⁵Now Adonijah the son of Haggith was exalting himself, saying, “I will be king,” so he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men running before him. ⁶His father did not rebuke him at any time^c by saying, “Why did you do so?” Now he was also very handsome of appearance; she had borne him after Absalom.^d ⁷He conferred^e with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported Adonijah.^f ⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty warriors were David’s; they were not with Adonijah.

⁹And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened animals near the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel. He invited all of his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king. ¹⁰But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty warriors or Solomon his brother.

Solomon’s Intercessors

¹¹Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, but our lord David does not know? ¹²So then, come, let me advise you please, that you may save^g your life and the life of your son, Solomon. ¹³Come, go to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord the king, sworn to your servant, “Surely Solomon your son shall become king after me. And he will sit on my throne”? But why is Adonijah king?’ ¹⁴While you are still there speaking with the king, I will enter after you, and I will confirm your words.”^h

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to the king in the private room. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunnamite was attending the king. ¹⁶Bathsheba knelt and bowed down before the king, and the king asked, “What do you want?”ⁱ ¹⁷She said to him, “My lord, you swore by Yahweh your God to your servant, ‘Solomon your son surely shall become king after me, and he will sit upon my throne!’ ¹⁸But now, look! Adonijah has become king! And now, my lord the king, you do not know! ¹⁹He has sacrificed oxen and sheep and fattened animals in abundance,^j and he has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he did not invite. ²⁰But as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all of Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹It shall be that when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors,^k I and my son Solomon will be considered as sinners.”

²²While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. ²³They told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” He came into the presence of the king and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. ²⁴Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne’?

²⁵“For he went down today and sacrificed oxen, sheep, and fattened animals in abundance.^l He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and look, they are eating and drinking before him. They have also said, “Long live King Adonijah!

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Footnotes

cLiterally “from his days”
d“She” refers to Haggith bearing Adonijah; Absalom’s mother was Maacah
eLiterally “And there were his words”
fLiterally “they helped after Adonijah”
gLiterally “and save”
hLiterally “I will make full your words”
iLiterally “What is for you”
jLiterally “as far as the many”
kOr “fathers”
lLiterally “as far as the many”