Chronological
Adonijah’s Attempted Coup
1 When David had grown very old, they covered him with blankets, but he could not keep warm, 2 so his servants suggested to him, “Let’s look for a young virgin woman to take care of you, your majesty. She will be of use to you if you have her lie down near you[a] so that your majesty may keep warm.” 3 So they conducted a search throughout the territory of Israel for a beautiful young woman, and Abishag the Shunammite was located and brought to the king. 4 The young woman was absolutely beautiful. She served the king and was very useful to him. The king was not sexually involved with her.
5 Meanwhile, about this time Haggith’s son Adonijah began to seek a reputation for himself and decided,[b] “I’m going to be king!” So he prepared chariots, cavalry, and 50 soldiers to serve as a security detail to guard him.[c] 6 His father had never challenged him at any time during his life by asking him, “Why are you acting like this?” Adonijah[d] was very handsome and had been born after Absalom. 7 He had the support of Zeruiah’s son Joab and of Abiathar the priest, who followed Adonijah[e] and assisted him, 8 but Zadok the priest, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal elite forces would have nothing to do with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the Serpent Stone[f] near En-rogel,[g] inviting all of his relatives, the king’s sons, and all of the men of Judah who worked for the king, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, David’s[h] personal elite forces, or his brother Solomon.
Nathan and Bathsheba Confer about Adonijah
11 “Haven’t you heard?” Nathan asked Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. “Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king and David, our true king,[i] isn’t aware of it. 12 If you listen to me, you’ll save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go right now to King David and ask him, ‘Your majesty, you promised your servant that “Your son Solomon will certainly become king after me and will sit on my throne,” didn’t you? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Then, while you are still talking to the king, I’ll come in after you and verify your statement.”
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his private room. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him.[j] 16 Bathsheba knelt and bowed down to the king, and the king asked her, “What do you wish?”
17 “Your majesty,” she replied, “you promised your servant in the name of[k] the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon will certainly become king after me and will sit on my throne.’ 18 Now look, Adonijah has become king, and your majesty is not aware of it. 19 Adonijah[l] has sacrificed myriads of oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep, and he has invited all of the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. 20 And as for you, your majesty, everyone in Israel is looking to you to tell them who will sit on your majesty’s throne after you.[m] 21 Otherwise, as soon as your majesty is laid to rest with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be branded as traitors.”[n]
22 While she was still talking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 They informed the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.”
When he had been ushered into the presence of the king, Nathan bowed low in front of the king with his face to the ground 24 and asked, “Your majesty, did you say ‘Adonijah will be king after me and will sit on my throne’? 25 Well now, he went down today and sacrificed lots of oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. They’re having a party together and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 Of course, he never invited me, Zadok the priest, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, nor your servant Solomon. 27 Were you behind this, your majesty, without letting your servants know who would sit on your majesty’s throne after him?”
David Affirms Solomon as King
28 “Call Bathsheba for me,” King David replied. So she came in and stood in front of the king. 29 “As the Lord lives,” the king said with an oath, “who has redeemed me from all sorts of troubles, 30 I certainly did tell you in the name of[o] the Lord God of Israel, ‘Your son Solomon will be king after me and will sit on my throne in my place.’ I’m certainly going to make this happen today!”
31 “King David,” Bathsheba said as she bowed low in front of the king with her face to the ground, “your majesty, may you live forever.”
32 “Get me Zadok the priest,” King David said, “along with Nathan the prophet, and Jehoiada’s son Benaiah.” So they were ushered into the king’s presence 33 and David addressed them. “Take your lord’s servants, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. 34 Have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel. Then sound a trumpet and declare ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 After this, you are to follow him back here, and he is to come and sit on my throne and take my place as king, because I’ve appointed him to be Commander-in-Chief[p] over Israel and Judah.”
36 “Amen!” replied Jehoiada’s son Benaiah to the king. “May the Lord God of your majesty make this happen! 37 As the Lord has been with your majesty the king, so may he be with Solomon. May he make his throne greater than the throne of your majesty, King David.”
Solomon is Anointed King
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, and the special forces[q] and mercenaries[r] went out and had Solomon ride the king’s mule all the way to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest brought from his tent a horn filled with oil and anointed Solomon, a trumpet was sounded, and everybody yelled out, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 All the people followed after him, playing on wind pipes and so full of joy that the earth shook because of all the noise!
41 Right about then, Adonijah and all of his guests were just finishing their meal when they heard all the noise. “Why is the city in such an uproar?” Joab asked as he heard the trumpet sounds.
42 While he was still asking that question, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest arrived, so Adonijah told him, “Come on in, since you’re a worthy man and are bringing us good news!”
