Chronological
1 Now when King David was old and stricken in years, they covered him with clothes, but no heat came to him.
2 Therefore, his servants said to him, “Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin. And let her stand before the king and care for him. And let her lie in your bosom, so that my lord the king may get warm.”
3 So they sought for a fair young maid throughout all the territory of Israel, and found one Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 And the maid was exceedingly fair and cared for the king and ministered to him. But the king did not know her.
5 Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he got himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him.
6 And his father had never disciplined him since his childhood, to say, “Why have you done this?” And he was a very pleasant man, born next after Absalom.
7 And he took counsel from Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and from Abiathar the Priest. And they looked after Adonijah.
8 But Zadok the Priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the Prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the men of might who were with David, were not with Adonijah.
9 Then, Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Rogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants.
10 But Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah and the mighty men and Solomon, his brother, he did not call.
11 Therefore, Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, reigns, and David our lord does not know it?
12 “Now, therefore, come. I will now give you counsel, how to save your own life and the life of your son, Solomon.
13 “Go, and get yourself in to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not swear to your handmaid, my lord, O king, saying, “Assuredly, Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?” Why, then, is Adonijah king?’
14 “Behold, while you are still talking there with the king, I will also come in after you and confirm your words.”
15 So, Bathsheba went in to the king, into the chamber. And the king was very old. And Abishag the Shunammite ministered to the king.
16 And Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself to the king. And the king said, “What is your wish?”
17 And she answered him, “My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your handmaid, ‘Assuredly Solomon (your son) shall reign after me. And he shall sit upon my throne.’
18 “And behold, now Adonijah is king. And now, my lord, O king, you do not know it.
19 “And he has offered many oxen and fat cattle and sheep, and has called all the sons of the king and Abiathar the Priest and Joab the captain of the army. But Solomon, your servant, he has not called.
20 “And you, my lord, O king, know that the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you would tell them who would sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21 “For otherwise, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall have reputations as offenders.”
22 And lo, while she still talked with the king, Nathan the Prophet also came in.
23 And they told the king, saying, “Behold, Nathan the Prophet.” And when he had come in to the king, he prostrated himself before the king upon his face, to the ground.
24 And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne?’
25 “For he has gone down this day and has killed many oxen and fat cattle and sheep and has called all the king’s sons and the captains of the army and Abiathar the Priest. And behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, ‘God save King Adonijah!’
26 “But me, your servant, and Zadok the Priest and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not called.
27 “Is this thing done by my lord the king and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28 Then, King David answered, and said, “Call Bathsheba.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
29 And the king swore, saying, “As the LORD lives, Who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
30 “just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne in my place,’ so will I certainly do this day.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed her face to the earth and did reverence to the king, and said, “God save my lord King David forever.”
32 And King David said, “Call Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada.” And they came before the king.
33 Then the king said to them, “Take the servants of your lord with you and have Solomon, my son, ride upon my own mule. And carry him down to Gihon.
34 “And let Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anoint him king over Israel there. And blow the trumpet, and say, ‘God save King Solomon!’
35 “Then come up after him, so that he may come and sit upon my throne. And he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah.”
36 Then Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered the king, and said, “So be it. The LORD, God of my lord the king, ratify it.
37 “As the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and exalt his throne above the throne of my lord, King David.”
38 So Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride upon King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon.
39 And Zadok the Priest took a horn of oil out of the Tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet. And all the people said, “God save King Solomon!”
40 And all the people came up after him. And the people played on flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the Earth rang with the sound of them.
41 And Adonijah, and all the guests who were with him, heard it (and they had finished eating). And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this noise and uproar in the city mean?”
42 And as he spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the Priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in. For you are a worthy man, and bring good news.”
43 And Jonathan answered, and said to Adonijah, “No. Our lord, King David, has made Solomon king.
44 “And the king has sent Zadok the Priest with him, and Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they have had him ride upon the king’s mule.
45 “And Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. And they have gone up from there with joy. And the city is moved. This is the noise that you have heard.
46 “And Solomon also sits on the throne of the kingdom.
47 “And moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord, King David, saying, ‘God make the name of Solomon more famous than your name, and exalt his throne above your throne.’ Therefore, the king worshipped upon the bed.
48 “And thus said the king also, ‘Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has made one to sit on my throne this day, even in my sight.’”
49 Then all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid and rose up and each man went his way.
50 And Adonijah, fearing the presence of Solomon, arose and went and took hold of the horns of the Altar.
51 And someone told Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon. For lo, he has caught hold of the horns of the Altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me this day that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”
52 Then Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth. But if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”
53 Then King Solomon sent, and they brought him from the altar. And he came and bowed down before King Solomon. And Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
2 Then the days of David drew near, that he should die. And he charged Solomon, his son, saying,
2 “I go the way of all the Earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself to be a man,
3 “and keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and keep His Statutes and His Commandments and His Judgments and His Testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do, and in everything to which you turn,
4 “so that the LORD may confirm His Word which He spoke to me, saying, ‘If your sons guard their way, so that they walk before Me in truth, with all their hearts and with all their souls, you shall not (said He) lack one of yours upon the throne of Israel.’
