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1 Kings 1
Contemporary English Version
1 Kings 1
Contemporary English Version
David in His Old Age
1 King David was now an old man, and he always felt cold, even under a lot of blankets. 2 His officials said, “Your Majesty, we will look for a young woman to take care of you. She can lie down beside you and keep you warm.” 3-4 They looked everywhere in Israel until they found a very beautiful young woman named Abishag, who lived in the town of Shunem.[a] They brought her to David, and she took care of him. But David did not have sex with her.
Adonijah Tries To Become King
5-6 (A) Adonijah was the son of David and Haggith. He was Absalom's younger brother[b] and was very handsome. One day, Adonijah started bragging, “I'm going to make myself king!” So he got some chariots and horses, and he hired 50 men as bodyguards. David did not want to hurt his feelings, so he never asked Adonijah why he was doing these things.
7 Adonijah met with Joab the son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest and asked them if they would help him become king. Both of them agreed to help. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei,[c] and David's bodyguards all refused.
9 Adonijah invited his brothers and David's officials from Judah to go with him to Crawling Rock[d] near Rogel Spring, where he sacrificed some sheep, cattle, and fat calves.[e] 10 But he did not invite Nathan, Benaiah, David's bodyguards, or his own brother Solomon.
11 (B) When Nathan heard what had happened, he asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother:
Have you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has made himself king? But David doesn't know a thing about it. 12 You and your son Solomon will be killed, unless you do what I tell you. 13 Go say to David, “You promised me that Solomon would be the next king. So why is Adonijah now king?”
14 While you are still talking to David, I'll come in and tell him that everything you said is true.
15 Meanwhile, David was in his bedroom where Abishag was taking care of him because he was so old. Bathsheba went in 16 and bowed down.
“What can I do for you?” David asked.
17 Bathsheba answered:
Your Majesty, you promised me in the name of the Lord your God that my son Solomon would be the next king. 18 But Adonijah has already been made king, and you didn't know anything about it. 19 He sacrificed a lot of cattle, calves, and sheep. And he invited Abiathar the priest, Joab your army commander, and all your sons to be there, except Solomon, your loyal servant.
20 Your Majesty, everyone in Israel is waiting for you to announce who will be the next king. 21 If you don't, they will say that Solomon and I have rebelled. They will treat us like criminals and kill us as soon as you die.
22 Just then, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 Someone told David that he was there, and Nathan came in. He bowed with his face to the ground 24 and said:
Your Majesty, did you say that Adonijah would be king? 25 Earlier today, he sacrificed a lot of cattle, calves, and sheep. He invited the army commanders, Abiathar, and all your sons to be there. They are already eating and drinking and shouting, “Long live King Adonijah!” 26 But he didn't invite me or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or Solomon. 27 Did you say they could do this without telling the rest of us who would be the next king?
Solomon Becomes King
28 David said, “Tell Bathsheba to come here.” She came and stood in front of him. 29-30 Then he said, “The living Lord God of Israel has kept me safe. And so today, I will keep the promise I made to you in his name: Solomon will be the next king!”
31 Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Your Majesty, I pray that you will live a long time!”
32 Then David said, “Tell Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah to come here.”
When they arrived, 33 he told them:
Take along some of my officials and let Solomon ride my own mule to Gihon Spring. 34 When you get there, Zadok and Nathan will pour olive oil over Solomon's head to show that he is the new king of Israel. Then order someone to blow a trumpet and tell everyone to shout, “Long live King Solomon!” 35 Bring him back here, and he will take my place as king. He is the one I have chosen to rule Israel and Judah.
36 Benaiah answered, “We will do it, Your Majesty. I pray that the Lord your God will let it happen. 37 The Lord has always watched over you, and I pray that he will now watch over Solomon. May the Lord help Solomon to be an even greater king than you.”
38 Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah left and took along the two groups of David's special bodyguards.[f] Solomon rode on David's mule as they led him to Gihon Spring. 39 Zadok the priest brought some olive oil from the sacred tent and poured it on Solomon's head to show that he was now king. A trumpet was blown and everyone shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 Then they played flutes and celebrated as they followed Solomon back to Jerusalem. They made so much noise that the ground shook.
41 Adonijah and his guests had almost finished eating when they heard the noise. Joab also heard the trumpet and asked, “What's all that noise about in the city?”
