Chronological
David in Old Age
1 Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3 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. 4 Now the young woman was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and attended him, but the king did not [a]know her.
5 Now (B)Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So (C)he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men as runners before him. 6 But his father had never [b]grieved him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man in form, and [c](D)he was born after Absalom. 7 [d]And he had conferred with (E)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (F)Abiathar the priest; and following (G)Adonijah, they helped him. 8 But (H)Zadok the priest, (I)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (J)Nathan the prophet, (K)Shimei, Rei, and (L)the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the [e]stone of Zoheleth, which is beside (M)En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and (N)Solomon his brother.
Nathan Speaks to Bathsheba
11 Then Nathan spoke to (O)Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12 So now come, please let me (P)give you counsel and provide escape for your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go [f]at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “(Q)Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and fully confirm your words.”
15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now (R)the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself [g]before the king. And the king said, “What [h]do you wish?” 17 And she said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by [i]Yahweh your God, saying, ‘(S)Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 But now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 19 (T)And he has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 As for you 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 be, (U)as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered [j]offenders.”
22 Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 Then they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And then he came in before the king and prostrated himself [k]before the king with his [l]face to the ground. 24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 (V)For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘(W)Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 (X)But me, even 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 happened by my lord the king, and you have not made known to your [m]servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore and said, “(Y)As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30 surely as (Z)I swore to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will surely do so this day.” 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her [n]face to the ground, and prostrated herself [o]before the king and said, “(AA)May my lord King David live forever.”
32 Then King David said, “Call to me (AB)Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. 33 And the king said to them, “Take with you (AC)the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to (AD)Gihon. 34 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet shall (AE)anoint him there as king over Israel and (AF)blow the trumpet and say, ‘(AG)Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne. And he shall be king in my place; for I have commanded him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say. 37 (AH)As Yahweh has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and (AI)make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
Solomon Anointed King
38 So (AJ)Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (AK)the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to (AL)Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest then (AM)took the horn of oil from the tent and (AN)anointed Solomon. Then they (AO)blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “(AP)Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, and the people [p]were playing on flutes and were glad with great gladness, so that the earth [q]shook at their sound.
41 And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. Then Joab heard the sound of the trumpet and said, “Why is the sound of the city such an uproar?” 42 While he was still speaking, behold, (AQ)Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for (AR)you are a valiant man and bring good news.” 43 But Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there with gladness, (AS)so that the city is in an uproar. This is the sound which you have heard. 46 And also, (AT)Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And also, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May (AU)your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And (AV)the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 And also, the king said thus, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who (AW)has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”
49 Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled; and they arose and each went on his way. 50 And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went, and (AX)took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Then it was told to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52 And Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, (AY)not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself [r]before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
David’s Command to Solomon
2 Then David’s [s](AZ)time to die drew near, so he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 “(BA)I am going the way of all the earth. (BB)So you shall be strong, and be a man. 3 And you shall keep the responsibility given by Yahweh your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, (BC)according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that (BD)you may be prosperous in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 so that (BE)Yahweh may establish His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘(BF)If your sons keep their way, (BG)to walk before Me in [t]truth with all their heart and with all their soul, He said, [u](BH)you shall not have a man cut off from the throne of Israel.’
5 “Now you also know what Joab the (BI)son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to (BJ)Abner the son of Ner, and to (BK)Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also [v]shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt [w]about his [x]waist, and on his sandals [y]on his feet. 6 (BL)So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace. 7 But (BM)show lovingkindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and (BN)let them be among those who eat at your table; (BO)for they [z]assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8 Behold, (BP)there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a [aa]violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when (BQ)he came down to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by Yahweh, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 So now, do not let him go unpunished, (BR)for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.”
The Death of David
10 Then (BS)David slept with his fathers and was buried in (BT)the city of David. 11 (BU)And the [ab]time which David reigned over Israel was forty years; in Hebron he reigned (BV)seven years and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. 12 And (BW)Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
Adonijah’s Request
13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “(BX)Do you come peacefully?” And he said, “Peacefully.” 14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” 15 So he said, “You know that (BY)the kingdom was mine and (BZ)that all Israel [ac]expected me to be king; (CA)however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, (CB)for it was his from Yahweh. 16 So now, I am making one request of you; do not [ad]turn me away.” And she said to him, “Speak.” 17 Then he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not [ae]turn you away, that he may give me (CC)Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” 18 And Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”
Adonijah Put to Death
19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he (CD)had a throne set for the king’s mother, and (CE)she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; (CF)do not turn [af]me away.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not turn [ag]you away.” 21 So she said, “(CG)Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.” 22 Then King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? (CH)Ask for him also the kingdom—(CI)for he is my older brother—even for him, for (CJ)Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!” 23 Then King Solomon swore by Yahweh, saying, “May God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has (CK)not spoken this word against his own [ah]life. 24 So now, as Yahweh lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and (CL)who has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25 So King Solomon (CM)sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.