5 “You also know what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me, and what he did to the two captains to the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed and shed blood of battle in peace. And he put the blood of war upon his girdle that was around his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
6 “Do, therefore, according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite. And let them be among those who eat at your table. For so they came to me when I fled from Absalom, your brother.
8 “And behold, with you is Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin of Bahurim, who cursed me with a horrible curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at Jordan and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, ‘I will not kill you with the sword.’
9 “But you shall not count him innocent. For you are a wise man, and know what you ought to do to him. Therefore, you shall cause his gray head to go down to the grave with blood.”
10 So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.
11 And the days which David reigned upon Israel were forty years. For seven years he reigned in Hebron and for thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.
12 Then Solomon sat upon the throne of David, his father. And his kingdom was established mightily.
13 And Adonijah, the son of Haggith, came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peaceably?” And he said, “Yea.”
14 Moreover he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Say on.”
15 Then he said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, so that I should reign. However, the kingdom has turned away and is my brother’s. For it came to him by the LORD.
16 “Now, therefore, I ask one request of you. Do not refuse me.” And she said to him, “Say on.”
17 And he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, (for he will not say no to you) so that he gives me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.”
18 And Bathsheba said, “Well, I will speak to the king for you.”
19 Bathsheba, therefore, went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne. And he had a seat prepared for the king’s mother. And she sat at his right hand.
20 Then she said, “I desire a small request of you. Do not turn away.” Then the king said to her, “Ask on, my mother. For I will not turn away.”
21 Then she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.”
22 But king Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also (for he is my elder brother) and for him both Abiathar the Priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah!”
23 Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, “God do so to me and more also if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life!
24 “Now, therefore, as the LORD lives, Who has established me and set me on the throne of David, my father, Who has also made me a House (as He promised), Adonijah shall surely die this day!”
25 And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. And he struck him so that he died.
26 Then the king said to Abiathar the Priest, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields. For you are worthy of death. But I will not kill you this day, because you bear the Ark of the LORD God before David, my father, and because you have suffered in all in which my father has been afflicted.”
27 So Solomon cast out Abiathar from being Priest to the LORD, so that he might fulfill the words of the LORD which He spoke against the House of Eli in Shiloh.
28 Then news came to Joab (for Joab had followed Adonijah, but he had not followed Absalom). And Joab fled to the Tabernacle of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the Altar.
29 And it was told to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the Tabernacle of the LORD and, behold, was by the Altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, fall upon him!”
30 And Benaiah came to the Tabernacle of the LORD, and said to him, “Thus says the king, ‘Come out!’” And he said, “No! But I will die here!” Then Benaiah brought word back to the king, saying, “Thus said Joab and thus he answered me.”
31 And the king said to him, “Do as he has said, and strike him, and bury him, so that you may take away from me and from the House of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed.
32 “And the LORD shall bring his blood upon his own head. For he struck two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword —Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it.
33 “Therefore, their blood shall return upon the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed, forever. But upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his House and upon his throne, there shall be peace forever from the LORD.”
34 So Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up and struck him and killed him. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
35 And the king put Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, in his room over the army. And the king set Zadok the Priest in the room of Abiathar.
36 Afterward, the king sent and called Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there. And do not go anywhere from there.
37 “For the day that you go out and pass over the river of Kidron, know assuredly that you shall die the death. Your blood shall be upon your own head.”
38 And Shimei said to the king, “The thing is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem for many days.
39 And after three years, two of the servants of Shimei fled away to Achish, son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your servants are in Gath.”
40 And Shimei arose and saddled his donkey and went to Gath, to Achish, to seek his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath.
41 And it was told to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back.
42 And the king sent and called Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD, and solemnly say to you, ‘The day that you go out and walk anywhere, know assuredly that you shall die the death?’ And you said to me, ‘The thing is good. I have heard.’
43 “Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment with which I charged you?”
44 The king also said to Shimei, “You know all the wickedness which your heart perceives that you did to David, my father. Therefore, the LORD shall bring your wickedness upon your own head.
45 “And let King Solomon be blessed, and the throne of David established before the LORD, forever.”
46 So the king commanded Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who went out and struck him so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
37 Do not fret because of wicked men, nor be envious of evildoers.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like grass and shall wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good. Dwell in the land, and you shall assuredly be fed.
4 And delight yourself in the LORD; and He shall give you your heart’s desire.
5 Commit your way to the LORD, and trust in Him; and He shall make it so.
6 And He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noon day.
7 Wait patiently upon the LORD, and hope in Him. Do not fret over him who prospers in his way, nor over the man who executes wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and abandon wrath. Do not fret. It leads only to evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off; and those who wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the land.
10 Therefore, yet a little while and the wicked shall not appear; and you shall look for his place and he shall not be found.
