Traditions and Commandments

15 (A)Then Pharisees and (B)scribes came to Jesus (C)from Jerusalem and said, (D)“Why do your disciples break (E)the tradition of the elders? (F)For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, (G)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, (H)‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”[a] he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have (I)made void the word[b] of God. (J)You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

(K)“‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as (L)doctrines the commandments of men.’”

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, (M)“Hear and understand: 11 (N)it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were (O)offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, (P)“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted (Q)will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; (R)they are blind guides.[c] And (S)if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, (T)“Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, (U)“Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that (V)whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?[d] 18 But (W)what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come (X)evil thoughts, (Y)murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, (Z)slander. 20 (AA)These are what defile a person. But (AB)to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 (AC)And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, (AD)a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, (AE)“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, (AF)“Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, (AG)“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and (AH)knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and (AI)throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat (AJ)the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, (AK)great is your faith! (AL)Be it done for you as you desire.” (AM)And her daughter was (AN)healed instantly.[e]

Jesus Heals Many

29 (AO)Jesus went on from there and walked (AP)beside the Sea of Galilee. And he (AQ)went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them (AR)the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 (AS)so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, (AT)the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And (AU)they glorified (AV)the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

32 (AW)Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, (AX)“I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, (AY)“Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and (AZ)having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And (BA)they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of (BB)Magadan.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

16 (BC)And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and (BD)to test him (BE)they asked him to show them (BF)a sign from heaven. He answered them,[f] (BG)“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ (BH)You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret (BI)the signs of the times. (BJ)An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So (BK)he left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and (BL)beware of (BM)the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But (BN)Jesus, aware of this, said, (BO)“O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? (BP)Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember (BQ)the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or (BR)the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? (BS)Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 (BT)Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of (BU)the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 (BV)Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say (BW)John the Baptist, others say (BX)Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, (BY)“You are (BZ)the Christ, (CA)the Son of (CB)the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, (CC)“Blessed are you, (CD)Simon Bar-Jonah! For (CE)flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, (CF)but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, (CG)you are Peter, and (CH)on this rock[g] I will build my church, and (CI)the gates of (CJ)hell[h] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you (CK)the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and (CL)whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[i] in heaven.” 20 (CM)Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

21 (CN)From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that (CO)he must go to Jerusalem and (CP)suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on (CQ)the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord![j] This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, (CR)“Get behind me, Satan! You are (CS)a hindrance[k] to me. For you (CT)are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him (CU)deny himself and (CV)take up his cross and follow me. 25 For (CW)whoever would save his life[l] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For (CX)what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or (CY)what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 (CZ)For the Son of Man is going to come with (DA)his angels in the glory of his Father, and (DB)then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not (DC)taste death (DD)until they see the Son of Man (DE)coming in his kingdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:5 Or is an offering
  2. Matthew 15:6 Some manuscripts law
  3. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts add of the blind
  4. Matthew 15:17 Greek is expelled into the latrine
  5. Matthew 15:28 Greek from that hour
  6. Matthew 16:2 Some manuscripts omit the following words to the end of verse 3
  7. Matthew 16:18 The Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar
  8. Matthew 16:18 Greek the gates of Hades
  9. Matthew 16:19 Or shall have been bound… shall have been loosed
  10. Matthew 16:22 Or “[May God be] merciful to you, Lord!”
  11. Matthew 16:23 Greek stumbling block
  12. Matthew 16:25 The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and twice in verse 26

That Which Defiles(A)

15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(B)

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a](C) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b](D) But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.(E)[c](F)

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,(G) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”(H)

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted(I) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d](J) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(K)

15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”(L)

16 “Are you still so dull?”(M) Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,(N) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(O) 20 These are what defile a person;(P) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(Q)

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(R) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(S) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(T)

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(U)

25 The woman came and knelt before him.(V) “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(W) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(X)(Y)(Z)

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(AA) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(AB)

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(AC) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(AD) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(AE) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

The Demand for a Sign(AF)

