1 Kings 1:5–25

ADONIJAH’S BID FOR POWER

⁵Adonijah son of Haggith^g kept exalting himself, saying, “I will be king!” He prepared chariots, cavalry, and fifty men to run ahead of him.^{Dh 6}But his father had never once infuriatedⁱ him by asking, “Why did you do that?”^j In addition, he was quite handsome^k and was born after Absalom.^{l 7}He conspired^E with Joab son of Zeruiah^m and with the priest Abiathar.ⁿ They supported^o Adonijah, ⁸but the priest Zadok,^p Benaiah son of Jehoiada,^q the prophet Nathan,^r Shimei,^s Rei, and David’s royal guard^Ft did not side with Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah sacrificed sheep, goats, cattle, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel.^u He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king,^{v 10}but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, the royal guard, or his brother Solomon.^w

NATHAN’S AND BATHSHEBA’S APPEALS

¹¹Then Nathan^x said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother,^y “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king^z and our lord David does not know it?^{aa 12}Now please come and let me advise you.^ab Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.^{ac 13}Go, approach King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne?^ad So why has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm your words.”^ae

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him.^{af 16}Bathsheba knelt low and paid homage to the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”

¹⁷She replied, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.’ ¹⁸Now look, Adonijah has become king. And,^A my lord the king, you didn’t know it. ¹⁹He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon. ²⁰Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors,^ag I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”^ah

²²At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan arrived,^{ai 23}and it was announced to the king, “The prophet Nathan is here.” He came into the king’s presence and paid homage to him with his face to the ground.

²⁴“My lord the king,” Nathan said, “did you say, ‘Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne’? ²⁵For today he went down and lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and the priest Abiathar. And look! They’re eating and drinking in his presence, and they’re saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’