⁵And Adonias, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying: I will be king. And he made himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

⁶Neither did his father rebuke him at any time, saying: Why hast thou done this? And he also was very beautiful, the next in birth after Absalom.

⁷And he conferred with Joab, the son of Sarvia, and with Abiathar, the priest, who furthered Adonias’s side.

⁸But Sadoc, the priest, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and Nathan, the prophet, and Semei, and Rei, and the strength of David’s army, was not with Adonias.

⁹And Adonias having slain rams and calves, and all fat cattle, by the stone of Zoheleth, which was near the fountain Rogel, invited all his brethren, the king’s sons, and all the men of Juda, the king’s servants:

¹⁰But Nathan, the prophet, and Banaias, and all the valiant men, and Solomon, his brother, he invited not.

¹¹And Nathan said to Bethsabee, the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias, the son of Haggith, reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not?

¹²Now then, come, take my counsel, and save thy 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 me, thy handmaid, saying: Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then doth Adonias reign?

¹⁴And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and will fill up thy words.

¹⁵So Bethsabee went in to the king into the chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abisag, the Sunamitess, ministered to him.

¹⁶Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is thy will?

¹⁷She answered, and said: My lord, thou didst swear to thy handmaid, by the Lord thy God, saying: Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.

¹⁸And behold, now Adonias reigneth, and thou, my lord the king, knowest nothing of it.

¹⁹He hath killed oxen, and all fat cattle, and many rams, and invited all the king’s sons, and Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the general of the army: but Solomon, thy servant, he invited not.

²⁰And now, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them, who shall sit on thy throne, my lord the king, after thee.

²¹Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king sleepeth with his fathers, that I, and my son, Solomon, shall be accounted offenders.

²²As she was yet speaking with the king, Nathan, the prophet, came.

²³And they told the king, saying: Nathan, the prophet, is here. And when he was come in before the king, and had worshipped, bowing down to the ground,

²⁴Nathan said: My lord, O king, hast thou said: Let Adonias reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne?

²⁵Because he is gone down to day, and hath killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and invited all the king’s sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest: and they are eating and drinking before him, and saying: God save king Adonias:

Read in Logos

Public Domain