⁵Adonijah, son of Haggith,^awas very handsome. His mother gave birth to him after she had Absalom.^bAdonijah was boasting that he was king. So he got a chariot and horses and 50 men to run ahead of him. ⁶His father had never confronted him by asking why he was doing this. ⁷But Adonijah had discussed his actions with Joab (son of Zeruiah) and with the priest Abiathar, so they supported him. ⁸But the priest Zadok, Benaiah (son of Jehoiada), the prophet Nathan, Shimei, Rei, and David’s ⸤thirty⸥ fighting men did not join Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves at Zoheleth Rock near En Rogel. He had invited all his brothers, the king’s ⸤other⸥ sons, all the men of Judah, and the king’s officials. ¹⁰But he didn’t invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, the fighting men, or his brother Solomon.

The Prophet Nathan Helps Solomon Become King

¹¹Then Nathan asked Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, “Haven’t you heard that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, has become king, and our master David doesn’t ⸤even⸥ know about it? ¹²Bathsheba, let me give you some advice about how to save your life and your son’s life. ¹³Go to King David and ask him, ‘Your Majesty, didn’t you swear to me that my son Solomon will be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? Why is Adonijah acting as king?’ ¹⁴And while you’re still there talking to the king, I’ll come in and confirm what you have said.”

¹⁵Bathsheba went to the king in his private room. The king was very old, and Abishag from Shunem was taking care of him. ¹⁶Bathsheba knelt and bowed down in front of the king. “What do you want?” the king asked.

¹⁷“Sir,” she answered, “You took an oath to the Lord your God. You said that my son Solomon will be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne. ¹⁸But now, you see, Adonijah has become king, and you don’t ⸤even⸥ know anything about it, Your Majesty. ¹⁹He has sacrificed many fattened calves, bulls, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army ⸤to his feast⸥. But he hasn’t invited your servant Solomon. ²⁰All Israel is looking to you, Your Majesty, to tell them who should succeed you on your throne. ²¹Otherwise, my son Solomon and I will be treated like criminals when you lie down in death with your ancestors.”

²²While she was still talking to the king, the prophet Nathan arrived. ²³The servants told the king, “The prophet Nathan is here.” When he came to the king, he bowed down in front of him. ²⁴Nathan said, “Your Majesty, you must have said that Adonijah will be king after you and that he will sit on your throne, ²⁵because today he went and sacrificed many bulls, fattened calves, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, the army’s commanders, and the priest Abiathar ⸤to his feast⸥. They are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’

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Footnotes

a 1:5 Adonijah’s mother was Haggith; his father was David. He was David’s oldest living son.
b 1:5 “very handsome … Absalom.” These words are the last part of verse 6 (in Hebrew). They have been placed at the beginning of verse 5 to express the complex Hebrew sentence structure more clearly in English.