1 Kings 1:5–25

⁵Now Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” He prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.^{* 6}His father had never at any time reprimanded him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.^{* 7}He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, and they supported Adonijah.^{* 8}But the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the prophet Nathan, and Shammah^a and his companions,^b David’s own warriors, did not side with Adonijah.^*

⁹Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the stone Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah,^{* 10}but he did not invite the prophet Nathan or Benaiah or the warriors or his brother Solomon.^*

¹¹Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our lord David does not know it?^{* 12}Now therefore come, let me give you advice, so that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³Go in at once to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne?” Why then is Adonijah king?’^{* 14}Then while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to the king in his room. The king was very old; Abishag the Shunammite was attending the king.^{* 16}Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said, “What do you wish?” ¹⁷She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne.’^{* 18}But now suddenly Adonijah has become king, though you, my lord the king, do not know it. ¹⁹He has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance and has invited all the children of the king, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but your servant Solomon he has not invited.^{* 20}But you, 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. ²¹Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, that my son Solomon and I will be counted offenders.”^*

²²While she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan came in. ²³The king was told, “Here is the prophet Nathan.” When he came in before the king, he did obeisance to the king, with his face to the ground. ²⁴Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne’? ²⁵For today he has gone down and has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance and has invited all the king’s children, Joab the commander^c of the army, and the priest Abiathar, who are now eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’^*