1 Kings 1

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

Now King David was old and well along in years, and though they covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm.

2 Wherefore 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 thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

So his servants said to him, “Let us search for a young virgin for our lord the king, to attend to him and care for him and lie by his side to keep him warm.”

3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunamite, and brought her to the king.

Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag the 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.

The girl was unsurpassed in beauty; she cared for the king and served him, but he had no relations with 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.

At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of 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] bore him after Absalom.

(His father had never once reprimanded him by saying, “Why do you act this way?” Adonijah was also very handsome, born next after Absalom.)

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

So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, who supported him.

8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who [belonged] to David, were not with Adonijah.

But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s mighty men would not join 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 sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah who were servants of the king.

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

But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.

11 Wherefore Nathan spoke to 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?

Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it?

12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thy own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

Now please, come and let me advise you. Save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

13 Go, and enter in to king David, and say to him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear to thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

Go at once to King David and say, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’

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

Then, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”

15 And Bath-sheba went to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunamite ministered to the king.

So Bathsheba went to see the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him.

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

And Bathsheba bowed down in homage to the king, who asked, “What is your desire?”

17 And she said to him, My lord, thou didst swear by the LORD thy God to thy handmaid, [saying], Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

“My lord,” she replied, “you yourself swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God: ‘Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.’

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

But now, behold, Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, did not know it.

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 has sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the other sons of the king, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army. But he did not invite your servant Solomon.

20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel [are] upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you to tell them who will 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.

Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be counted as criminals.”

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

And just then, while Bathsheba was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.

23 And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he had come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

So the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” And Nathan went in and bowed facedown before the king.

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

“My lord the king,” said Nathan, “did you say, ‘Adonijah will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne’?

25 For he hath 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 today he has gone down and sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, saying, ‘Long live 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.

But me your servant he did not invite, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.

27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shown [it] to thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

Has my lord the king let this happen without informing your servant who should sit on the throne after my lord the king?”

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

Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba for me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

29 And the king swore, and said, [As] the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

And the king swore an oath, saying, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,

30 Even as I swore to 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.

I will carry out this very day exactly what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

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.

Bathsheba bowed facedown in homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

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.

Then King David said, “Call in for me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king.

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

“Take my servants with you,” said the king. “Set my son Solomon on my own mule and take 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.

There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. You are to blow the ram’s horn and declare, ‘Long live 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.

Then you shall go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. For I have appointed him ruler over Israel and 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].

“Amen,” replied Benaiah son of Jehoiada. “May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it.

37 As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so let him be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

Just as the LORD was with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon and make his throne even greater than that 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.

Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.

39 And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live 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.

All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.

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, Why [is this] noise of the city being in an uproar?

Now Adonijah and all his guests were finishing their feast when they heard the sound of the ram’s horn. “Why is the city in such a loud uproar?” asked Joab.

42 And while he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said to him, Come in; for thou [art] a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

As he was speaking, suddenly Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest arrived. “Come in,” said Adonijah, “for you are a man of valor. You must be bringing good news.”

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

“Not at all,” Jonathan replied. “Our lord King David has 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:

And with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, and they have set him on the king’s mule.

45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they have come from thence rejoicing, so that the city resounded. This [is] the noise that ye have heard.

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there with rejoicing that rings out in the city. That is the noise you hear.

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

Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.

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.

The king’s servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than your own name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king has bowed in worship on his bed,

48 And also thus said the king, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel, who hath given [one] to sit on my throne this day, my eyes even seeing [it].

saying, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel! Today He has provided one to sit on my throne, and my eyes have seen it.’”

49 And all the guests that [were] with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and went every man his way.

At this, all the guests of Adonijah arose in terror and scattered.

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

But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to take hold of 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 to me to-day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

It was reported to Solomon: “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear to me not to put his servant to the sword.’”

52 And Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will 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 to him, Go to thy house.

So King Solomon summoned Adonijah down from the altar, and he came and bowed down before King Solomon, who said to him, “Go to your home.”