^1:5Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith,¹⁰ was promoting himself,¹¹ boasting,¹² “I will be king!” He managed to acquire¹³ chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.¹⁴^1:6(Now his father had never corrected¹⁵ him¹⁶ by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.¹⁷) ^1:7He collaborated¹⁸ with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported¹⁹ him.²⁰^1:8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors²¹ did not ally themselves²² with Adonijah. ^1:9Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons,²³ as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. ^1:10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors,²⁴ or his brother Solomon.

^1:11Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you²⁵ that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back?²⁶^1:12Now²⁷ let me give you some advice as to how²⁸ you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. ^1:13Visit²⁹ King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise³⁰ your servant, “Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why has Adonijah become king?’ ^1:14While³¹ you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive³² and verify your report.”³³

^1:15So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters.³⁴ (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) ^1:16Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before³⁵ the king. The king said, “What do you want?” ^1:17She replied to him, “My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.’ ^1:18But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you,³⁶ my master the king, are not even aware of it!³⁷^1:19He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. ^1:20Now,³⁸ my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne.³⁹^1:21If a decision is not made,⁴⁰ when my master the king is buried with his ancestors,⁴¹ my son Solomon and I⁴² will be considered state criminals.”⁴³

^1:22Just then,⁴⁴ while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. ^1:23The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor.⁴⁵^1:24Nathan said, “My master, O king, did you announce, ‘Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne’? ^1:25For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment⁴⁶ they are having a feast⁴⁷ in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’⁴⁸

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Footnotes

10 Heb “son of Haggith,” but since this formula usually designates the father (who in this case was David), the translation specifies that David was Adonijah’s father. Haggith was one of David’s wives (2 Sam 3:4; 2 Chr 3:2).
11 Heb “lifting himself up.”
12 Heb “saying.”
13 Or “he acquired for himself.”
14 Heb “to run ahead of him.”
15 Or “disciplined.”
16 Heb “did not correct him from his days.” The phrase “from his days” means “from his earliest days,” or “ever in his life.” See §119.w, n. 2.
17 Heb “and she gave birth to him after Absalom.” This does not imply they had the same mother; Absalom’s mother was Maacah, not Haggith (2 Sam 3:4).
18 Heb “his words were.”
19 Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).
20 Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
21 Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
22 Heb “were not.”
23 The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.
24 Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
25 Heb “Have you not heard?”
26 Heb “and our master David does not know.”
27 Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See 234 חָלַךְ.
28 Or “so that.”
29 Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See 234 חָלַךְ.
30 Or “swear an oath to.”
31 In the Hebrew text the sentence is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which here draws attention to Nathan’s concluding word of assurance and support. For this use of the word, see הִנֵּה.
32 The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”
33 Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”
34 Or “bedroom.”
35 Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”
36 Instead of עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) many Hebrew , along with the Old Greek, , and Latin , have the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (’attah, “you”). This reading is followed in the present translation.
37 Heb “you do not know [about it].”
38 Many Hebrew have עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) rather than the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (’attah, “you”).
39 Heb “the eyes of all Israel are upon you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.”
40 The words “if a decision is not made” are added for clarification.
41 Heb “lies down with his fathers.”
42 Heb “I and my son Solomon.” The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
43 Heb “will be guilty”; “considered offenders”; “treated as traitors.”
44 Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) here draws attention to Nathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
45 Heb “ground.” Since this was indoors, “floor” is more appropriate than “ground.”
46 Heb “look.”
47 Heb “eating and drinking.”
48 Heb “let the king, Adonijah, live!”