David in Old Age

1 Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm.

2 So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her 1attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.”

3 So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the aShunammite, and brought her to the king.

4 The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not 1cohabit with her.

5 Now aAdonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So bhe prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him.

6 His father had never 1crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and 2ahe was born after Absalom.

7 1He had conferred with aJoab the son of Zeruiah and with bAbiathar the priest; and following cAdonijah they helped him.

8 But aZadok the priest, bBenaiah the son of Jehoiada, cNathan the prophet, dShimei, Rei, and ethe mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the 1stone of Zoheleth, which is beside aEn-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants.

10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and aSolomon his brother.

Nathan and Bathsheba

11 Then Nathan spoke to aBathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it?

12 “So now come, please let me agive you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

13 “Go 1at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “aSurely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’

14 “Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”

15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now athe king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king.

16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself 1before the king. And the king said, “What 2do you wish?”

17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘aSurely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’

18 “Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it.

19 “aHe has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.

20 “As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21 “Otherwise it will come about, aas soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered 1offenders.”

22 Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.

23 They told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself 1before the king with his face to the ground.

24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?

25 “aFor he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘bLong live King Adonijah!’

26 “aBut me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited.

27 “Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your 1servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

28 Then King David said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.

29 The king vowed and said, “aAs the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,

30 surely as aI vowed to you by the Lord the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so this day.”

31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself 1before the king and said, “aMay my lord King David live forever.”