26 Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “(CN)Go to Anathoth to your own field, (CO)for you [ai]deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because (CP)you carried the ark of Lord Yahweh before my father David, and because (CQ)you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” 27 So Solomon drove Abiathar away from being priest to Yahweh, in order to fulfill (CR)the word of Yahweh, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
Joab Put to Death
28 Now the news came to Joab, (CS)for Joab had followed Adonijah, (CT)although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of Yahweh and (CU)took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of Yahweh, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon (CV)sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “(CW)Go, fall upon him.” 30 So Benaiah came to the tent of Yahweh and said to him, “Thus the king has said, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me.” 31 And the king said to him, “(CX)Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, (CY)that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause. 32 (CZ)And Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, (DA)because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, but my father David did not know it: (DB)Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and (DC)Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 (DD)So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his seed forever; but to David and his seed and his house and his throne, may there be peace from Yahweh forever.” 34 Then (DE)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house (DF)in the wilderness. 35 (DG)And the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed (DH)Zadok the priest (DI)in the place of Abiathar.
Shimei Put to Death
36 Then the king sent and called for (DJ)Shimei and said to him, “Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any place. 37 Now it will be on the day you go out and (DK)cross over the [aj]brook Kidron, that you will know for certain that you shall surely die; (DL)your blood shall be on your own head.” 38 Shimei then said to the king, “The word is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.
39 But it happened at the end of three years, that two of the slaves of Shimei ran away (DM)to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.” 40 Then Shimei arose and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to search for his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. 41 And it was told to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. 42 So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by Yahweh and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you go out and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’ 43 Why then have you not kept the oath of Yahweh, and the command which I have commanded you?” 44 The king also said to Shimei, “(DN)You know all the evil which [ak]you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore (DO)Yahweh shall return your evil on your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and (DP)the throne of David shall be established before Yahweh forever.” 46 (DQ)So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him so that he died.
(DR)Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.
Delight Yourself in Yahweh
Of David.
Aleph
37 (A)Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not (B)envious toward doers of unrighteousness.
2 For they will (C)wither quickly like the grass
And (D)fade like the green herb.
Beth
3 (E)Trust in Yahweh and do good;
(F)Dwell in the land and [a](G)cultivate faithfulness.
4 (H)Delight yourself in Yahweh;
And He will (I)give you the desires of your heart.
Gimel
5 (J)Commit your way to Yahweh,
Trust in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth (K)your righteousness as the light
And your judgment (L)as the noonday.
Daleth
7 Be still in Yahweh and (M)wait [b]patiently for Him;
(N)Do not fret because of him who (O)prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out schemes of wickedness.
He
8 Cease from anger and (P)forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For (Q)evildoers will be cut off,
But those who hope for Yahweh, they will (R)inherit the land.
Vav
10 Yet (S)a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
You will look carefully at (T)his place, and he will not be there.
11 But (U)the lowly will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in (V)abundant peace.
Zayin
12 The wicked (W)schemes against the righteous
And (X)gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord (Y)laughs at him,
For He sees that (Z)his day is coming.
Heth
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and (AA)bent their bow
To cast down the (AB)afflicted and the needy,
To (AC)slay those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their (AD)bows will be broken.
Teth
16 (AE)Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the (AF)arms of the wicked will be broken,
But Yahweh (AG)sustains the righteous.
Yodh
18 Yahweh (AH)knows the days of the [c]blameless,
And their (AI)inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And (AJ)in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
Kaph
20 But the (AK)wicked will perish;
And the enemies of Yahweh will be like the [d]glory of the pastures,
They vanish—(AL)in smoke they vanish away.
Lamedh
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous (AM)is gracious and gives.
22 For (AN)those blessed by Him will (AO)inherit the land,
But those (AP)cursed by Him will be cut off.
Mem
23 (AQ)The footsteps of a man are established by Yahweh,
And He (AR)delights in his way.
24 When (AS)he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because (AT)Yahweh is the One [e]who sustains his hand.
Nun
25 I was young and now I am old,
Yet (AU)I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or (AV)his seed begging bread.
26 All day long (AW)he is gracious and lends,
And (AX)his seed is a blessing.
Samekh
Ayin
28 For Yahweh (BA)loves [f]justice
And (BB)will not forsake His holy ones;
They are (BC)kept forever,
But the (BD)seed of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will (BE)inherit the land
And (BF)dwell in it forever.
Pe
30 The mouth of the righteous (BG)utters wisdom,
And his tongue (BH)speaks justice.
31 The (BI)law of his God is in his heart;
His (BJ)steps do not slip.
Tsadhe
32 The (BK)wicked spies upon the righteous
And (BL)seeks to put him to death.
33 Yahweh will (BM)not forsake him in his hand;
(BN)He will not condemn him when he is judged.
Qoph
34 (BO)Hope for Yahweh and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the (BP)wicked are cut off, you will see it.
Resh
35 I have (BQ)seen a wicked, ruthless man
Spreading himself like a (BR)luxuriant [g]tree in its native soil.
