1 Kings 1

David’s Last Days

1Now King David was old and getting on in years. ^aAlthough they covered him with bedclothes, he could not get warm. ^b2So his servants said to him: “Let us ^csearch for a young virgin for my lord the king. ^dShe is to attend the king and be his caregiver. She is to lie by your side so that my lord the king will get warm.” ³They searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel; they found Abishag ^ethe Shunammite ^fgand brought her to the king. ⁴The girl was of unsurpassed beauty, ^hand she became the king’s caregiver. She served him, but he was not intimate with ⁱher.

Adonijah’s Bid for Power

⁵Adonijah son of Haggith ^jkept exalting himself, saying, “I will be king!” He prepared chariots, cavalry, and 50 men to run ahead of him. ^kl6But his father had never once reprimanded ^mnhim by saying, “Why do you act this way?” ^oIn addition, he was quite handsome ^pand was born after Absalom. ^q7He conspired ^rwith Joab son of Zeruiah ^sand with Abiathar the priest. ^tThey supported ^uAdonijah, ⁸but Zadok the priest, ^vBenaiah son of Jehoiada, ^wNathan the prophet, ^xShimei, ^yRei, and David’s warriors ^zdid not side with Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. ^aHe invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king, ^b10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the warriors, or his brother Solomon. ^c

Nathan’s and Bathsheba’s Appeals

¹¹Then Nathan ^dsaid to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, ^e“Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king ^fand our lord David does not know it? ^g12Now please come and let me advise ^hyou. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon. ⁱ¹³Go, approach King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne? ^jSo why has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm your words.” ^k

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him. ^l16Bathsheba bowed down and paid homage to the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”

¹⁷She replied, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.’ ¹⁸Now look, Adonijah has become king. And, ^mmy lord the king, you didn’t know it. ¹⁹He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon. ²⁰Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, ⁿI and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.” ^o

²²At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived, ^p23and it was announced to the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” He came into the king’s presence and bowed to him with his face to the ground.

²⁴“My lord the king,” Nathan said, “did you say, ‘Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne’? ²⁵For today he went down and lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And look! They’re eating and drinking in his presence, and they’re saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ²⁶But he did not invite me—me, your servant—or Zadok the priest or Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon. ²⁷I’m certain my lord the king would not have let this happen without letting your servant ^qknow who will sit on my lord the king’s throne after him.”

Solomon Confirmed King

²⁸King David responded by saying, “Call in Bathsheba for me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. ²⁹The king swore an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every difficulty, ^r30just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne in my place, ^sthat is exactly what I will do this very day.” ^t

³¹Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, paying homage to the king, ^uand said, “May my lord King David live forever!” ^v

³²King David then said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me.” ^wSo they came into the king’s presence. ³³The king said to them, “Take my servants ^xwith you, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, ^yand take him down to Gihon. ^z34There, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him as king over Israel. ^aYou are to blow the ram’s horn ^band say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ^c35You are to come up after him, and he is to come in and sit on my throne. He is the one who is to become king in my place; he is the one I have commanded to be ruler ^dover Israel and Judah.” ^e

³⁶“Amen,” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied to the king. “May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so affirm it. ^f37Just as the Lord was with my lord the king, ^gso may He ^hbe with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.” ⁱ

³⁸Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites ^jwent down, had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. ³⁹Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. ^kThen they blew the ram’s horn, ^land all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!” ^m40All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy ⁿthat the earth split open from the sound. ^o

Adonijah Hears of Solomon’s Coronation

⁴¹Adonijah and all the invited guests who were with him ^pheard the noise as they finished eating. Joab heard the sound of the ram’s horn and said, “Why is the town in such an uproar?” ^q42He was still speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, ^rsuddenly arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are an excellent man, and you must be bringing good news.” ^s

⁴³“Unfortunately not,” Jonathan answered him. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. ⁴⁴And with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have had him ride on the king’s mule. ⁴⁵Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. ^tThey have gone from there rejoicing. The town has been in an uproar; that’s the noise you heard. ⁴⁶Solomon has even taken his seat on the royal throne. ^u

⁴⁷“The king’s servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more well known than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ ^vThen the king bowed in worship on his bed. ^w48And the king went on to say this: ‘May the Lord God of Israel be praised! Today He has provided one to sit on my throne, ^xand I am a witness.’ ” ^y

⁴⁹Then all of Adonijah’s guests got up trembling and went their separate ways. ⁵⁰Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar. ^z

⁵¹It was reported to Solomon: “Look, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first ^aswear to me that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’ ”

⁵²Then Solomon said, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground, ^bbut if evil is found in him, he dies.” ^c53So King Solomon sent for him, and they took him down from the altar. He came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your home.”