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1 Kings 1
New American Standard Bible

David in Old Age

1 Now King David was old, [a]advanced in age; and they covered him with garments, but he could not keep warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “Have them search for a young virgin for my lord the king, and have her [b]attend the king and become his nurse; and have her lie on your chest, so that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3 So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the (A)Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not [c]become intimate with her.

5 Now (B)Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So (C)he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, with fifty men to run before him. 6 And his father had never rebuked him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and [d](D)he was born after Absalom. 7 Now [e]he had conferred with (E)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (F)Abiathar the priest; and they allied themselves with (G)Adonijah. 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 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened steers by the [f]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, or his brother (N)Solomon.

Nathan and 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 advice, and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go [g]at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord the king, sworn to your servant, saying, “(Q)Solomon your son certainly 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 confirm your words.”

15 So Bathsheba entered to the king in the bedroom. Now (R)the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king. 16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself [h]before the king. And the king said, “What [i]is on your mind?” 17 So she said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘(S)Your son Solomon certainly 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)He has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, to announce to them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will come about, (U)as soon as my lord the king [j]lies down with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered [k]offenders.”

22 And behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 They informed the king, saying, “Nathan the prophet is here.” And when he came into the king’s presence, he prostrated himself [l]before the king with his face to the ground. 24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you yourself 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 fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking in his presence; and they say, ‘(W)Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 (X)But me, even me your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. 27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not let your [m]servants know who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

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

32 Then King David said, “Summon 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 have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet (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 appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say the same. 37 (AH)Just as the Lord 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 And 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 were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth [n]shook at their noise.

41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard this as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the [o]city making 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 you bring good news.” 43 But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “On the contrary! 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 mounted him on the king’s mule. 45 Furthermore, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, (AS)so that the city is going wild. This is the noise which you have heard. 46 Besides, (AT)Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47 Moreover, 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 The king has also said this: ‘Blessed be the Lord, 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 got up, and each went on his way. 50 Adonijah also was afraid of Solomon, and he got up, and went, and (AX)took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Now it was reported to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May 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 wickedness is found in him, he will die.” 53 So King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:1 Lit coming into days
  2. 1 Kings 1:2 Lit stand before
  3. 1 Kings 1:4 Lit know her
  4. 1 Kings 1:6 Lit she gave him birth
  5. 1 Kings 1:7 Lit his words were
  6. 1 Kings 1:9 Or Sliding; or Serpent Stone
  7. 1 Kings 1:13 Lit and enter to
  8. 1 Kings 1:16 Lit to
  9. 1 Kings 1:16 Lit to you
  10. 1 Kings 1:21 I.e., dies
  11. 1 Kings 1:21 Lit sinners
  12. 1 Kings 1:23 Lit to
  13. 1 Kings 1:27 Some mss servant
  14. 1 Kings 1:40 Lit was split
  15. 1 Kings 1:41 Lit sound of the city an uproar
Close ISV

1 Kings 1
International Standard Version

Adonijah’s Attempted Coup

1 When David had grown very old, they covered him with blankets, but he could not keep warm, 2 so his servants suggested to him, “Let’s look for a young virgin woman to take care of you, your majesty. She will be of use to you if you have her lie down near you[a] so that your majesty may keep warm.” 3 So they conducted a search throughout the territory of Israel for a beautiful young woman, and Abishag the Shunammite was located and brought to the king. 4 The young woman was absolutely beautiful. She served the king and was very useful to him. The king was not sexually involved with her.

5 Meanwhile, about this time Haggith’s son Adonijah began to seek a reputation for himself and decided,[b] “I’m going to be king!” So he prepared chariots, cavalry, and 50 soldiers to serve as a security detail to guard him.[c] 6 His father had never challenged him at any time during his life by asking him, “Why are you acting like this?” Adonijah[d] was very handsome and had been born after Absalom. 7 He had the support of Zeruiah’s son Joab and of Abiathar the priest, who followed Adonijah[e] and assisted him, 8 but Zadok the priest, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal elite forces would have nothing to do with Adonijah.

9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the Serpent Stone[f] near En-rogel,[g] inviting all of his relatives, the king’s sons, and all of the men of Judah who worked for the king, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, David’s[h] personal elite forces, or his brother Solomon.

Nathan and Bathsheba Confer about Adonijah

11 “Haven’t you heard?” Nathan asked Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. “Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king and David, our true king,[i] isn’t aware of it. 12 If you listen to me, you’ll save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go right now to King David and ask him, ‘Your majesty, you promised your servant that “Your son Solomon will certainly become king after me and will sit on my throne,” didn’t you? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Then, while you are still talking to the king, I’ll come in after you and verify your statement.”

15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his private room. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him.[j] 16 Bathsheba knelt and bowed down to the king, and the king asked her, “What do you wish?”

17 “Your majesty,” she replied, “you promised your servant in the name of[k] the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon will certainly become king after me and will sit on my throne.’ 18 Now look, Adonijah has become king, and your majesty is not aware of it. 19 Adonijah[l] has sacrificed myriads of oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep, and he has invited all of the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. 20 And as for you, your majesty, everyone in Israel is looking to you to tell them who will sit on your majesty’s throne after you.[m] 21 Otherwise, as soon as your majesty is laid to rest with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be branded as traitors.”[n]

22 While she was still talking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 They informed the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.”

