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.^{(A) 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!”^{(B) 40} And all the people went up following him, playing on pipes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth quaked at their noise.

⁴¹ Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the city in an uproar?” ⁴² While he was still speaking, Jonathan son of the priest Abiathar arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and surely you bring good news.”^{(C) 43} Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king; ⁴⁴ the king has sent with him the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they had him ride on the king’s mule; ⁴⁵ the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan 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 heard.^{(D) 46} Solomon now sits on the royal throne.^{(E) 47} Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours and make his throne greater than your throne.’ The king bowed in worship on the bed^{(F) 48} and went on to pray thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who today has granted one of my offspring^[a] to sit on my throne and permitted me to witness it.’ ”^(G)

⁴⁹ Then all the guests of Adonijah got up trembling and went their own ways. ⁵⁰ Adonijah, fearing Solomon, got up and went to grasp the horns of the altar.^{(H) 51} Solomon was informed, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; see, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’ ” ⁵² So Solomon responded, “If he proves to be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”^{(I) 53} Then King Solomon sent to have him brought down from the altar. He came to do obeisance to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go home.”

David’s Instruction to Solomon

2 When David’s time to die drew near, he charged his son Solomon, saying:^{(J) 2} “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous,^{(K) 3} and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.^{(L) 4} Then the Lord will establish his word that he spoke concerning me: ‘If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.’^(M)

Paul Appeals to Agrippa to Believe

²⁴ While he was making this defense, Festus exclaimed, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!”^{(A) 25} But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth.^{(B) 26} Indeed, the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely, for I am certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” ²⁸ Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?”^{(C) 29} Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am—except for these chains.”^(D)

³⁰ Then the king got up and with him the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them, ³¹ and as they were leaving they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.”^{(E) 32} Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor.”^(F)

Paul Sails for Rome

27 When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius.^{(G) 2} Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.^{(H) 3} The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for.^{(I) 4} Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. ⁵ After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.^{(J) 6} There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board.^{(K) 7} We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. ⁸ Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

²⁸ “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he^[a] is near, at the very gates. ³⁰ Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.^{(A) 31} Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.^(B)

The Necessity for Watchfulness

³² “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.^{(C) 33} Beware, keep alert,^[b] for you do not know when the time will come.^{(D) 34} It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.^{(E) 35} Therefore, keep awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn,^{(F) 36} or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”