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1 Kings 1
New Catholic Bible

The Reign of Solomon

Chapter 1

Help for King David. 1 Now King David was old, well on in years. They would cover him up, but he could not get warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “My lord, the king, let a young virgin be found for you to attend to you and to care for you. She can lie alongside of you so that my lord, the king, can keep warm.” 3 And so they searched for a beautiful young woman all throughout the territory of Israel, and they found Abishag the Shunamite, and they brought her to the king. 4 The young woman was very beautiful, and she cared for the king. She served the king, but he did not have intimate relations with her.

Adonijah’s Plan. 5 Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exulted himself saying, “I will be king.” He had his own chariots and horsemen, and he had fifty men to run in front of him.[a] 6 His father never rebuked him by saying, “Why have you done this?” He was very handsome, and he had been born after Absalom.

7 Adonijah conferred with Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they helped Adonijah and followed after him. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, and Shimei and Rei, David’s brave warriors, did not side with Adonijah.

9 [b]Adonijah sacrificed some sheep, oxen, and fatted calves at the stone of Zoheleth in En-rogel. He invited all of his brethren, the king’s sons, and all of the men of Judah, the king’s servants, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the king’s brave men, or Solomon, his brother.

11 Solomon Becomes King. Nathan, therefore, spoke to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, is reigning, and our lord David does not know about it. 12 Come and let me give you counsel, so that I may save my own life and the life of your son Solomon.

13 “Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘Did not my lord, the king, make an oath to your handmaid, saying, “Solomon, your son, will reign after me and will sit upon my throne? Why, then, is Adonijah reigning?” 14 While you are still speaking with the king, I will arrive and confirm your words.’ ”

15 So Bathsheba went into the king’s chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunamite served the king.[c] 16 Bathsheba bowed down, paying obeisance to the king, and the king said, “What do you want?” 17 She said to him, “My lord, you made an oath to your handmaid by the Lord, your God, saying, ‘Solomon, your son, will reign after me, and he will sit upon my throne.’ 18 But now Adonijah is reigning, and my king does not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed many oxen, fatted calves, and sheep, and he has invited all of the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, 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 of Israel are upon you. They want you to tell them who will sit upon your throne, my lord, the king.[d] 21 Otherwise when my lord, the king, sleeps with his fathers, I and Solomon, my son, will be condemned.”

22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet entered. 23 They announced to the king, “Nathan the prophet.” He came before the king and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. 24 Nathan said, “Has my lord, the king, said, ‘Adonijah will rule after me and he will sit upon my throne?’ 25 Today he went down and sacrificed many oxen, fatted calves, and sheep, and he invited all of the king’s sons, the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest. They are eating and drinking with him, and they are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he did not invite myself, your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, nor Solomon, your servant. 27 Has my lord, the king, done this thing without informing your servant about who is to sit upon your throne after you, O lord, my king?”

28 Then King David said, “Summon Bathsheba.” She came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 The king then swore an oath, saying, “As the Lord lives who has delivered me from all of my adversities, 30 and as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel saying, ‘Solomon, your son, will reign after me, and he will sit upon my throne in my place,’ I will fulfill it today.” 31 Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground and did obeisance saying, “May my lord, King David, live forever.”

32 King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, to me.” They came before the king. 33 The king said to them, “Take your lord’s servants and put Solomon, my son, on my own donkey and bring him to Gihon. 34 There, have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him as king over Israel. Sound your trumpet and proclaim, ‘Long live, King Solomon.’ 35 Then follow him back up so that he might come and sit upon my throne, for he will take my place as king. I have chosen him to be the king over Israel and Judah.”

36 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered the king saying, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord, the king, confirm it. 37 May the Lord be with Solomon just as he has been with my lord, the king. May he make his throne greater than the throne of my lord, king David.”

38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down. They had Solomon ride upon King David’s donkey, and they brought him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out from the tabernacle and he anointed Solomon. They sounded the trumpet and all of the people proclaimed, “Long live, King Solomon.” 40 All of the people went up and joined his following, and they played upon flutes and so greatly rejoiced that the ground shook from the noise.

