1 Kings 2:13-25

Complete Jewish Bible

¹³ when Adoniyah the son of Haggit came to Bat-Sheva the mother of Shlomo. She asked, “Have you come as a friend?” He answered, “Yes, as a friend.” ¹⁴ Then he continued, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Go on.” ¹⁵ He said, “You know that the kingdom should have been mine, that all Isra’el was looking to me to be their ruler. No matter; the kingdom has turned around and become my brother’s, because Adonai gave it to him. ¹⁶ But now I ask one favor of you; don’t deny me.” “Go on,” she said. ¹⁷ He said, “Please speak to Shlomo the king — for he won’t say ‘No’ to you — and ask him to give me Avishag the Shunamit as my wife.” ¹⁸ Bat-Sheva said, “All right, I will speak to the king on your behalf.”

¹⁹ So Bat-Sheva went to King Shlomo to speak to him on behalf of Adoniyah. The king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne and had a throne set up for the king’s mother, so that she sat at his right. ²⁰ She said, “I am asking one small favor of you; don’t deny me.” The king said to her, “Ask, mother; I won’t deny you.” ²¹ She said, “Let Avishag the Shunamit be given to Adoniyah your brother as his wife.” ²² King Shlomo answered his mother, “Why are you asking Avishag the Shunamit for Adoniyah? Ask the kingdom for him too! After all, he’s my older brother! Yes, for him, and for Evyatar the cohen and for Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah!” ²³ Then King Shlomo swore by Adonai, “May God do terrible things to me and worse if Adoniyah hasn’t condemned himself to death with this request! ²⁴ Now therefore, as Adonai lives, who has established me, put me on the throne of David my father and set up a dynasty for me, as he promised, Adoniyah will certainly be put to death today.” ²⁵ King Shlomo commissioned B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, and he struck him down, so that he died.