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees(AG) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.(AH)

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[e](AI) A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”(AJ) Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”(AK)

They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,(AL) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(AM) 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(AN) 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(AO)

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah(AP)

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(AQ) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(AR)

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”(AS)

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,(AT) but by my Father in heaven.(AU) 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[f](AV) and on this rock I will build my church,(AW) and the gates of Hades[g] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys(AX) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[h] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[i] loosed in heaven.”(AY) 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone(AZ) that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death(BA)

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem(BB) and suffer many things(BC) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,(BD) and that he must be killed(BE) and on the third day(BF) be raised to life.(BG)

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!(BH) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(BI) 25 For whoever wants to save their life[j] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.(BJ) 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man(BK) is going to come(BL) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.(BM)

28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
  2. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
  3. Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
  4. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind
  5. Matthew 16:3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes … of the times.
  6. Matthew 16:18 The Greek word for Peter means rock.
  7. Matthew 16:18 That is, the realm of the dead
  8. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
  9. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
  10. Matthew 16:25 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verse 26.

David in His Old Age

Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. 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.” 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. 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

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. 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. He conferred with (E)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (F)Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 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.

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. 1 Kings 1:2 Or in your bosom
  2. 1 Kings 1:14 Or expand on
  3. 1 Kings 1:25 Hebrew; Septuagint Joab the commander
  4. 1 Kings 1:48 Septuagint one of my offspring

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.

Now Adonijah,(C) whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots(D) and horses[a] ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never rebuked(E) him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

Adonijah conferred with Joab(F) son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar(G) the priest, and they gave him their support. But Zadok(H) the priest, Benaiah(I) son of Jehoiada, Nathan(J) the prophet, Shimei(K) and Rei and David’s special guard(L) did not join Adonijah.

Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel.(M) He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons,(N) and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite(O) Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.(P)

11 Then Nathan asked Bathsheba,(Q) Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah,(R) the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? 12 Now then, let me advise(S) you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear(T) to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”

15 So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag(U) the Shunammite was attending him. 16 Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king.

“What is it you want?” the king asked.

17 She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore(V) to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ 18 But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed(W) great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest(X) with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”

22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

24 Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? 25 Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.(Y) 27 Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

David Makes Solomon King(Z)

28 Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

29 The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,(AA) 30 I will surely carry out this very day what I swore(AB) to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

31 Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

32 King David said, “Call in Zadok(AC) the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, 33 he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule(AD) and take him down to Gihon.(AE) 34 There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint(AF) him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet(AG) and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”

36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. 37 As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with(AH) Solomon to make his throne even greater(AI) than the throne of my lord King David!”

38 So Zadok(AJ) the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites(AK) and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.(AL) 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil(AM) from the sacred tent(AN) and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet(AO) and all the people shouted,(AP) “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing pipes(AQ) and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”(AR)

42 Even as he was speaking, Jonathan(AS) son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”(AT)

43 “Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, 45 and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds(AU) with it. That’s the noise you hear. 46 Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat(AV) on the royal throne. 47 Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater(AW) than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed 48 and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor(AX) on my throne today.’”

49 At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. 50 But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns(AY) of the altar. 51 Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”

52 Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair(AZ) of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:5 Or charioteers

