Duties of the Levites

23 When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel.

²⁸ He died at a ripe old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth, and honor. Then his son Solomon ruled in his place.

⁵ And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom.

³³ the king said to them, “Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. ³⁴ There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵ Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶ “Amen!” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied. “May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, decree that it happen. ³⁷ And may the Lord be with Solomon as he has been with you, my lord the king, and may he make Solomon’s reign even greater than yours!”

³⁸ So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king’s bodyguard^[a] took Solomon down to Gihon Spring, with Solomon riding on King David’s own mule. ³⁹ There Zadok the priest took the flask of olive oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon with the oil. Then they sounded the ram’s horn and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!”

²² They feasted and drank in the Lord’s presence with great joy that day.

And again they crowned David’s son Solomon as their new king. They anointed him before the Lord as their leader, and they anointed Zadok as priest. ²³ So Solomon took the throne of the Lord in place of his father, David, and he succeeded in everything, and all Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All the officials, the warriors, and the sons of King David pledged their loyalty to King Solomon. ²⁵ And the Lord exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and he gave Solomon greater royal splendor than any king in Israel before him.

David in His Old Age

1 King David was now very old, and no matter how many blankets covered him, he could not keep warm.

³⁰ your son Solomon will be the next king and will sit on my throne this very day, just as I vowed to you before the Lord, the God of Israel.”

²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

⁸ and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death.