1 Kings 1
Expanded Bible
Adonijah Tries to Become King
1 At this time King David was ·very old [L old and advanced in years], and although his servants covered him with ·blankets [bedclothes], he could not keep warm. 2 They said to him, “·We will look for [Let us find] a young woman to ·care for you [L serve/wait on my lord the king]. She will lie ·close to you [L in your bosom] and keep you warm.” 3 After searching everywhere in Israel for a beautiful young woman, they found a girl named Abishag from Shunam and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was very beautiful, and she cared for the king and served him. But the king did not have sexual relations with her.
5 Adonijah was the son of King David and Haggith, and he ·was very proud [began boasting; L exalted himself]. “I will be the king,” he said. So he got chariots and ·horses [or horsemen; charioteers] for himself and fifty men ·for his personal bodyguard [L to run ahead of him]. 6 Now David had never ·interfered with [disciplined; crossed; rebuked] Adonijah by ·questioning what he did [L asking, “Why are you doing that?”]. Born next after Absalom, Adonijah was a very handsome man.
7 Adonijah ·spoke [conferred] with Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest, and they agreed to ·help [support] him. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and King David’s ·special guard [L mighty men] did not join Adonijah.
9 Then Adonijah killed some sheep, ·cows [oxen], and fat calves for sacrifices at the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the other sons of King David, to come, as well as all the men of Judah. 10 But Adonijah did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, ·his father’s special guard [L the mighty men], or his brother Solomon.
11 When Nathan heard about this, he went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you heard that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, has ·made himself [become] king?” Nathan asked. “Our ·real king, [lord] David, does not know it. 12 Now I will give you advice on how to save yourself and your son Solomon. 13 Go to King David and tell him, ‘My master and king, ·you promised [L didn’t you promise/vow/swear…?] that my son Solomon would be king and would rule on your throne after you. Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 While you are still talking to the king, I will come in and ·tell him that what you have said about Adonijah is true [confirm your words].”
15 So Bathsheba went in to see the aged king in his bedroom, where Abishag, the girl from Shunam, was caring for him. 16 Bathsheba bowed and knelt before the king. He asked, “What do you ·want [wish]?”
17 She answered, “My master, you ·made a promise [vowed; swore] to me in the name of the Lord your God. You said, ‘Your son Solomon will surely become king after me, and he will ·rule [sit] on my throne.’ 18 But now, unknown to you, Adonijah ·has become [is] king. 19 He has killed many ·cows [oxen], fat calves, and sheep for sacrifices. And he has invited all your sons, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite Solomon, who serves you. 20 My master and king, ·all the Israelites are watching you [L the eyes of Israel are on you], waiting for you to decide who will ·be [L sit on the throne of my lord the] king after you. 21 Otherwise, as soon as ·you die [L my lord the king sleeps with his fathers/ancestors], Solomon and I will be treated as ·criminals [offenders].”
22 While Bathsheba was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 The servants told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So Nathan went to the king and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before him.
24 Nathan said, “My ·master and [lord the] king, have you ·said [decreed] that Adonijah will be the king after you and that he will ·rule [sit] on your throne? 25 Today he has sacrificed many ·cows [oxen], fat calves, and sheep, and he has invited all ·your other [the king’s] sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him. They are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he did not invite me, your own servant, or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your ·son [L servant] Solomon. 27 Did ·you [the lord my king] do this? Since we are your servants, why didn’t you tell us who should ·be [L sit on the throne of the lord my] king after you?”
David Makes Solomon King
28 Then the king said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in!” So she came in and stood before the king.
29 Then the king ·made this promise [vowed; swore this oath], “The Lord has ·saved [rescued; delivered] me from all ·trouble [adversity; danger; distress]. As surely as he lives, 30 I will do today what I have ·promised [vowed/sworn to] you ·in the name of [by] the Lord, the God of Israel. I ·promised [vowed/swore to] that your son Solomon would be king after me and ·rule [sit] on my throne in my place.”
31 Then Bathsheba ·bowed facedown [prostrated herself] on the ground and knelt before the king and said, “·Long live [Live forever] my ·master [lord] King David!”
32 Then King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to come in.” When they came before the king, 33 he said to them, “Take my servants with you and put my son Solomon on my own mule. Take him down to ·the spring called Gihon [Gihon]. 34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet should ·pour olive oil on [L anoint] him and make him king over Israel. Blow the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and ·rule [be king] in my place, because he is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to be the ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “·Amen [So be it]! This is what the Lord, the God of my ·master [lord], has ·declared [decreed; ordained]! 37 The Lord has always ·helped [been with] you, our king. May he also ·help [be with] Solomon and make King Solomon’s throne an even greater throne than ·yours [L the throne of my lord King David].”
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada left with the Kerethites and Pelethites [C king’s bodyguard]. They put Solomon on King David’s mule and took him to the spring called Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took the ·container [flask; horn] of olive oil from the ·Holy Tent [sacred tent; L tent] and ·poured the oil on Solomon’s head to show he was the king [L anointed Solomon]. Then they blew the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 All the people followed Solomon into the city. Playing flutes and ·shouting for joy [L rejoicing with great joy], they made so much noise the ·ground [earth] shook.