40 How often they (A)rebelled against him in the wilderness
    and (B)grieved him in (C)the desert!
41 They (D)tested God again and again
    and provoked (E)the Holy One of Israel.
42 They (F)did not remember his power[a]
    or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
43 (G)when he performed his (H)signs in Egypt
    and his (I)marvels in (J)the fields of Zoan.
44 He (K)turned their rivers to blood,
    so that they could not drink of their streams.
45 He sent among them swarms of (L)flies, which devoured them,
    and (M)frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave their crops to (N)the destroying locust
    and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with (O)hail
    and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gave over their (P)cattle to the hail
    and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He let loose on them his burning anger,
    wrath, indignation, and distress,
    a company of (Q)destroying angels.
50 He made a path for his anger;
    he did not spare them from death,
    but gave their lives over to the plague.
51 He struck down every (R)firstborn in Egypt,
    the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of (S)Ham.
52 Then he led out his people (T)like sheep
    and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 (U)He led them in safety, so that they (V)were not afraid,
    but (W)the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his (X)holy land,
    (Y)to the mountain which his right hand had (Z)won.
55 He (AA)drove out nations before them;
    he (AB)apportioned them for a possession
    and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56 Yet they (AC)tested and (AD)rebelled against the Most High God
    and did not keep his testimonies,
57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
    they twisted like (AE)a deceitful bow.
58 For they (AF)provoked him to anger with their (AG)high places;
    they (AH)moved him to jealousy with their (AI)idols.
59 When God heard, he was full of (AJ)wrath,
    and he utterly rejected Israel.
60 He (AK)forsook his dwelling at (AL)Shiloh,
    the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
61 and delivered his (AM)power to captivity,
    his (AN)glory to the hand of the foe.
62 He (AO)gave his people over to the sword
    and (AP)vented his wrath on his heritage.
63 (AQ)Fire devoured their young men,
    and their young women had no (AR)marriage song.
64 Their (AS)priests fell by the sword,
    and their (AT)widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord (AU)awoke as from sleep,
    like a strong man shouting because of wine.
66 And he (AV)put his adversaries to rout;
    he put them to everlasting shame.

67 He rejected the tent of (AW)Joseph;
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
    Mount Zion, which he (AX)loves.
69 He (AY)built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
    like the earth, which he has founded forever.
70 He (AZ)chose David his servant
    and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from (BA)following the nursing ewes he brought him
    to (BB)shepherd Jacob his people,
    Israel his (BC)inheritance.
72 With (BD)upright heart he shepherded them
    and (BE)guided them with his skillful hand.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 78:42 Hebrew hand

40 How often they rebelled(A) against him in the wilderness(B)
    and grieved him(C) in the wasteland!
41 Again and again they put God to the test;(D)
    they vexed the Holy One of Israel.(E)
42 They did not remember(F) his power—
    the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,(G)
43 the day he displayed his signs(H) in Egypt,
    his wonders(I) in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned their river into blood;(J)
    they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies(K) that devoured them,
    and frogs(L) that devastated them.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,(M)
    their produce to the locust.(N)
47 He destroyed their vines with hail(O)
    and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
    their livestock(P) to bolts of lightning.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,(Q)
    his wrath, indignation and hostility—
    a band of destroying angels.(R)
50 He prepared a path for his anger;
    he did not spare them from death
    but gave them over to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,(S)
    the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.(T)
52 But he brought his people out like a flock;(U)
    he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
    but the sea engulfed(V) their enemies.(W)
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to the hill country his right hand(X) had taken.
55 He drove out nations(Y) before them
    and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;(Z)
    he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

56 But they put God to the test
    and rebelled against the Most High;
    they did not keep his statutes.
57 Like their ancestors(AA) they were disloyal and faithless,
    as unreliable as a faulty bow.(AB)
58 They angered him(AC) with their high places;(AD)
    they aroused his jealousy with their idols.(AE)
59 When God heard(AF) them, he was furious;(AG)
    he rejected Israel(AH) completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,(AI)
    the tent he had set up among humans.(AJ)
61 He sent the ark of his might(AK) into captivity,(AL)
    his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword;(AM)
    he was furious with his inheritance.(AN)
63 Fire consumed(AO) their young men,
    and their young women had no wedding songs;(AP)
64 their priests were put to the sword,(AQ)
    and their widows could not weep.

65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,(AR)
    as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies;
    he put them to everlasting shame.(AS)
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;(AT)
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,(AU)
    Mount Zion,(AV) which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary(AW) like the heights,
    like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David(AX) his servant
    and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep(AY) he brought him
    to be the shepherd(AZ) of his people Jacob,
    of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;(BA)
    with skillful hands he led them.

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