⁴ and the fourth, ^(A)Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

Solomon's Reign Established

¹³ Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, ^(A)“Do you come peacefully?” He said, “Peacefully.” ¹⁴ Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Speak.” ¹⁵ He said, “You know that ^(B)the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's, ^(C)for it was his from the Lord. ¹⁶ And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Speak.” ¹⁷ And he said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me ^(D)Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” ¹⁸ Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.”

¹⁹ So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king's mother, ^(E)and she sat on his right. ²⁰ Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” ²¹ She said, “Let ^(F)Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.” ²² King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask ^(G)Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, ^(H)for he is my older brother, and on his side ^(I)are Abiathar^[a] the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” ²³ Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, ^(J)“God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! ²⁴ Now therefore ^(K)as the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, ^(L)as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.” ²⁵ So King Solomon sent ^(M)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.

Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King

⁵ Now ^(A)Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” ^(B)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, ^(C)and he was born next after Absalom. ⁷ He conferred with ^(D)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with ^(E)Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. ⁸ But ^(F)Zadok the priest and ^(G)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and ^(H)Nathan the prophet and ^(I)Shimei and Rei and ^(J)David's mighty men were not with Adonijah.

⁹ Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent's Stone, which is beside ^(K)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 ^(L)Solomon his brother.

Nathan and Bathsheba Before David

¹¹ Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that ^(M)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, ^(N)“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^[a] 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, ^(O)‘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.