1 Kings 1:28-53

Common English Bible

²⁸ King David answered, “Bring me Bathsheba.” She came and stood before the king. ²⁹ The king made a solemn pledge and said, “As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued me from every trouble, ³⁰ regarding what I swore to you by the Lord, Israel’s God, ‘Your son Solomon will certainly succeed me; he will sit on the throne after me’—I’ll see that it happens today.”

³¹ Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground. She honored the king and said, “May my master King David live forever!”

³² King David said, “Bring me Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son.” They came to the king, ³³ who said to them, “Take with you the servants of your masters. Put my son Solomon on my mule and bring him down to Gihon. ³⁴ There Zadok the priest and the prophet Nathan will anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵ You will follow him. He will enter and sit on my throne, and so he will succeed me as king. I have appointed him to become ruler over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶ Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son, responded to the king, “Yes, may it happen as the Lord, the God of my king, says. ³⁷ Just as the Lord was with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon. May his throne be even greater than the throne of my master King David.” ³⁸ Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David’s mule. They led him to Gihon. ³⁹ Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the ram’s horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰ All the people followed him playing flutes and celebrating. The ground shook at their noise.

⁴¹ Adonijah and all his invited guests heard this when they had finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the ram’s horn, he said, “What’s that noise coming from the city?” ⁴² While he was still speaking, Jonathan, Abiathar the priest’s son, arrived.

Adonijah said, “Come on in! You are an honest man and will bring a good report.”

⁴³ Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “No! Our master King David has made Solomon king! ⁴⁴ To support him, the king sent along Zadok the priest; the prophet Nathan; Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son; and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. They’ve put Solomon on the royal mule. ⁴⁵ Zadok the priest and the prophet Nathan have anointed him king at Gihon. They went up from there celebrating so that the city was thrown into a commotion. That is the sound you heard. ⁴⁶ There’s more: Solomon has taken over the throne of the kingdom. ⁴⁷ The royal attendants blessed our master King David: ‘May your God make Solomon’s name better than your name. May God elevate his throne above your throne.’”

The king then worshipped on his bed ⁴⁸ and said, “Bless Israel’s God, the Lord, who today has set my son^[a] on my throne, and has allowed my eyes to see it.”

⁴⁹ Trembling with fear, all of Adonijah’s guests got up and fled, each going a different way. ⁵⁰ Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he got up and went to grab hold of the horns of the altar. ⁵¹ Solomon was told, “Look! Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and has grabbed the horns of the altar. He’s saying, ‘King Solomon must swear to me first that he won’t execute his servant with the sword.’”

⁵² Solomon said, “If he shows himself to be an honorable person, then not a hair of his head will be harmed. But if any evil is found in him, he will die.” ⁵³ King Solomon sent word and had him brought down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon. Solomon said to him, “Go home!”