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.