36 Then [h]he passed away, and behold, he (BS)was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.
Shin
37 Observe the [i](BT)blameless man, and behold the (BU)upright;
For the man of peace will have [j]a (BV)posterity.
38 But transgressors will be altogether (BW)destroyed;
The [k]posterity of the wicked will be (BX)cut off.
Tav
O God, Do Not Forsake Me
71 (A)In You, O Yahweh, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed.
2 (B)In Your righteousness deliver me and protect me;
(C)Incline Your ear to me and save me.
3 (D)Be to me a rock of (E)habitation to which I may continually come;
You have given the (F)command to save me,
For You are (G)my [a]rock and my fortress.
4 (H)Protect me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the [b]grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man,
5 For You are my (I)hope;
O Lord Yahweh, You are my (J)trust from my youth.
6 [c]By You I have been (K)sustained from my birth;
You are He who (L)took me from my mother’s womb;
My (M)praise is continually [d]of You.
7 I have become a (N)marvel to many,
For You are (O)my strong refuge.
8 My (P)mouth is filled with Your praise
And with (Q)Your beauty all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the (R)time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies have spoken [e]against me;
And those who (S)watch my [f]life (T)have counseled together,
11 Saying, “(U)God has forsaken him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is (V)no one to deliver.”
12 O God, (W)do not be far from me;
O my God, (X)hasten to my help!
13 Let those who accuse my soul be (Y)ashamed and consumed;
Let them be (Z)wrapped up with reproach and dishonor, who (AA)seek [g]to do me evil.
14 But as for me, I will (AB)wait continually,
And will [h](AC)praise You yet more and more.
15 My (AD)mouth shall recount Your righteousness
And (AE)Your salvation all day long;
For I (AF)do not know the [i]sum of them.
16 I will come (AG)with the mighty deeds of Lord Yahweh;
I will (AH)bring to remembrance Your righteousness, Yours alone.
17 O God, You (AI)have taught me from my youth,
And I still (AJ)declare Your wondrous deeds.
18 And even when I am (AK)old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I (AL)declare Your [j]strength to this generation,
Your might to all who are to come.
19 [k]For Your (AM)righteousness, O God, reaches to the [l]heavens,
You who have (AN)done great things;
O God, (AO)who is like You?
20 You, who have (AP)shown [m]me many troubles and [n]evils,
Will (AQ)revive [o]me again,
And will bring [p]me up again (AR)from the depths of the earth.
21 May You increase my (AS)greatness
And turn to (AT)comfort me.
22 I will also praise You with [q](AU)a harp,
Even Your [r]truth, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the (AV)lyre,
O (AW)Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will (AX)sing for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my (AY)soul, which You have redeemed.
24 My (AZ)tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long;
For they are (BA)ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek [s]to do me evil.
God of Vengeance, Shine Forth
94 O Yahweh, God of [a](A)vengeance,
God of [b]vengeance, [c](B)shine forth!
2 (C)Be lifted up, O (D)Judge of the earth,
Render recompense (E)to the proud.
3 How long shall the wicked, O Yahweh,
How long shall the (F)wicked exult?
4 They pour forth words, they (G)speak arrogantly;
All workers of iniquity (H)vaunt themselves.
5 They (I)crush Your people, O Yahweh,
And (J)afflict Your inheritance.
6 They (K)slay the widow and the sojourner
And murder the orphans.
7 (L)They have said, “Yah does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob discern.”
8 Discern, you (M)senseless among the people;
And when will you have insight, (N)you fools?
9 He who (O)planted the ear, [d]does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, [e]does He not see?
10 He who [f](P)disciplines the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who (Q)teaches man knowledge?
11 Yahweh (R)knows the thoughts of man,
[g]That they are vanity.
12 Blessed is the man whom (S)You discipline, O Yah,
And (T)whom You teach out of Your law;
13 That You may grant him (U)calm from the (V)days of calamity,
Until (W)a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For (X)Yahweh will not abandon His people,
Nor will He (Y)forsake His inheritance.
15 For [h](Z)judgment will [i]again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart will [j]follow it.
16 Who will (AA)arise for me against evildoers?
Who will take his stand for me (AB)against workers of iniquity?
17 If (AC)Yahweh had not been my help,
My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.
18 If I should say, “(AD)My foot has stumbled,”
Your lovingkindness, O Yahweh, will hold me up.
19 When my anxious thoughts [k]multiply within me,
Your (AE)consolations delight my soul.
20 Can a [l](AF)throne of destruction be allied with You,
One (AG)which forms [m]trouble by statute?
21 They (AH)band themselves together against the [n]life of the righteous
And (AI)condemn [o]the innocent to death.
22 But Yahweh has been my (AJ)stronghold,
And my God the (AK)rock of my refuge.
23 He has (AL)brought back their [p]iniquity upon them
And will [q](AM)destroy them in their evil;
Yahweh our God will [r]destroy them.
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