Families of the Levites and Their Functions

23 When David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.^(A)

²⁸ He died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon succeeded him.^(A)

⁵ And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.^(A)

³³ the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gihon.^{(A) 34} There let the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’^{(B) 35} You shall go up following him. Let him enter and sit on my throne; he shall be king in my place, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” ³⁶ Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so ordain. ³⁷ As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”^(C)

³⁸ So the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and led him to Gihon.^{(D) 39} There the priest Zadok took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”^(E)

²² and they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great joy.

Solomon Anointed King

They made David’s son Solomon king a second time; they anointed him as the Lord’s prince and Zadok as priest.^{(A) 23} Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord, succeeding his father David as king; he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All the leaders and the mighty warriors and also all the sons of King David pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. ²⁵ The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.^(B)

The Struggle for the Succession

1 King David was old and advanced in years, and although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.

³⁰ as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so will I do this day.”^(A)

²⁹ And Isaac breathed his last; he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.^(A)

⁸ Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, old and full of years, and was gathered to his people.^(A)