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King David was old and well advanced in years. Although they covered him with bedclothes, he could not keep warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let us search for a young virgin for my lord the king, and she can attend to the king, and wait upon him. She can lie beside him, so that our lord the king may keep warm.”
3 So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel. They found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was very beautiful, and she became the king’s attendant. She waited on him, but the king was not intimate with her.
5 Now David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, kept exalting himself and arrogantly claiming, “I will be king.” He provided himself with chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run ahead of him. 6 But his father had never repremanded him at any time by asking, “Why do you behave this way?” He was born next after Absalom, and he was also very handsome.
7 Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaish son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s own fighting men did not side with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle at the Stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all king’s officials from the men of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, or Benaiah, or the fighting men, or his brother Solomon.
11 Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12 Now then, let me give you advise so you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant: “Your son Solomon shall become king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Then while you are still there talking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending the king. 16 Bathsheba bowed down and paid homage to the king.
The king asked, “What do you want?”
17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the Lord your God: ‘You son Solomon shall become king after me, and he will sit on my throne’. 18 But now Adonijah has become king and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle 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 Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20 As for you, my lord O 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 is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as traitors.”
22 At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went in before the king, and bowed with his face toward the ground.
24 Nathan said, “My lord, O king, did you say, ‘Adonijah is to succeed me as king, and he will sit on my upon my throne’? 25 For today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. At this moment they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But me—even me your servant—and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. 27 Is this something that has been done by my lord the king, without telling your servants who is to sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28 Then King David answered, “Call in Bathsheba for me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
29 Then the king swore an oath: “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every adversity, 30 just as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me’, so I will certainly do this day.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, paying homage to the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”
32 Then King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me.” So they came before the king. 33 The king said to them, “Take your lord’s servants with you, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you shall come up after him, and he is to come and sit on my throne; he shall be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so affirm it. 37 As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada went down to the Cherethites, and the Pelethites. They put Solomon on King David’s mule and led him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such great joy that the ground shook with their noise.
41 Now Adonijah and the guests with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “Why is the city in such an uproar?”
42 He was still speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you surely must be bringing good news.”
43 “Not at all!” he answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have had him ride on the king’s mule. 45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. From there they have gone up rejoicing, and the city went into an uproar. That is the noise you heard. 46 What is more, Solomon has even taken his seat on the royal throne. 47 Also, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon more famous than your name, and may He make his throne even greater than your throne’. And the king bowed in worship on his bed, 48 and he said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel who has provided a successor to sit on my throne, while my own eyes can see it’.”
49 At this, all the guests of Adonijah rose in alarm and they soon dispersed. 50 Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Then Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and he is clinging to the horns of the altar. He is saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword’.”
52 Solomon declared, “If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.” 53 So King Solomon sent for him, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed down before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your home.”