41 Adonijah Acknowledges Solomon. Adonijah and all of those whom he had invited to be with him finished eating and heard it. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “What is this uproar coming from the city?” 42 While he was still speaking, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for a brave man like you must bring good news.” 43 Jonathan answered Adonijah saying, “It is not so! Our Lord, king David, has made Solomon king. 44 The king sent him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, 45 and Zadok, the priest, and Nathan the prophet anointed him in Gihon. They are coming up from there rejoicing so that the city resounds with it. This is the noise that you heard. 46 Moreover, Solomon is sitting upon the royal throne.

47 “The king’s servants have come to bless our lord, King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon greater than your name, and his throne than your throne.’ The king then worshiped in his bed 48 and the king said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed me to see with my own eyes the one who will sit upon my throne.’ ”

49 All of those whom Adonijah had invited became frightened, and they rose up and they each went his own way. 50 But Adonijah, because he feared Solomon, got up and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.[e]

51 Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for he has taken hold of the horns of the altar saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear an oath to me today that he will not harm his servant.’ ” 52 Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be a man of virtue, then not one of his hairs will fall to the ground. But if he proves to be wicked, he will die!”

53 So King Solomon sent and had him brought down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go home.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:5 See 2 Sam 3–4: Adonijah, David’s fourth son, had become the eldest son and, therefore, pretender to the throne.
  2. 1 Kings 1:9 Adonijah was not the true successor to King David. It was Solomon who was chosen by God and having animal sacrifice would not legitimize his rule.
  3. 1 Kings 1:15 The relationship between David and Bathsheba has changed dramatically since the adultery and murder that had started it. He is now an old man with another woman in her place, but she comes to intercede on behalf of her son Solomon.
  4. 1 Kings 1:20 Israel, unlike other nations during this period, was not bound by the law of primogeniture. Bathsheba is almost taunting King David with her words to force him to denounce Adonijah and to name Solomon as his successor. David has never opposed Adonijah but now needs to take a firm stand.
  5. 1 Kings 1:50 Adonijah invokes the right of asylum which the sanctuary and, especially the altar, was regarded as providing and which was regulated by the law (Ex 21:13-14).
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1 Kings 1
American Standard Version

1 Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. 3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 And the damsel was very fair; and she cherished the king, and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.

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. 6 And his father had not displeased him [a]at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he was also a very goodly man; and he was born after Absalom. 7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men that belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah [b]slew sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he called all his brethren, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants: 10 but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

11 Then Nathan spake unto 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? 12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. 13 Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? 14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.

15 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering unto the king. 16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? 17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by Jehovah thy God unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. 18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; [c]and thou, my lord the king, knowest it not: 19 and he hath [d]slain oxen and fatlings 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. 20 And [e]thou, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted [f]offenders.

22 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? 25 For he is gone down this day, and hath [g]slain oxen and fatlings 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 are eating and drinking before him, and say, 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. 27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not showed unto thy [h]servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

28 Then king David answered and said, Call to me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king. 29 And the king sware, and said, As Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 30 verily as I sware unto thee by Jehovah, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; verily so will I do this day. 31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

32 And king David said, Call to me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 33 And the king said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34 and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye the trumpet, and say, Long live king Solomon. 35 Then ye shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead; and I have appointed him to be [i]prince over Israel and over Judah. 36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: Jehovah, the God of my lord the king, say so too. 37 As Jehovah hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne 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. 39 And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, 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.

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, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? 42 While he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said, Come in; for thou art a worthy man, and bringest good tidings. 43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath 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; 45 and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. 46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, [j]Thy 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. 48 And also thus said the king, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

49 And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 51 And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon; for, lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me [k]first that he will not slay his servant with the sword. 52 And Solomon said, If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die. 53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and did obeisance to king Solomon; and Solomon said unto him, Go to thy house.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:6 Or, all his life
  2. 1 Kings 1:9 Or, sacrificed
  3. 1 Kings 1:18 Another reading is, and now, my lord the king, thou etc.
  4. 1 Kings 1:19 Or, sacrificed
  5. 1 Kings 1:20 Another reading is, now
  6. 1 Kings 1:21 Hebrew sinners.
  7. 1 Kings 1:25 Or, sacrificed
  8. 1 Kings 1:27 Another reading is, servant
  9. 1 Kings 1:35 Or, leader
  10. 1 Kings 1:47 Another reading omits Thy.
  11. 1 Kings 1:51 Hebrew to-day.
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