When he had been ushered into the presence of the king, Nathan bowed low in front of the king with his face to the ground 24 and asked, “Your majesty, did you say ‘Adonijah will be king after me and will sit on my throne’? 25 Well now, he went down today and sacrificed lots of oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. They’re having a party together and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 Of course, he never invited me, Zadok the priest, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, nor your servant Solomon. 27 Were you behind this, your majesty, without letting your servants know who would sit on your majesty’s throne after him?”

David Affirms Solomon as King

28 “Call Bathsheba for me,” King David replied. So she came in and stood in front of the king. 29 “As the Lord lives,” the king said with an oath, “who has redeemed me from all sorts of troubles, 30 I certainly did tell you in the name of[o] the Lord God of Israel, ‘Your son Solomon will be king after me and will sit on my throne in my place.’ I’m certainly going to make this happen today!”

31 “King David,” Bathsheba said as she bowed low in front of the king with her face to the ground, “your majesty, may you live forever.”

32 “Get me Zadok the priest,” King David said, “along with Nathan the prophet, and Jehoiada’s son Benaiah.” So they were ushered into the king’s presence 33 and David addressed them. “Take your lord’s servants, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. 34 Have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel. Then sound a trumpet and declare ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 After this, you are to follow him back here, and he is to come and sit on my throne and take my place as king, because I’ve appointed him to be Commander-in-Chief[p] over Israel and Judah.”

36 “Amen!” replied Jehoiada’s son Benaiah to the king. “May the Lord God of your majesty make this happen! 37 As the Lord has been with your majesty the king, so may he be with Solomon. May he make his throne greater than the throne of your majesty, King David.”

Solomon is Anointed King

38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, and the special forces[q] and mercenaries[r] went out and had Solomon ride the king’s mule all the way to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest brought from his tent a horn filled with oil and anointed Solomon, a trumpet was sounded, and everybody yelled out, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 All the people followed after him, playing on wind pipes and so full of joy that the earth shook because of all the noise!

41 Right about then, Adonijah and all of his guests were just finishing their meal when they heard all the noise. “Why is the city in such an uproar?” Joab asked as he heard the trumpet sounds.

42 While he was still asking that question, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest arrived, so Adonijah told him, “Come on in, since you’re a worthy man and are bringing us good news!”

43 “No,” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has installed Solomon as king. 44 The king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, and the special forces[s] and mercenaries,[t] along with Solomon, who is riding the king’s personal mule. 45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him in Gihon, and they just left from there rejoicing, and that’s why the city is all in an uproar. That’s the noise that you’ve been hearing! 46 Solomon now sits on the royal throne. 47 In addition to all of this, the king’s servants have come along to congratulate our lord King David. They’ve been telling David ‘May your God make Solomon’s reputation even more famous than yours, and may he make his throne greater than yours!’ The king has himself bowed in worship on his own bed[u] 48 and said ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has provided someone to sit on my throne today. I’ve seen it with my own eyes!’”

49 Terrified, all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up and ran away. 50 Afraid of Solomon, Adonijah also jumped up and headed straight for the horns of the altar.[v]

51 “Hey look!” somebody informed Solomon. “Adonijah is terrified of King Solomon! He’s gone out, grabbed hold of the horns of the altar, and now he’s begging King Solomon, ‘Swear to me that you won’t put your servant to death with a sword!’”

52 “If he’s done nothing wrong, not a hair of his head will be harmed,” Solomon replied. “But if we find evil in him, he’s a dead man.”

53 So King Solomon sent for him, and he was brought down from the altar. When he had arrived, he fell on his face in front of King Solomon, so Solomon told him, “Go home!”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:2 Lit. lie in your lap
  2. 1 Kings 1:5 Lit. said
  3. 1 Kings 1:5 Lit. soldiers to run ahead of him
  4. 1 Kings 1:6 Lit. He
  5. 1 Kings 1:7 Lit. him
  6. 1 Kings 1:9 Or the stone of Omelet
  7. 1 Kings 1:9 Cf. Josh 15:7; 18:16; 2Sam 17:17
  8. 1 Kings 1:10 Lit. the
  9. 1 Kings 1:11 Lit. our lord
  10. 1 Kings 1:15 Lit. to the king
  11. 1 Kings 1:17 The Heb. lacks the name of
  12. 1 Kings 1:19 Lit. He
  13. 1 Kings 1:20 Lit. him
  14. 1 Kings 1:21 Lit. sinners
  15. 1 Kings 1:30 The Heb. lacks the name of
  16. 1 Kings 1:35 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
  17. 1 Kings 1:38 Lit. Cherethites; i.e. elite body guards
  18. 1 Kings 1:38 Lit. Pelethites; i.e. special couriers
  19. 1 Kings 1:44 Lit. Cherethites; i.e. elite body guards
  20. 1 Kings 1:44 Lit. Pelethites; i.e. special couriers
  21. 1 Kings 1:47 I.e. a possible allusion to sacred oaths such as Joseph’s promise to Jacob in Gen 47:31
  22. 1 Kings 1:50 I.e. the altar associated with sacrifices in the tent
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