43 “No,” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has installed Solomon as king. 44 The king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, and the special forces[s] and mercenaries,[t] along with Solomon, who is riding the king’s personal mule. 45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him in Gihon, and they just left from there rejoicing, and that’s why the city is all in an uproar. That’s the noise that you’ve been hearing! 46 Solomon now sits on the royal throne. 47 In addition to all of this, the king’s servants have come along to congratulate our lord King David. They’ve been telling David ‘May your God make Solomon’s reputation even more famous than yours, and may he make his throne greater than yours!’ The king has himself bowed in worship on his own bed[u] 48 and said ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has provided someone to sit on my throne today. I’ve seen it with my own eyes!’”
49 Terrified, all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up and ran away. 50 Afraid of Solomon, Adonijah also jumped up and headed straight for the horns of the altar.[v]
51 “Hey look!” somebody informed Solomon. “Adonijah is terrified of King Solomon! He’s gone out, grabbed hold of the horns of the altar, and now he’s begging King Solomon, ‘Swear to me that you won’t put your servant to death with a sword!’”
52 “If he’s done nothing wrong, not a hair of his head will be harmed,” Solomon replied. “But if we find evil in him, he’s a dead man.”
53 So King Solomon sent for him, and he was brought down from the altar. When he had arrived, he fell on his face in front of King Solomon, so Solomon told him, “Go home!”
David Instructs Solomon
2 As David’s time to die approached, he addressed his son Solomon with these words:
2 “I’m headed down the road that everyone who lives on earth travels, so be strong and demonstrate that you’re a grown man 3 by keeping the charge that the Lord your God entrusted to you. Live life his way, keep his statutes, his commands, his ordinances, and his testimonies, just as they’re written down in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in everything you do and wherever you go,[w] 4 and so that the Lord may fulfill his promise that he spoke about me when he said, ‘If your sons pay attention to how they live by walking truthfully in my presence with all their heart and with all their soul, you will never lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
5 “Furthermore, you’re aware of what Zeruiah’s son Joab did to me and to those two commanders of the armies of Israel, Ner’s son Abner and Jether’s son Amasa, whom he killed, and how he shed the blood of wartime during times of peace, staining the very belt he wears around his waist and the sandals he wears on his feet. 6 So act consistently with your wisdom, and don’t let him die as a peaceful old man.[x] 7 Be gracious to the descendants of Barzillai the Gileadite, and provide for them in your household,[y] because they helped me when I had to run from your brother Absalom.
8 “Pay attention now! You have with you Gera’s son Shimei the descendant of Benjamin from Bahurim. He cursed me violently that day when I had to leave for Mahanaim. When he visited me at the Jordan River,[z] I made an oath to the Lord and told him, ‘I won’t execute you with a sword.’ 9 But don’t let him off unpunished, since you’re a wise man and you’ll know what you need to do to him. Find a way that he dies in his old age[aa] by shedding his blood.”
David Dies and Solomon Consolidates His Reign(A)
10 After this, David died, as had[ab] his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. 11 David had reigned over Israel for 40 years. He reigned in Hebron for seven years and in Jerusalem for 33 years. 12 Solomon then assumed his father David’s throne, and his kingdom was firmly established.
Adonijah asks for Abishag
13 Later, Haggith’s son Adonijah approached Solomon’s mother. “Are you here on a peaceful mission?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied. 14 “I have something to ask you about.”
“Talk,” she told him.
15 So he replied, “You know that the kingdom should have come to me, and that everyone in Israel intended to place me as the next[ac] king. However, the kingdom has turned around and now belongs to my brother, because it went to him from the Lord. 16 So now I’m asking one thing from you. Don’t refuse me.”
“Talk,” she told him.
17 Then he asked her, “Please talk to King Solomon for me, since he won’t refuse you. Ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.”
18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I’ll talk to the king for you.” 19 So Bathsheba went to talk to King Solomon for Adonijah. The king rose to meet her, bowed to her, and sat down on his throne. He ordered a throne be set in place for his mother. She sat on a throne to his right 20 and told him,[ad] “I would like to make a minor request of you. Please don’t refuse me.”
“What is your request, mother?” the king asked her. “I won’t turn you down.”
21 So she asked him, “Give Abishag the Shunammite to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”
22 But King Solomon replied to his mother, “Why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Why not ask me to give up the kingdom for him, since he’s my older brother, and why not ask[ae] for Abiathar the priest, and for Zeruiah’s son Joab?”