11 But meek men shall possess the Earth and shall have their delight in the multitude of peace.
12 The wicked practices against the just and gnashes his teeth against him.
13 The LORD shall laugh him to scorn; for He sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn their sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy and to slay such as are of upright conversation.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart; and their bows shall be broken.
16 A small thing to the just man is better than great riches to the wicked and mighty.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken; but the LORD upholds the just men.
18 The LORD knows the days of upright men; and their inheritance shall be perpetual.
19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time; and in the days of famine they shall have enough.
20 But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the LORD shall be consumed as the fat of lambs. With the smoke, they shall vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay again. But the righteous is merciful and gives.
22 For such as are blessed shall inherit the land. And those who are cursed by Him shall be cut off.
23 The paths of man are directed by the LORD; for He loves his way.
24 Though he falls, he shall not be cast off; for the LORD upholds his hand.
25 I have been young and am old. Yet I never saw the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful and lends, and His seed enjoys the blessing.
27 Flee from evil and do good, and dwell forever.
28 For the LORD loves judgment and does not forsake His saints. They shall be preserved forevermore. But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous men shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous will speak of wisdom; and his tongue will talk of judgment.
31 The Law of his God is in his heart; his steps shall not slide.
32 The wicked watched the righteous and sought to kill him.
33 The LORD will not leave him in His hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait on the LORD and keep His way; and He shall exalt you, so that you shall inherit the land. When the wicked men shall perish, you shall see.
35 I have seen the wicked strong and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he passed away; and lo, he was gone. And I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the upright man and behold the just; for the end of that man is peace.
38 But their transgressors shall be destroyed together. The end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous men shall be from the LORD. He shall be their strength in the time of trouble.
40 For the LORD shall help them and deliver them. He shall deliver them from the wicked, and shall save them, because they trust in Him. A Psalm of David, for remembrance.
71 In You, O LORD, I trust. Let me never be ashamed.
2 Rescue me and deliver me in Your righteousness. Incline Your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my Strong Rock, whereto I may always resort. You have given Commandment to save me; for You are my Rock, and my Fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the evil and cruel man.
5 For You are my Hope, O LORD God; my Trust from my youth.
6 I have been upheld by You from the womb. You are He Who took me out of my mother’s core. My praise shall be of You always.
7 I have become, as it were, a monster to many; but You are my sure Trust.
8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise, with Your Glory, every day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age. Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies speak of me; and those who lay in wait for my soul take their counsel together,
11 saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for there is no one to deliver him.”
12 Do not go far from me, O God. My God, hasten to help me!
13 Let those who are against my soul be confounded and consumed. Let those who seek my hurt be covered with reproach and confusion.
14 But I will wait continually and will praise You more and more.
15 My mouth shall daily rehearse Your righteousness and Your salvation; for I do not know the number.
16 I will go forward in the strength of the LORD God. I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
17 O God, You have taught me from my youth even until now. I will tell of Your wondrous works;
18 Indeed, even to my old age and gray head, O God, do not forsake me until I have declared Your arm to this generation, and Your power to all those who shall come.
19 And Your righteousness, O God, I will exalt on High; for You have done great things. O God, who is like You!
20 You have shown me great troubles and adversities, but You will return and revive me; and will come again and take me up from the depth of the Earth.
21 You will increase my honor; and return and comfort me.
22 Therefore, I will praise You for Your faithfulness, O God, upon instrument and viol. To You I will sing upon the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will rejoice when I sing to You; and my soul, which You have delivered.
24 Also, my tongue shall daily talk of Your righteousness; for those who seek my hurt are confounded and brought to shame. A Psalm of Solomon
94 O LORD God, the Avenger! O God, the Avenger, show Yourself clearly!
2 Exalt Yourself, O Judge of the World, and render a reward to the proud.
3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
4 They babble on and speak fiercely. All the workers of iniquity boast of themselves.
5 They strike down Your people, O LORD, and trouble Your heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless.
7 Yet they say, “The LORD shall not see; nor will the God of Jacob regard it.”
8 Understand, you unwise among the people and you fools. When will you be wise?
9 He Who planted the ear, shall He not hear? Or, He Who formed the eye, shall He not see?
10 Or, He Who chastises the nations, shall He not correct? He Who teaches man knowledge, shall He not know?
11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
12 Blessed is the man whom You chastise, O LORD, and teach in Your Law,
13 so that You may give him rest from the days of evil while the pit is dug for the wicked.
14 Surely, the LORD will neither fail His people nor forsake His inheritance.
15 For judgment shall return to justice; and all the upright in heart shall follow after it.
16 Who will rise up with me against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17 If the LORD had not helped me, my soul would have almost dwelt in silence.
18 When I say, “My foot slides.” Your mercy, O LORD, upholds me.
19 In the multitude of my thoughts, in my heart, Your comforts have rejoiced my soul.
20 Does the throne of iniquity, which forges wrong for a law, have fellowship with You?
21 They gather together against the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood.
22 But the LORD is my refuge; and my God is the Rock of my hope.
23 And He will recompense their wickedness and destroy them in their own malice. The LORD our God shall destroy them.
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