1 Kings 1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let a young virgin be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be his attendant; let her lie in your bosom, so that my lord the king may be warm.” 3 So they searched for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel and found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king.(A) 4 The young woman was very beautiful. She became the king’s attendant and served him, but the king did not know her sexually.
5 Now Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” He prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.(B) 6 His father had never at any time reprimanded him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.(C) 7 He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, and they supported Adonijah.(D) 8 But the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the prophet Nathan, and Shammah[a] and his companions,[b] David’s own warriors, did not side with Adonijah.(E)
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the stone Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah,(F) 10 but he did not invite the prophet Nathan or Benaiah or the warriors or his brother Solomon.(G)
11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our lord David does not know it?(H) 12 Now therefore come, let me give you advice, so 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, “Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then is Adonijah king?” ’(I) 14 Then while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his room. The king was very old; Abishag the Shunammite was attending the king.(J) 16 Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said, “What do you wish?” 17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne.’(K) 18 But now suddenly Adonijah has become king, though you, my lord the king, do not know it. 19 He has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance and has invited all the children of the king, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but your servant Solomon he has not invited.(L) 20 But you, 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 sleeps with his ancestors, that my son Solomon and I will be counted offenders.”(M)
22 While she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan came in. 23 The king was told, “Here is the prophet Nathan.” When he came in before the king, he did obeisance to the king, with his face to the ground. 24 Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 For today he has gone down and has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance and has invited all the king’s children, Joab the commander[c] of the army, and the priest Abiathar, who are now eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’(N) 26 But he did not invite me, your servant, and the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon.(O) 27 Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not let your servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
The Accession of Solomon
28 King David answered, “Summon Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 The king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has saved my life from every adversity,(P) 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.”(Q) 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and did obeisance to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”(R)
32 King David said, “Summon to me the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, 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.(S) 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!’(T) 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.”(U)
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.(V) 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!”(W) 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.”(X) 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.(Y) 46 Solomon now sits on the royal throne.(Z) 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(AA) 48 and went on to pray thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who today has granted one of my offspring[d] to sit on my throne and permitted me to witness it.’ ”(AB)
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.(AC) 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.”(AD) 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.”
1 Kings 1
Lexham English Bible
David’s Last Days
1 Now King David had become old, advanced in years,[a] and they covered him with garments, but he was not warm. 2 His servants said to him, “Let them search for a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king. Let her be of use for him, and let her lie in your lap that my lord the king may be warm.” 3 So they sought a beautiful young woman in all the territory of Israel, and they found Abishag the Shunnamite and brought her to the king. 4 Now the young woman was very beautiful; she was of use for the king, and she served him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her.[b]
Adonijah Seeks David’s Throne
5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith was exalting himself, saying, “I will be king,” so he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men running before him. 6 His father did not rebuke him at any time[c] by saying, “Why did you do so?” Now he was also very handsome of appearance; she had borne him after Absalom.[d] 7 He conferred[e] with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported Adonijah.[f] 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty warriors were David’s; they were not with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened animals near the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel. He invited all of his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty warriors or Solomon his brother.
Solomon’s Intercessors
11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, but our lord David does not know? 12 So then, come, let me advise you please, that you may save[g] your life and the life of your son, Solomon. 13 Come, go to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord the king, sworn to your servant, “Surely Solomon your son shall become king after me. And he will sit on my throne”? But why is Adonijah king?’ 14 While you are still there speaking with the king, I will enter after you, and I will confirm your words.”[h]
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in the private room. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunnamite was attending the king. 16 Bathsheba knelt and bowed down before the king, and the king asked, “What do you want?”[i] 17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore by Yahweh your God to your servant, ‘Solomon your son surely shall become king after me, and he will sit upon my throne!’ 18 But now, look! Adonijah has become king! And now, my lord the king, you do not know! 19 He has sacrificed oxen and sheep and fattened animals in abundance,[j] and he has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he did not invite. 20 But as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all of Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 It shall be that when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors,[k] I and my son Solomon will be considered as sinners.”
22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 They told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” He came into the presence of the king and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 24 Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne’?
25 “For he went down today and sacrificed oxen, sheep, and fattened animals in abundance.[l] He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and look, they are eating and drinking before him. They have also said, “Long live King Adonijah! 26 But me, your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Solomon your servant he did not invite. 27 If it was from my lord the king that this thing has happened, then all is well, but if not, you must let your servants know who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.” 28 Then King David answered and said, “Summon Bathsheba for me.” Then she came before the king and stood in his presence.[m] 29 Then the king swore and said, “As Yahweh lives,[n] who has saved my life from all trouble, 30 surely as I swore to you by Yahweh the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall surely be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ surely I shall do so this very day.” 31 Then Bathsheba knelt with her face to the ground and did obeisance to the king, and she said, “May my lord, King David, live forever.”
Solomon Is Crowned King
32 Then King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,” and they came before the king. 33 The king said to them, “Take with you all the servants of your lord, and let them make Solomon my son ride on my mule, and bring him down to Gihon. 34 Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel. Blow on the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you shall go up after him, and let him come and sit on my throne; he shall be king in my place. I have appointed him to be leader over Israel and Judah.” 36 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! So may Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, confirm it! 37 As Yahweh was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.” 38 Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites went down, and they let Solomon ride on the mule of King David, and they brought him to Gihon. 39 Then Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent, and he anointed Solomon. They blew on the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on the flutes and rejoicing with great joy, and the earth shook with their noise.
Adonijah’s Response to the Coronation of Solomon
41 And Adonijah and all the invited guests who were with him heard it. Now they were finished eating when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet and said, “Why is there such a noise in the city?”[o] 42 While he was still speaking, suddenly Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Adonijah said, “Come, for you are a man of valor, and you bring good news.” 43 Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “But our lord King David has made Solomon king! 44 He sent Zadok the priest with the king, and Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites; they made him ride on the king’s mule. 45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him as king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing. The city has gone wild; this is the sound which you heard. 46 And also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom! 47 The servants of the king also came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘Your God has made the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ So the king worshiped on the bed. 48 What is more, the king said, ‘May Yahweh the God of Israel be blessed, who has given this day one sitting on my throne, and my eyes are seeing it!’”
49 Then all the invited guests who were for Adonijah trembled and got up and went, each on his way. 50 Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon, and he got up and went and grasped the horns of the altar. 51 Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and he has grasped the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first[p] that he will surely not kill his servant with the sword!’” 52 Solomon said, “If he is a son of noble character, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, but if evil is found in him, then he will die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent and brought him down from upon the altar. He came and did obeisance to King Solomon. Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 1:1 Literally “he went in the days”
- 1 Kings 1:4 Literally “know her”
- 1 Kings 1:6 Literally “from his days”
- 1 Kings 1:6 “She” refers to Haggith bearing Adonijah; Absalom’s mother was Maacah
- 1 Kings 1:7 Literally “And there were his words”
- 1 Kings 1:7 Literally “they helped after Adonijah”
- 1 Kings 1:12 Literally “and save”
- 1 Kings 1:14 Literally “I will make full your words”
- 1 Kings 1:16 Literally “What is for you”
- 1 Kings 1:19 Literally “as far as the many”
- 1 Kings 1:21 Or “fathers”
- 1 Kings 1:25 Literally “as far as the many”
- 1 Kings 1:28 Following the corrected LXX and Vulgate
- 1 Kings 1:29 Literally “The life of Yahweh”
- 1 Kings 1:41 Literally “Why is the sound of the city noisy?”
- 1 Kings 1:51 Literally “as the day”
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