1 Kings i
1 And David the king was old, coming in the days, and they covered him in the garments; and he was not warm. 2 And his servants said to him, “Let us seek for my lord a young virgin woman, and let her stand before the king and be for him a nurse. And let her lie in your bosom and be warmth for my lord the king.” 3 And they sought for a beautiful young woman in all Israel's territory. And they found Abishag ii the Shunammite, iii and they brought her to the king. 4 And the young woman was very beautiful, and she was a nurse to the king and served him. And the king did not know her.
5 And Adonijah, son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he made for himself a chariot, and horsemen, and fifty men running before him. 6 And his father had not grieved iv him during his days, saying, “Why have you done so?” And also, he was very good looking, and she v bore him after Absalom. 7 And his words were with Joab, son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they helped and followed after Adonijah. 8 And Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, vi and David's mighty men were not with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and cattle and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth vii which is near Spring of Rogel. And he called all his brothers, the king's sons, and all Judah's men, servants of the king. 10 And Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he did not call.
11 And Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David does not know? 12 And now, come, let me give you advise, please, and deliver your soul and and your son's soul, Solomon. 13 Go and come in to the king, David, and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant saying that your son will be king after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? So, why has Adonijah become king?' 14 Behold, while you are still speaking there with the king, so I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15 And Bathsheba went in to the king, to the room, and the king was very old. viii And Abishag, the Shunammite, was serving the king. 16 And Bathsheba bowed down and did homage to the king. And the king said, “What is to you?” 17 And she said to him, “My lord, you swore in Yehvah your Gods to your maidservant that, 'Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne.' 18 And now, behold, Adonijah has become king, and now, my lord the king, you did not know. 19 And he has sacrificed oxen, and fatlings, and sheep in abundance. And he called for all the king's sons, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab leader of the army, and for Solomon your servant he did not call. 20 And you, my lord the king, all of Israel's eyes are upon you to declare to them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 And it shall be, when my lord the king lays down with his fathers, so I will be, and my son Solomon, sinners.” ix
22 And behold, while she was still speaking with the king, so Nathan the prophet came in. 23 And they declared to the king, saying, “Behold, Nathan the prophet.” And he came in before the king, and bowed down to the king with his nose to the earth. 24 And Nathan said, “My lord the king, did you say Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne? 25 For today he came down and sacrificed oxen, and fatlings, and sheep in abundance. And he called for the king's sons, and for the leaders of the army, and for Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they have said, 'May Adonijah the king live!' 26 And for me, I your servant, and for Zadok the priest, and for Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and for Solomon your servant, he did not call. 27 If this thing is from my lord the king, then you have not made your servants x know who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.”
28 And David the king answered and said, “Call for me for Bathsheba.” And she came in before the king and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore and said, “Yehvah lives, who redeemed my soul from every distress. 30 For just as I swore to you in Yehvah Gods of Israel, saying, 'For Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne instead of me.' For so I will do this day.”
31 And Bathsheba bowed, nostrils to earth, and did homage to the king, and said, “May my lord David the king live forever.” 32 And David the king said, “Call for me to Zadok the priest, and to Nathan the prophet, and to Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” And they came in before the king.
33 And the king said to them, “Take with you your lord's servants and have Solomon my son ride my female mule, xi and bring him down to Gihon. xii 34 And Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, shall anoint him there for king over Israel. And you shall blow in the horn and say, 'May Solomon the king live!' 35 And you shall go up after him, and he shall sit upon my throne. And he shall be king instead of me. And, I have commanded him to be leader over Israel and over Judah.”
36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen, thus Yehvah Gods of my lord the king has said. 37 Just as Yehvah was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon. And may he increase his throne more than the throne of my lord David the king.”
38 And Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down and had Solomon ride upon the female mule of David the king. And they brought him unto Gihon. 39 And Zadok took the horn of the oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. And they blew in the horn and all the people said, “May Solomon the king live!” 40 And all the people went up after him, and the people played on the flutes and rejoiced with great joy; and the earth split with their sound.
41 And Adonijah, and all those called who were with him, heard, and they finished eating. And Joab heard the sound of the horn and said, “Why the sound of commotion of the town?” 42 While he was still speaking, so behold, Jonathan, son of Abiathar the priest, came in. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news.”
43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No, but our lords the king David has made Solomon king. 44 And the king sent him with Zadok the priest, and with Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites. And they had him ride upon the king's female mule. 45 And Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, anointed him in Gihon for king. And they went up from there rejoicing, and the sound that you heard was the town being stirred up. 46 And also, Solomon sat upon the throne of the kingdom. 47 And also, the king's servants came in to bless our lords the king David, saying, 'Your Gods, xiii may he do good with Solomon's name more than your name, and may he make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king worshipped upon the bed. 48 And also, thus the king said, 'Blessed be the Gods of Israel who has given today one sitting on my throne, and my eyes see'”
49 And they trembled, and all those called who were to Adonijah arose and went each to his way. 50 And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and arose and grabbed onto the horns of the altar.
51 And it was told to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah fears Solomon the king, and behold, he has seized onto the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let Solomon the king swear to me according to this day that he will not kill his servant with the sword.” 52 And Solomon said, “If he is a son of valor, none from his hair shall fall to the earth, and if bad is found in him, so he shall die.” 53 And Solomon the king sent, and they brought him down from on the altar. And he came in and bowed to Solomon the king. And Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.
- This is the Hebrew title. The Greek (LXX) title is “3 Kings.” ^
- אֲבִישַׁג ('aviyshag) “Abishag” - found also in 1 Kings 1:15; 2:17, 21-22. ^
- שּׁוּנַמִּית (shunammiyt) “Shunammite” = a person from Shunem, שׁוּנֵם (shunêm, see Joshua 19:18). Found also in 1 Kings 1:15; 2:17, 21-22; 2 Kings 4:12, 25, 36. ^
- עֲצָבוֹ (`atsâvo) “grieved him” YLT; “displeased him” KJV; “crossed him” NAS; “rebuked” NKJV – this is the same verb as used e.g. in Genesis 6:6; 34:7; 45:5; 1 Samuel 20:3; etc. (“grieved” NKJV). ^
- Adonijah's mother was Haggith, and he was David's 4th born (see 2 Samuel 3:2-4). By now, Amon (firstborn) & Absalom (3rd born) were dead. But, where is David's second born, Chileab (also called Daniel, 1 Chronicles 3:1)? Via Adonijah's actions, because he presumed the kingdom was his, it appears Chileab was dead. But, there's no word on the matter. ^
- רֵעִי (rê`iy) – "Rei" – only here. ^
- וֹּחֶלֶת (zochelet) “Zoheleth” - only here. ^
- 2 Samuel 5:3 says David began to reign at the age of thirty. He reigned for 40 years, so David is about 70 years old. ^
- חַטָּאִים (chattâiym) “sinners” - same exact word for “sinners” e.g. Psalm 1:1; 25:8; 26:9; 104:35; Proverbs 1:10 (NKJV). ^
- Written עֲבָדֶיךָ (`avâdeykâ) “your servants”; read עַבְדְּךָ (`avdekâ) “your servant” ^
- פִּרְדָּה (pirdâh) - "female mule" ^
- Gihon was/is on the east side of Jerusalem. This is where Hezekiah built a water tunnel (2 Chronicles 32:30). ^
- Written אֱלֹהֶיךָ ('eloheykâ) “your Gods”; read אֱלֹהִים ('elohiym) “Gods” ^