David’s Last Days

1 Now King David was old and advanced in age.^(A) Although they covered him with bedclothes, he could not get warm.^{(B) 2} So his servants said to him, “Let us^[a] search for a young virgin for my lord the king.^(C) She is to attend the king and be his caregiver. She is to lie by your side so that my lord the king will get warm.” ³ They searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel; they found Abishag^(D) the Shunammite^[b](E) and brought her to the king. ⁴ The girl was of unsurpassed beauty,^(F) and she became the king’s caregiver. She attended to him, but he was not intimate with^[c] her.

Adonijah’s Bid for Power

⁵ Adonijah son of Haggith^(G) kept exalting himself, saying, “I will be king!” He prepared chariots, cavalry, and fifty men to run ahead of him.^{[d](H) 6} But his father had never once infuriated^(I) him by asking, “Why did you do that?” ^(J) In addition, he was quite handsome^(K) and was born after Absalom.^{(L) 7} He conspired^[e] with Joab son of Zeruiah^(M) and with the priest Abiathar.^(N) They supported^(O) Adonijah, ⁸ but the priest Zadok,^(P) Benaiah son of Jehoiada,^(Q) the prophet Nathan,^(R) Shimei,^(S) Rei, and David’s royal guard^[f](T) did not side with Adonijah.

⁹ Adonijah sacrificed sheep, goats, cattle, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel.^(U) He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king,^{(V) 10} but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, the royal guard, or his brother Solomon.^(W)

Nathan’s and Bathsheba’s Appeals

¹¹ Then Nathan^(X) said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother,^(Y) “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king^(Z) and our lord David does not know it?^{(AA) 12} Now please come and let me advise you.^(AB) Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.^{(AC) 13} Go, approach King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne?^(AD) So why has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴ At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm your words.”^(AE)

¹⁵ So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him.^{(AF) 16} Bathsheba knelt low and paid homage to the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”

¹⁷ She replied, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.’ ¹⁸ Now look, Adonijah has become king. And,^[g] my lord the king, you didn’t know it. ¹⁹ He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon. ²⁰ Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹ Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors,^(AG) I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”^(AH)

²² At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan arrived,^{(AI) 23} and it was announced to the king, “The prophet Nathan is here.” He came into the king’s presence and paid homage to him with his face to the ground.

²⁴ “My lord the king,” Nathan said, “did you say, ‘Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne’?