1 Kings 1

1 Now King David was old and advanced in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he couldn’t keep warm.

And King David [is] old, entering into days, and they cover him with garments, and he has no heat,

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.”

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 beautiful young lady throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the 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 The young lady was very beautiful; and she cherished the king, and served him; but the king didn’t know her intimately.

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.” Then 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 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.

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 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and they followed Adonijah and 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, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who 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 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;

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 he didn’t call Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.

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

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?

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, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and your son Solomon’s life.

And now, come, please let me counsel you, and deliver your life and the life of your son Solomon;

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?’

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 you are still talking there with the king, I will also come in after you and confirm your words.”

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

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 Bathsheba bowed and showed respect to the king. The king said, “What would you like?”

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

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.’

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 Now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and you, my lord the king, don’t know it.

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

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.

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 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.

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 will happen, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered criminals.”

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 Behold, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.

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

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 Nathan said, “My lord, King, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on 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 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!’

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 he hasn’t called me, even me your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon.

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 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?”

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, “Call Bathsheba in to me.” 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 The king vowed and said, “As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

And the king swears and says, “YHWH 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.”

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 Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth and showed respect to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”

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 King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” 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 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.

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 Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel. Blow the trumpet, and say, ‘Long live 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 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.”

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 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, “Amen. May Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say so.

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

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.”

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, 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.

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 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!”

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 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.

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 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?”

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 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.”

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 Jonathan answered Adonijah, “Most certainly our lord King David has made Solomon king.

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

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.

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 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. They have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you 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 Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.

And also Solomon has sat 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.

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 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.’”

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 All the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and each man went his way.

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

50 Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and hung onto 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 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.’”

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 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.”

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. He came and bowed down to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your 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.”