41 At this time Adonijah and all the guests with him ·were [heard it while] finishing their meal. When he heard the sound from the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], Joab asked, “·What does all that noise from the city mean [Why is the city in such an uproar]?”
42 While Joab was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in! You are an ·important [worthy; honest; valiant] man, so you must be bringing good news.”
43 But Jonathan answered, “No! Our master King David has made Solomon the new king. 44 King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the Kerethites and Pelethites [C king’s bodyguard] with him, and they have put Solomon on the king’s own mule. 45 Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet ·poured olive oil on [L anointed] Solomon at Gihon to make him king. After that they went into the city, shouting with joy. Now the whole city is ·excited [celebrating; in an uproar], and that is the noise you hear. 46 Solomon has now ·become the king [L taken his seat on the royal throne]. 47 All the ·king’s officers [royal officials/servants] have come to ·tell King David that he has done a good thing [congratulate/bless our lord King David]. They are saying, ‘May your God make ·Solomon [L Solomon’s name] even more famous than ·you [L your name] and ·an even greater king than you [L his throne/reign greater than your throne/reign].’” Jonathan continued, “And King David bowed down on his ·bed to worship God [bed], 48 saying, ‘Bless the Lord, the God of Israel. Today he has ·made one of my sons the king [L granted one to sit on my throne] and allowed me to see it.’”
49 Then all of Adonijah’s guests were ·afraid [terrified; panicked], and they left quickly and scattered. 50 Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went and took hold of the ·corners [L horns; Ex. 27:2] of the altar [C in hopes that he would not be killed in a sacred place]. 51 Then someone told Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you, so he is at the altar, holding on to its ·corners [L horns]. He says, ‘Tell King Solomon to promise me today that he will not ·kill me [L put his servant to death with the sword].’”
52 So Solomon answered, “·Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise [If he is loyal/honorable/worthy,] he will not lose even a single hair from his head. But if ·he does anything wrong [he makes trouble; L evil is found in him], he will die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent some men to get Adonijah. When he was brought from the altar, he came before King Solomon and ·bowed down [prostrated himself]. Solomon told him, “Go home.”
1 Kings 1
English Standard Version
David in His Old Age
1 Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. 2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms,[a] that my lord the king may be 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 The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.
Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
5 Now (B)Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” (C)And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, (D)and he was born next after Absalom. 7 He conferred with (E)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (F)Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8 But (G)Zadok the priest and (H)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and (I)Nathan the prophet and (J)Shimei and Rei and (K)David's mighty men were not with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent's Stone, which is beside (L)En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or (M)Solomon his brother.
Nathan and Bathsheba Before David
11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that (N)Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? 12 Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, (O)“Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ 14 Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm[b] your words.”
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). 16 Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” 17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, (P)‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. 19 (Q)He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, (R)Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but (S)Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20 And 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 come to pass, when my lord the king (T)sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.”
22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 And they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground. 24 And Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 For he has gone down this day and (U)has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the commanders[c] of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, (V)‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 (W)But 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 been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
Solomon Anointed King
28 Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king's presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore, saying, (X)“As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, 30 (Y)as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.” 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, (Z)“May my lord King David live forever!”
32 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 And the king said to them, “Take with you (AA)the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to (AB)Gihon. 34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there (AC)anoint him king over Israel. (AD)Then blow the trumpet and say, (AE)‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” 36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so. 37 (AF)As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, (AG)and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (AH)and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule and brought him to Gihon. 39 There Zadok the priest took the horn of (AI)oil from the tent and (AJ)anointed Solomon. (AK)Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, (AL)“Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.
41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” 42 While he was still speaking, behold, (AM)Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, (AN)for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” 43 Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, 44 and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the (AO)Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king's mule. 45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at (AP)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 (AQ)Solomon sits on the royal throne. 47 Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, (AR)‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king (AS)bowed himself on the bed. 48 And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, (AT)who has granted someone[d] to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’”
49 Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. 50 And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went (AU)and took hold of (AV)the horns of the altar. 51 Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52 And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, (AW)not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 1:2 Or in your bosom
- 1 Kings 1:14 Or expand on
- 1 Kings 1:25 Hebrew; Septuagint Joab the commander
- 1 Kings 1:48 Septuagint one of my offspring
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 Kings 1:1 Seventy years
- 1 Kings 1:2 Or serve
- 1 Kings 1:5 The fourth son
- 1 Kings 1:5 Lit. reign
- 1 Kings 1:6 Lit. pained
- 1 Kings 1:9 Lit. Serpent
- 1 Kings 1:9 A spring south of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley
- 1 Kings 1:25 Lit. Let King Adonijah live
- 1 Kings 1:33 A spring east of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley
- 1 Kings 1:34 Lit. Let King Solomon live
- 1 Kings 1:39 Lit. Let King Solomon live
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