23 Then King Solomon took this oath in the name of the Lord: “May God do so to me, and more besides, if Adonijah hasn’t endangered his life by bringing up this subject. 24 Now therefore, as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of my father David, and who has established a dynasty, just like he promised, Adonijah will surely be executed today.” 25 So King Solomon sent for Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, who attacked and killed Adonijah.[af]
26 The king also told Abiathar the priest, “Go home to Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I won’t kill you today, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David and because you shared all the troubles that my father went through.” 27 So Solomon fired Abiathar as the Lord’s priest, thus fulfilling the promise that the Lord had spoken in Shiloh concerning Eli’s household.[ag]
Joab is Executed
28 When Joab learned what had happened, he ran to the Lord’s tent and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar, since Joab had supported Adonijah (though he had not supported Absalom). 29 Somebody informed King Solomon, “Joab just ran to the Lord’s tent and now he’s standing beside the altar!”
But Solomon ordered Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, “Go kill him!”
30 So Benaiah went into the Lord’s tent and told Joab,[ah] “The king orders you to come out!”
“No,” Joab said, “I’d rather die here!”
So Benaiah went and informed the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”
31 The king replied to him, “Do just what he asked. Kill him and bury him so that you may remove from me and from my father’s household the guilt that Joab shed needlessly. 32 The Lord will repay him for his bloodshed because, without my father David’s consent he attacked and murdered two men more righteous and better than he, Ner’s son Abner, the commander of Israel’s army and Jether’s son Amasa, commander of Judah’s army. 33 May their blood be repaid to Joab and to his descendants forever, and may there be peace shown from the Lord forever to David, to his descendants, to his household, and to his throne.”
34 Jehoiada’s son Benaiah then approached Joab, attacked him, killed him, and had him buried at Joab’s[ai] home in the wilderness. 35 The king appointed Jehoiada’s son Benaiah in charge of the army to replace Joab and also appointed Zadok the priest to replace Abiathar.
Shimei is Executed
36 The king sent for Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but don’t go anywhere from there. 37 If you ever leave and cross the Kidron Brook, you can be sure that you’ll die. You’ll be responsible for your own death.”
38 Shimei replied to the king, “What your majesty has decreed is acceptable to me. I’ll do what you’ve said.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for quite some time. 39 But three years later, two of Shimei’s servants escaped to Maacah’s son Achish, the king of Gath.
Somebody told Shimei, “Look! Your servants went to Gath!” 40 So Shimei got up, saddled a donkey, and traveled to Gath to find his servants. He found them and brought them back from Gath.
41 Later, Solomon found out that Shimei had left Jerusalem, gone to Gath, and had returned, 42 so the king sent for Shimei and asked him, “Didn’t I make a promise to the Lord and warn you, ‘The day you leave and go anywhere else, you can be sure you’ll die’? And you told me, ‘What your majesty has decreed is acceptable to me.’ 43 So why haven’t you kept the oath you made to the Lord, and why didn’t you obey my personal order to you?”
44 The king also reminded Shimei, “You know all the evil things that you admit you did to my father David. Therefore the Lord is going to repay you for[aj] all of your evil. 45 But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will be established in the presence of the Lord forever.” 46 So the king gave orders to Jehoiada’s son Benaiah to go out, attack Shimei, and kill him. That is how the kingdom was established under Solomon’s control.
Davidic[a]
Patiently Trust in God
37 Don’t be angry because of those who do evil,
do not be jealous because of those who commit iniquity.
2 Indeed, they soon will wither like grass,
and like green herbs they will fade away.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
Trust him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as a light,
and your justice as the noonday sun.[b]
7 Be silent in the Lord’s presence
and wait patiently for him.
Don’t be angry because of the one whose way prospers
or the one who implements evil schemes.
8 Calm your anger and abandon wrath.
Don’t be angry—
it only leads to evil.
9 Those who do evil will perish.
But those who wait[c] on the Lord will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while longer,
and the wicked will be no more.
You will search for his place,
but he will not be there.
11 The humble will inherit the land;
they will take in abundant peace.
12 The wicked person plots against the righteous,
and grinds his teeth at him.
13 But the Lord laughs at him
because he sees that his day is coming!
14 The wicked take out a sword and bend the bow,
to bring down the humble and the poor
to slay those who are righteous in conduct.
15 But their sword will pierce their own heart,
and their bows will be broken!
16 Better is the little that the righteous have
than the abundance of many wicked people.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the day of the blameless,
and their inheritance will last forever.
19 They will not experience shame in times of trouble;
in times of famine they will have plenty.
20 Indeed, the wicked will perish.
The Lord’s enemies will be consumed like flowers[d] in the fields.
They will vanish like[e] smoke.
21 The wicked borrow but never pay back;
but the righteous are generous and give.
22 For those blessed by God[f] will inherit the land,
but those cursed by him will be cut off.
23 A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and the Lord[g] delights in his way.
24 Though he stumbles,
he will not fall down flat,
for the Lord will hold up his hand.
