abishag the Shunammite is serving the king;

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

and Bathsheba bows and pays respect to the king, and the king says, “What do you [want]?”

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.

And she says to him, “My lord, you have sworn by your God YHWH to your handmaid, [saying], Surely your son Solomon reigns after me, and he sits on my throne;

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

and now, behold, Adonijah has reigned, and now, my lord, O king, you have not known;

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.

and he sacrifices ox, and fatling, and sheep in abundance, and calls for all the sons of the king, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab head of the host—and he has not called for your servant Solomon.

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.

And you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel [are] on you, to declare to them who 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.

and it has been, when my lord the king lies with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon—[reckoned] sinners.”

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

And behold, she is yet speaking with the king, and Nathan the prophet has come 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.

and they declare to the king, saying, “Behold, Nathan the prophet”; and he comes in before the king, and bows himself to the king, on his face to the earth.

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

And Nathan says, “My lord, O king, you have said, Adonijah reigns after me, and he sits on 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.

for he has gone down today, and sacrifices ox, and fatling, and sheep, in abundance, and calls for all the sons of the king, and for the heads of the host, and for Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they say, Let King Adonijah live!

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.

But he has not called for me, your servant, and for Zadok the priest, and for Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and for your servant Solomon;

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?

if this thing has been from my lord the king, then you have not caused your servant to know who sits on the throne of my lord the king after him.”

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

And King David answers and says, “Call for Bathsheba for me”; and she comes in before the king, and stands before the king.

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

And the king swears and says, “YHWH lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity;

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.

surely as I swore to you by YHWH, God of Israel, saying, Surely your son Solomon reigns after me, and he sits on my throne in my stead; surely so I do this day.”

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

And Bathsheba bows—face to the earth—and pays respect to the king, and says, “Let my lord, King David, live for all time.”

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.

And King David says, “Call for Zadok the priest, and for Nathan the prophet, and for Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me”; and they come in 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:

And the king says to them, “Take the servants of your lord with you, and you have caused my son Solomon to ride on my own mule, and caused him to go 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.

and Zadok the priest has anointed him there—and Nathan the prophet—for king over Israel, and you have blown with a horn and said, Let King Solomon live;

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.

and you have come up after him, and he has come in and has sat on my throne, and he reigns in my stead, and I have appointed him to be leader 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.

And Benaiah son of Jehoiada answers the king and says, “Amen! So does YHWH, God of my lord the king, say;

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.

as YHWH has been with my lord the king, so is He with Solomon, and makes 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.

And Zadok the priest goes down, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and they cause Solomon to ride on the mule of King David, and cause him to go 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.

and Zadok the priest takes the horn of oil out of the tent, and anoints Solomon, and they blow with a horn, and all the people say, “Let King Solomon live.”

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.

And all the people come up after him, and the people are piping with pipes, and rejoicing [with] great joy, and the earth splits with their voice.

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?

And Adonijah hears, and all those called who [are] with him, and they have finished to eat, and Joab hears the noise of the horn and says, “Why [is] the noise of the city roaring?”

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.

He is yet speaking, and behold, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest has come in, and Adonijah says, “Come in, for you [are] a man of valor, and you bear good tidings.”

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

And Jonathan answers and says to Adonijah, “Truly our lord King David has caused Solomon to reign,

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:

and the king sends with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and they cause him to ride on 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.

and they anoint him—Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet—for king in Gihon, and have come up there rejoicing, and the city is moved; it [is] the noise that you have heard.

46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

And also Solomon has sat 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.

and also the servants of the king have come into bless our lord King David, saying, Your God makes the name of Solomon better than your name, and his throne greater than your throne; and the king bows himself on 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.

and also thus the king has said, Blessed [is] YHWH, God of Israel, who has given [one] sitting on my throne today, and my eyes are seeing.”

49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

And they tremble, and rise—all those called who [are] for Adonijah—and go, each on his way;

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

and Adonijah fears because of Solomon, and rises, and goes, and lays 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.

And it is declared to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and behold, he has laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear to me as today—he does not put his servant to death by 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.

And Solomon says, “If he becomes a virtuous man—there does not fall [even one] hair of his to the earth, and if evil is found in him—then he has died.”

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.

And King Solomon sends, and they bring him down from off the altar, and he comes in and bows himself to King Solomon, and Solomon says to him, “Go to your house.”