1 Kings 1:5–25

⁵Now Adonijah,^c whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots^d and horses^a ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. ⁶(His father had never rebuked^e him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

⁷Adonijah conferred with Joab^f son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar^g the priest, and they gave him their support. ⁸But Zadok^h the priest, Benaiahⁱ son of Jehoiada, Nathan^j the prophet, Shimei^k and Rei and David’s special guard^l did not join Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel.^m He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons,ⁿ and all the royal officials of Judah, ¹⁰but he did not invite^o Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.^p

¹¹Then Nathan asked Bathsheba,^q Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah,^r the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? ¹²Now then, let me advise^s you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear^t to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag^u the Shunammite was attending him. ¹⁶Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king.

“What is it you want?” the king asked.

¹⁷She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore^v to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ ¹⁸But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. ¹⁹He has sacrificed^w great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, 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 Solomon your servant. ²⁰My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest^x with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”

²²While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. ²³And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

²⁴Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? ²⁵Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’