25 I once was young and now I am old,
but I have not seen a righteous person forsaken
or his descendants begging for bread.
26 Every day he is generous, lending freely,
and his descendants are blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good,
and you will live in the land[h] forever.
28 Indeed, the Lord loves justice,
and he will not abandon his godly ones.
They are kept safe forever,
but the lawless will be chased away,[i]
and the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the land,
and they will dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous one produces wisdom;
his tongue speaks justice.
31 The instruction[j] of his God is in his heart;
his steps will not slip.
32 The wicked stalks the righteous person, seeking to kill him,
33 but the Lord will not let him fall into his hands.
He will not be condemned when he is put on trial.
34 Wait on the Lord,
Keep faithful to his way,
and he will exalt you to possess the land.
You will see the wicked cut off.
35 I once observed a wicked and oppressive person,
flourishing like a green tree in native soil.
36 But then he[k] passed away;[l]
in fact, he simply was not there.
When I looked for him,
he could not be found.
37 Observe the blameless!
Take note of the upright!
Indeed, the future of that man is peace.
38 Sinners will be destroyed together;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 But deliverance for the righteous one comes from the Lord;
he is their strength in times of distress.
40 The Lord helps and delivers them;
he will deliver them from the wicked,
and he will save them because they have sought refuge in him.
A Prayer for Deliverance
71 In you, Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be humiliated.
2 Rescue and deliver me,[a] because you are righteous.
Turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my sheltering refuge where I may go continuously;
command my deliverance
for you are my rock and fortress.
4 My God, deliver me from the power of the wicked
and the grasp of ruthless practicers of evil.
5 For you are my hope, Lord God,
my security since I was young.
6 I depended on you since birth,[b]
when you brought me[c] from my mother’s womb;
I praise you continuously.
7 I have become an example to many
that you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise
and your splendor daily.
9 Don’t throw me away when I am old;
do not abandon me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies talk against me;
those who seek to kill me plot together
11 and say, “God has abandoned him.
Run after him and seize him,
because there’s no deliverer.”
12 God, do not be distant from me.
My God, come quickly to help me.
13 Let my adversaries be ashamed and consumed;[d]
let those who seek my destruction
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will hope continuously
and will praise you more and more.
15 I[e] will declare your righteousness
and your salvation every day,
though I do not fully understand
what the outcome will be.[f]
16 Lord God, I will come in the power of[g] your mighty acts,
remembering your righteousness—yours alone.
17 God, you taught me from my youth,
so I am still declaring your awesome deeds.
18 Also, when I reach old age and have gray hair,
God, do not forsake me,
until I have declared your power
to this generation
and your might to the next one.
19 Your many righteous deeds,[h] God, are great,
20 God, who can compare to you,
who caused me to experience[i] troubles
that were numerous and disastrous?
You will return to revive me
and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.
22 I also will praise you with the harp;
because of your faithfulness, my God,
I will praise you with the lyre—
Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you,
whose life you have redeemed.
24 Moreover, my tongue will speak all day about your justice;
for those who seek my destruction will be utterly humiliated.
God Avenges His Own
94 God of vengeance,
Lord God of vengeance,
display your splendor![a]
2 Stand up, judge of the earth,
and repay the proud.
3 How long will the wicked, Lord,
how long will the wicked continue to triumph?
4 When they speak, they spew arrogance.
Everyone who practices iniquity brags about it.[b]
5 Lord, they have crushed your people,
afflicting your heritage.
6 The wicked[c] kill widows and foreigners;
they murder orphans.
7 They say, “The Lord cannot see,
and the God of Jacob will not notice.”
8 Pay attention, you dull ones among the crowds!
You fools! Will you ever become wise?
9 The one who formed[d] the ear can hear, can he not?
The one who made the eyes can see, can he not?
10 The one who disciplines nations can rebuke them, can he not?
The one who teaches mankind can discern, can he not?
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of human beings—
that they are futile.
12 How blessed is the man whom you instruct, Lord,
whom you teach from your Law,
13 keeping him calm when times are troubled
until a pit has been dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage.
15 Righteousness will be restored with justice,
and all the pure of heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will stand for me against those who practice iniquity?
17 If the Lord had not been my helper,
I would have quickly become silent.
18 When I say that my foot is shaking,
your gracious love, Lord, will sustain me.
19 When my anxious inner thoughts become overwhelming,
your comfort encourages me.
20 Will destructive national leaders,[e]
who plan wicked things through misuse of the Law,
be allied with you?
21 They gather together against the righteous,
condemning the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord is my stronghold,
and my God, the rock, is my refuge.
23 He will repay them for their sin;
he will annihilate them because of their evil.
The Lord our God will annihilate them.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.