^2:13Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.”³³^2:14He added,³⁴ “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.” ^2:15He said, “You know that the kingdom³⁵ was mine and all Israel considered me king.³⁶ But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his.³⁷^2:16Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.”³⁸ She said, “Go ahead and ask.”³⁹^2:17He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.”⁴⁰^2:18Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine,⁴¹ I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”

^2:19So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greet⁴² her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother,⁴³ and she sat at his right hand. ^2:20She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor.⁴⁴ Please don’t refuse me.”⁴⁵ He said,⁴⁶ “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.” ^2:21She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” ^2:22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him?⁴⁷ Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

^2:23King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely,⁴⁸ if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life!⁴⁹^2:24Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty⁵⁰ for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!” ^2:25King Solomon then sent⁵¹ Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah.⁵²

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Footnotes

33 Heb “[in] peace.”
34 Heb “and he said.”
35 Or “kingship.”
36 Heb “set their face to me to be king.”
37 Heb “and the kingdom turned about and became my brother’s, for from the Lord it became his.”
38 Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
39 Heb “She said, ‘Speak!’ ”
40 Heb “Say to Solomon the king, for he will not turn back your face, that he might give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.”
41 Heb “[It is] good!”
42 Or “meet.”
43 Heb “he set up a throne for the mother of the king.”
44 Or “I’d like to make just one request of you.”
45 Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
46 Heb “and the king said to her.”
47 Heb “for Adonijah.”
48 Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”
49 Heb “if with his life Adonijah has not spoken this word.”
50 Heb “house.”
51 The Hebrew text adds, “by the hand of.”
52 Heb “and he struck him and he died.”