1 Kings 1:1–40

¹And king David was old and advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he obtained no warmth. ²And his servants said to him, Let there be found for my lord the king a young virgin; and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get warm. ³And they sought for a fair damsel throughout the territory of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. ⁴And the damsel was very fair; and cherished the king, and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.

⁵And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king; and he provided himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. ⁶And his father had not grieved him at any time in saying, Why doest thou so? and he was also a very comely man; and his mother bore him after Absalom. ⁷And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they helped Adonijah and followed him. ⁸But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men whom David had, were not with Adonijah. ⁹And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatted cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and invited all his brethren, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants; ¹⁰but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he did not invite.

¹¹And Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith is king, and David our lord does not know it? ¹²And now, come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. ¹³Go and get thee in to king David, and say to him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear to thy handmaid saying, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then does Adonijah reign? ¹⁴Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee and confirm thy words. ¹⁵And Bathsheba went in to the king into the chamber; and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered to the king. ¹⁶And Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? ¹⁷And she said to him, My lord, thou hast sworn by Jehovah thy God to thy handmaid, saying, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne. ¹⁸And now behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not. ¹⁹And he has sacrificed oxen and fatted cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon thy servant has he not invited. ²⁰And thou, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹Otherwise it shall come to pass when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders. ²²And behold, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. ²³And they told the king saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. ²⁴And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? ²⁵For he is gone down this day, and has sacrificed oxen and fatted cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah! ²⁶But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, he has not invited. ²⁷Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewn to thy servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? ²⁸Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king. ²⁹And the king swore, and said, As Jehovah liveth, who has redeemed my soul out of all distress, ³⁰even as I swore to thee by Jehovah the God of Israel, saying, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. ³¹And Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

³²And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. ³³And the king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon; ³⁴and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, Long live king Solomon! ³⁵And ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit on my throne; for he shall reign in my stead, and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. ³⁶And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, Amen: Jehovah, the God of my lord the king, say so too. ³⁷As Jehovah has been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. ³⁸And Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. ³⁹And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Long live king Solomon! ⁴⁰And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.