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1 Kings 1
Legacy Standard Bible

David in Old Age

1 Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3 So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the (A)Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 Now the young woman was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and attended him, but the king did not [a]know her.

5 Now (B)Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So (C)he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men as runners before him. 6 But his father had never [b]grieved him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man in form, and [c](D)he was born after Absalom. 7 [d]And he had conferred with (E)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (F)Abiathar the priest; and following (G)Adonijah, they helped him. 8 But (H)Zadok the priest, (I)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (J)Nathan the prophet, (K)Shimei, Rei, and (L)the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the [e]stone of Zoheleth, which is beside (M)En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and (N)Solomon his brother.

Nathan Speaks to Bathsheba

11 Then Nathan spoke to (O)Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12 So now come, please let me (P)give you counsel and provide escape for your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go [f]at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “(Q)Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and fully confirm your words.”

15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now (R)the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself [g]before the king. And the king said, “What [h]do you wish?” 17 And she said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by [i]Yahweh your God, saying, ‘(S)Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 But now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 19 (T)And he has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will be, (U)as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered [j]offenders.”

22 Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 Then they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And then he came in before the king and prostrated himself [k]before the king with his [l]face to the ground. 24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 (V)For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘(W)Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 (X)But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. 27 Has this thing happened by my lord the king, and you have not made known to your [m]servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore and said, “(Y)As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30 surely as (Z)I swore to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will surely do so this day.” 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her [n]face to the ground, and prostrated herself [o]before the king and said, “(AA)May my lord King David live forever.”

32 Then King David said, “Call to me (AB)Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. 33 And the king said to them, “Take with you (AC)the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to (AD)Gihon. 34 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet shall (AE)anoint him there as king over Israel and (AF)blow the trumpet and say, ‘(AG)Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne. And he shall be king in my place; for I have commanded him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say. 37 (AH)As Yahweh has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and (AI)make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

Solomon Anointed King

38 So (AJ)Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (AK)the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to (AL)Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest then (AM)took the horn of oil from the tent and (AN)anointed Solomon. Then they (AO)blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “(AP)Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, and the people [p]were playing on flutes and were glad with great gladness, so that the earth [q]shook at their sound.

41 And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. Then Joab heard the sound of the trumpet and said, “Why is the sound of the city such an uproar?” 42 While he was still speaking, behold, (AQ)Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for (AR)you are a valiant man and bring good news.” 43 But Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there with gladness, (AS)so that the city is in an uproar. This is the sound which you have heard. 46 And also, (AT)Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And also, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May (AU)your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And (AV)the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 And also, the king said thus, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who (AW)has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”

49 Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled; and they arose and each went on his way. 50 And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went, and (AX)took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Then it was told to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52 And Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, (AY)not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself [r]before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:4 Or have relations with
  2. 1 Kings 1:6 Lit pained him
  3. 1 Kings 1:6 Lit she gave him birth
  4. 1 Kings 1:7 Lit His words were
  5. 1 Kings 1:9 Lit Gliding, Serpent Stone
  6. 1 Kings 1:13 Lit and enter
  7. 1 Kings 1:16 Lit to
  8. 1 Kings 1:16 Lit to you
  9. 1 Kings 1:17 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  10. 1 Kings 1:21 Lit sinners
  11. 1 Kings 1:23 Lit to
  12. 1 Kings 1:23 Lit nose
  13. 1 Kings 1:27 Some mss servant
  14. 1 Kings 1:31 Lit nose
  15. 1 Kings 1:31 Lit to
  16. 1 Kings 1:40 Lit fluting
  17. 1 Kings 1:40 Lit was split
  18. 1 Kings 1:53 Lit to
Listen to 1 Kings 1
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1 Kings 1
New King James Version

Adonijah Presumes to Be King

1 Now King David was (A)old, [a]advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm. 2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her [b]stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.” 3 So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found (B)Abishag the (C)Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her.

5 Then (D)Adonijah the [c]son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will [d]be king”; and (E)he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 (And his father had not [e]rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. (F)His mother had borne him after Absalom.) 7 Then he conferred with (G)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (H)Abiathar the priest, and (I)they followed and helped Adonijah. 8 But (J)Zadok the priest, (K)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (L)Nathan the prophet, (M)Shimei, Rei, and (N)the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.

9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of [f]Zoheleth, which is by (O)En Rogel;[g] he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or (P)Solomon his brother.

11 So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of (Q)Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12 Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, (R)“Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”

15 So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 16 And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?”

17 Then she said to him, “My lord, (S)you swore by the Lord your God to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it. 19 (T)He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20 And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king (U)rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.”

22 And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. 23 So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 24 And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 (V)For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, (W)‘Long[h] live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he has not invited me—me your servant—nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. 27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

David Proclaims Solomon King(X)

28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king took an oath and said, (Y)“As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, 30 (Z)just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.”

31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, (AA)“Let my lord King David live forever!”

32 And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. 33 The king also said to them, (AB)“Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own (AC)mule, and take him down to (AD)Gihon.[i] 34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet (AE)anoint him king over Israel; and (AF)blow the horn, and say, [j]‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, (AG)“Amen! May the Lord God of my lord the king say so too. 37 (AH)As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and (AI)make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, (AJ)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the (AK)Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of (AL)oil from the tabernacle and (AM)anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, (AN)and all the people said, [k]“Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.

41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?” 42 While he was still speaking, there came (AO)Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for (AP)you are a prominent man, and bring good news.”

43 Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45 So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. 46 Also Solomon (AQ)sits on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover the king’s servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, (AR)‘May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ (AS)Then the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 Also the king said thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has (AT)given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see (AU)it!’ ”

49 So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way.

50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and (AV)took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”

52 Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, (AW)not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53 So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:1 Seventy years
  2. 1 Kings 1:2 Or serve
  3. 1 Kings 1:5 The fourth son
  4. 1 Kings 1:5 Lit. reign
  5. 1 Kings 1:6 Lit. pained
  6. 1 Kings 1:9 Lit. Serpent
  7. 1 Kings 1:9 A spring south of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley
  8. 1 Kings 1:25 Lit. Let King Adonijah live
  9. 1 Kings 1:33 A spring east of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley
  10. 1 Kings 1:34 Lit. Let King Solomon live
  11. 1 Kings 1:39 Lit. Let King Solomon live
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New King James Version (NKJV)

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