DAVID’S MILITARY CENSUS

24 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel again, and he stirred up David against them to say, “Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”d

2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and register the troops so I can know their number.”e

3 Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times more than they aref—while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”

4 Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army left the king’s presence to register the troops of Israel.

5 They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer,g south of the town in the middle of the valley, and then proceeded toward Gad and Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and to the land of the HittitesC and continued on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon. 7 They went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Afterward, they went to the Negev of Judah at Beer-sheba.

8 When they had gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab gave the king the total of the registration of the troops. There were eight hundred thousand valiant armed menD from Israel and five hundred thousand men from Judah.h

10 David’s conscience troubled himi after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I’ve done. Now, Lord, because I’ve been very foolish,j please take away your servant’s guilt.”

DAVID’S PUNISHMENT

11 When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord had come to the prophet Gad,k David’s seer:l 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.’ ”

13 So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three* years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, consider carefullyF what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”

14 David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because his mercies are great,m but don’t let me fall into human hands.”

15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men died. 16 Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,n but the Lord relented concerning the destructiono and said to the angel who was destroyingp the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah* the Jebusite.q

17 When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the oneH who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let your hand be against me and my father’s family.”

DAVID’S ALTAR

18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded. 20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.

21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”a

22 Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wantsA and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.b 23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

24 The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ouncesB of silver. 25 He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land,c and the plague on Israel ended.

1 KINGS

DAVID’S LAST DAYS

1 Now King David was old and advanced in age.a Although they covered him with bedclothes, he could not get warm.b 2 So his servants said to him, “Let usA search for a young virgin for my lord the king.c She 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.” 3 They searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel; they found Abishagd the Shunammite* e and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was of unsurpassed beauty,f and she became the king’s caregiver. She attended to him, but he was not intimate withC her.

ADONIJAH’S BID FOR POWER

5 Adonijah son of Haggithg kept exalting himself, saying, “I will be king!” He prepared chariots, cavalry, and fifty men to run ahead of him.D,h 6 But his father had never once infuriatedi him by asking, “Why did you do that?”j In addition, he was quite handsomek and was born after Absalom.l 7 He conspiredE with Joab son of Zeruiahm and with the priest Abiathar.n They supportedo Adonijah, 8 but the priest Zadok,p Benaiah son of Jehoiada,q the prophet Nathan,r Shimei,s Rei, and David’s royal guardF,t did not side with Adonijah.

9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, goats, cattle, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel.u He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king,v 10 but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, the royal guard, or his brother Solomon.w

NATHAN’S AND BATHSHEBA’S APPEALS

11 Then Nathanx said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother,y “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become kingz and our lord David does not know it?aa 12 Now please come and let me advise you.ab Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.ac 13 Go, 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?ad So why has Adonijah become king?’ 14 At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm your words.”ae

15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him.af 16 Bathsheba knelt low and paid homage to the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”

17 She 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.’ 18 Now look, Adonijah has become king. And,G my lord the king, you didn’t know it. 19 He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon. 20 Now, 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. 21 Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors,ag I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”ah

22 At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan arrived,ai 23 and it was announced to the king, “The prophet Nathan is here.” He came into the king’s presence and paid homage 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’? 25 For 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 the priest Abiathar. And look! They’re eating and drinking in his presence, and they’re saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he did not invite me—me, your servant—or the priest Zadok or Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon. 27 I’m certain my lord the king would not have let this happen without letting your servantA know who will sit on my lord the king’s throne after him.”

SOLOMON CONFIRMED KING

28 King David responded by saying, “Call in Bathsheba for me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. 29 The king swore an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every difficulty,a 30 just 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,b that is exactly what I will do this very day.”c

31 Bathsheba knelt low with her face to the ground, paying homage to the king,d and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”e

32 King David then said, “Call in the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me.”f So they came into the king’s presence. 33 The king said to them, “Take my servantsg with you, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule,h and take him down to Gihon.i 34 There, the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan are to anoint him as king over Israel.j You are to blow the trumpetk and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’l 35 You 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 rulerm over Israel and Judah.”n

36 “Amen,” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied to the king. “May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so affirm it.o 37 Just as the Lord was with my lord the king,p so may heB be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”q

38 Then the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethitesr went down, had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 The priest Zadok took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon.s Then they blew the trumpet,t and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!”u 40 All the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joyv that the earth split open from the sound.C

ADONIJAH HEARS OF SOLOMON’S CORONATION

41 Adonijah and all the invited guests who were with himw heard the noise as they finished eating. Joab heard the sound of the trumpet and said, “Why is the town in such an uproar?”x 42 He was still speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest,y suddenly arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are an important man, and you must be bringing good news.”z

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

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.’ac Then the king bowed in worship on his bed.ad 48 And the king went on to say this: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel! Today he has provided one to sit on my throne,ae and I am a witness.’ ”D

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

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

52 Then Solomon said, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground,ag but if evil is found in him, he dies.”ah 53 So 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.”