1 Kings 1
New American Standard Bible
David in Old Age
1 Now King David was old, [a]advanced in age; and they covered him with garments, but he could not keep warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “Have them search for a young virgin for my lord the king, and have her [b]attend the king and become his nurse; and have her lie on your chest, so that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3 So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the (A)Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not [c]become intimate with her.
5 Now (B)Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So (C)he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, with fifty men to run before him. 6 And his father had never rebuked him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and [d](D)he was born after Absalom. 7 Now [e]he had conferred with (E)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (F)Abiathar the priest; and they allied themselves with (G)Adonijah. 8 But (H)Zadok the priest, (I)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (J)Nathan the prophet, (K)Shimei, Rei, and (L)the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened steers by the [f]stone of Zoheleth, which is beside (M)En-rogel; and he 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 his brother (N)Solomon.
Nathan and Bathsheba
11 Then Nathan spoke to (O)Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12 So now come, please let me (P)give you advice, and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go [g]at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord the king, sworn to your servant, saying, “(Q)Solomon your son certainly shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15 So Bathsheba entered to the king in the bedroom. Now (R)the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king. 16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself [h]before the king. And the king said, “What [i]is on your mind?” 17 So she said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘(S)Your son Solomon certainly shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 But now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 19 (T)He has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, to announce to them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will come about, (U)as soon as my lord the king [j]lies down with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered [k]offenders.”
22 And behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 They informed the king, saying, “Nathan the prophet is here.” And when he came into the king’s presence, he prostrated himself [l]before the king with his face to the ground. 24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you yourself said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 (V)For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking in his presence; and they say, ‘(W)Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 (X)But me, even me your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. 27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not let your [m]servants know who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28 Then King David responded and said, “Summon Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 Then the king vowed and said, “(Y)As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30 certainly as (Z)I vowed to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon certainly shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so this day.” 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself before the king and said, “(AA)May my lord King David live forever.”
32 Then King David said, “Summon to me (AB)Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. 33 And the king said to them, “Take with you (AC)the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to (AD)Gihon. 34 And have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet (AE)anoint him there as king over Israel, and (AF)blow the trumpet and say, ‘(AG)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, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say the same. 37 (AH)Just as the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and (AI)make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
Solomon Anointed King
38 So (AJ)Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (AK)the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to (AL)Gihon. 39 And Zadok the priest then (AM)took the horn of oil from the tent and (AN)anointed Solomon. Then they (AO)blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “(AP)Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth [n]shook at their noise.
41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard this as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the [o]city making such an uproar?” 42 While he was still speaking, behold, (AQ)Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for (AR)you are a valiant man and you bring good news.” 43 But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “On the contrary! Our lord King David has made Solomon king! 44 The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have mounted him on the king’s mule. 45 Furthermore, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, (AS)so that the city is going wild. This is the noise which you have heard. 46 Besides, (AT)Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47 Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May (AU)your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and his throne greater than your throne!’ And (AV)the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 The king has also said this: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who (AW)has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”
49 Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and got up, and each went on his way. 50 Adonijah also was afraid of Solomon, and he got up, and went, and (AX)took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Now it was reported to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52 And Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, (AY)not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.” 53 So King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 1:1 Lit coming into days
- 1 Kings 1:2 Lit stand before
- 1 Kings 1:4 Lit know her
- 1 Kings 1:6 Lit she gave him birth
- 1 Kings 1:7 Lit his words were
- 1 Kings 1:9 Or Sliding; or Serpent Stone
- 1 Kings 1:13 Lit and enter to
- 1 Kings 1:16 Lit to
- 1 Kings 1:16 Lit to you
- 1 Kings 1:21 I.e., dies
- 1 Kings 1:21 Lit sinners
- 1 Kings 1:23 Lit to
- 1 Kings 1:27 Some mss servant
- 1 Kings 1:40 Lit was split
- 1 Kings 1:41 Lit sound of the city an uproar
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
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