42 Just then, Jonathan son of Abiathar came running up. “Come in,” Adonijah said. “An important man like you must have some good news.”
43 Jonathan answered:
No, I don't! David has just announced that Solomon will be king. 44-45 Solomon rode David's own mule to Gihon Spring, and Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and David's special bodyguards[g] went with him. When they got there, Zadok and Nathan made Solomon king. Then everyone celebrated all the way back to Jerusalem. That's the noise you hear in the city. 46 Solomon is now king.
47 And listen to this! David's officials told him, “We pray that your God will help Solomon to be an even greater king!”
David was in his bed at the time, but he bowed 48 and prayed, “I praise you, Lord God of Israel. You have made my son Solomon king and have let me live to see it.”
49 Adonijah's guests shook with fear when they heard this news, and they left as fast as they could. 50 Adonijah himself was afraid of what Solomon might do to him, so he ran to the sacred tent and grabbed hold of the corners of the altar for protection.[h]
51 Someone told Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you and is holding onto the corners of the altar. He wants you to promise that you won't kill him.”
52 Solomon answered, “If Adonijah doesn't cause any trouble, I won't hurt him. But if he does, I'll have him killed.” 53 Then he sent someone to the altar to get Adonijah.
After Adonijah came and bowed down, Solomon said, “Adonijah, go home.”
Footnotes
- 1.3,4 Shunem: A town in northern Israel, just north of Jezreel Valley.
- 1.5,6 brother: Since Absalom was dead, Adonijah was now David's oldest living son and would be next in line to be king.
- 1.8 Shimei, Rei: Or “Shimei his advisor.”
- 1.9 Crawling Rock: Or “Zoheleth Rock.”
- 1.9 sacrificed … calves: This was part of a ceremony where Adonijah was made the new king.
- 1.38 the two … bodyguards: The Hebrew text has “the Cherethites and the Pelethites,” who were foreign soldiers hired by David to be part of his bodyguard.
- 1.44,45 David's special bodyguards: See the note at 1.38.
- 1.50 the corners … for protection: The four corners of some ancient altars looked like animal horns. Since the entire altar was sacred, anyone holding on to its corners was supposed to be safe from being killed.
1 Kings 1
New International Version
1 Kings 1
New International Version
Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
1 When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2 So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”
3 Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag,(A) a Shunammite,(B) and brought her to the king. 4 The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.
5 Now Adonijah,(C) whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots(D) and horses[a] ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. 6 (His father had never rebuked(E) him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)
7 Adonijah conferred with Joab(F) son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar(G) the priest, and they gave him their support. 8 But Zadok(H) the priest, Benaiah(I) son of Jehoiada, Nathan(J) the prophet, Shimei(K) and Rei and David’s special guard(L) did not join Adonijah.
9 Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel.(M) He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons,(N) and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite(O) Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.(P)
11 Then Nathan asked Bathsheba,(Q) Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah,(R) the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? 12 Now then, let me advise(S) you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear(T) to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”
15 So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag(U) the Shunammite was attending him. 16 Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king.
“What is it you want?” the king asked.
17 She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore(V) to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ 18 But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed(W) great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest(X) with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”
22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
24 Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? 25 Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.(Y) 27 Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
David Makes Solomon King(Z)
28 Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.
29 The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,(AA) 30 I will surely carry out this very day what I swore(AB) to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
32 King David said, “Call in Zadok(AC) the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, 33 he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule(AD) and take him down to Gihon.(AE) 34 There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint(AF) him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet(AG) and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. 37 As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with(AH) Solomon to make his throne even greater(AI) than the throne of my lord King David!”
38 So Zadok(AJ) the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites(AK) and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.(AL) 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil(AM) from the sacred tent(AN) and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet(AO) and all the people shouted,(AP) “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing pipes(AQ) and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”(AR)
42 Even as he was speaking, Jonathan(AS) son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”(AT)
43 “Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, 45 and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds(AU) with it. That’s the noise you hear. 46 Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat(AV) on the royal throne. 47 Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater(AW) than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed 48 and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor(AX) on my throne today.’”
49 At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. 50 But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns(AY) of the altar. 51 Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”
52 Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair(AZ) of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 1:5 Or charioteers
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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