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Adonijah’s Attempted Coup

When David had grown very old, they covered him with blankets, but he could not keep warm, 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.” 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. The young woman was absolutely beautiful. She served the king and was very useful to him. The king was not sexually involved with her.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:2 Lit. lie in your lap

Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King

When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”

Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag,(A) a Shunammite,(B) and brought her to the king. The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.

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Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.

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