The First Book of the Kings

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When King David was very old, even though his servants put many blankets on top of him at night, he was unable to keep warm.

So they said to him, “Your Majesty, allow us to search for a young virgin who can stay with you and take care of you. She can sleep close to you and make you warm.”

The king gave them permission, so they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman. They found a woman named Abishag, from the town of Shunem, and brought her to the king.

She was truly very beautiful. She took care of the king, but the king did not have sexual relations with her.

Adonijah Usurps the Kingdom

After Absalom died, David’s oldest son was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. He was a very handsome man. But David had never rebuked him about anything he did.

After Absalom died, he thought that he would become king. So he started to boast, saying, “I will become king now.” Then he provided for himself some chariots, and men to drive them, and horses to pull them, and fifty men to run as his bodyguards in front of those chariots wherever he went.

One day he conferred with Joab, David’s army commander, and Abiathar the priest, and they promised to help Adonijah.

But other important people refused to help him. These included Zadok, who was also a priest, Benaiah who had supervised David’s bodyguards, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei, and David’s most capable soldiers.

One day Adonijah went to the stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel, which is near Jerusalem, to sacrifice some sheep and oxen and fattened cattle. He invited most of his brothers, King David’s other sons, to come. He also invited all of the king’s officials from Judah to come to the celebration.

But he did not invite Nathan, Benaiah, or the king’s most capable soldiers, or his younger brother Solomon.

Nathan and Bathsheba before David

Nathan found out what they were doing, so he went to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba and asked her, “Have you not heard that Haggith’s son Adonijah is making himself king? And King David does not know about it!

So if you want to save yourself and your son Solomon from being killed, allow me to tell you what you should do.

Go right away to King David. Say to him, ‘Your Majesty, you solemnly promised me that my son Solomon would become the king after you die and that he would sit on your throne and rule. So why are people saying that Adonijah is now king?’

Then, Bathsheba, while you are still talking to the king, I will come in and tell him that what you are saying to him about Adonijah is true.”

So Bathsheba went to see the king in his bedroom. He was very old, and Abishag was taking care of him.

Bathsheba bowed very low in front of the king, and the king asked her, “What do you want?”

She replied, “Your Majesty, you solemnly promised me, knowing that Yahweh our God was listening, that my son Solomon would become king after you die and that he would sit on your throne and rule.

But now, Adonijah has made himself king, and you do not know anything about it.

He has sacrificed a lot of oxen and fattened cattle and sheep, and he has invited all of your other sons to the celebration. He has also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of your army, but he did not invite your son Solomon.

Your Majesty, all the people of Israel are expecting you to tell them who is the one who will become king after you are no longer with us.

If you do not do that, what will happen is that after you die people will consider that my son Solomon and I are rebelling, and they will execute us because we did not help Adonijah to become king.”

While she was still talking to the king, Nathan came to the palace.

The king’s servants told David, “Nathan the prophet has come.” So Bathsheba left, and Nathan went into where the king was and knelt down, with his face on the ground.

Then Nathan said, “Your Majesty, have you declared that Adonijah will become king after you?

I say that because today he has gone down to En Rogel and has sacrificed a lot of oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. And he has invited all of your other sons, Joab the army commander, and Abiathar the priest. They are all eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘We hope that King Adonijah will live a long time!’

But he did not invite me or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or Solomon.

Did you say that they should do this without telling your other officials who you want to become king after you are no longer the king?”

David Renews His Oath to Bathsheba

Then King David said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in here again.” So someone went and told her, and she came in and stood in front of the king.

Then the king said, “Yahweh has rescued me from all my troubles.

I promised you, with Yahweh the God whom we Israelites worship listening, that your son Solomon would be king after I am no longer the king. Today, as surely as Yahweh lives, I solemnly declare that I will do what I promised.”

Bathsheba knelt down with her face on the ground and said, “Your Majesty, I hope you will live forever!”

Solomon Anointed King

(1 Chronicles 29:21–25)

Then King David said to a servant, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah.” So a servant went and summoned them. When they came in,

he said to them, “Put my son Solomon on my mule. Take him with my officials down to the spring at Gihon.

There, you two, Zadok and Nathan, must anoint him with olive oil to appoint him to be the king of Israel. Then you two must blow trumpets, and all the people there must shout, ‘We hope that King Solomon will live for many years!’

Then follow him back here, and he will come and sit on my throne. He will then become king instead of me. I have appointed him to be the ruler of all the people of Israel and of Judah.”

Benaiah replied, “We will do that! We hope that Yahweh, who is your God and our God, will cause it to happen!

King David, Yahweh has helped you. We hope that he will also help Solomon and enable him to become an even greater king than you have been.”

So Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the two groups of men who were the king’s bodyguards went and put Solomon on King David’s mule and escorted him down to the spring at Gihon.

There Zadok took the container of olive oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then two of them blew trumpets, and all the people shouted, “We hope that King Solomon will live for many years!”

Then all the people followed him back up to the city, shouting joyfully and playing flutes. They shouted very loudly, so that the ground shook.

Adonijah Learns of Solomon’s Kingship

When Adonijah and all his guests were finishing eating at their celebration, they heard the noise. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpets, he asked, “What is the meaning of all that noise in the city?”

While he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in! You are a man whom we can trust, so you must be bringing us good news!”

Jonathan replied, “No, I do not have good news! His Majesty, King David, has made Solomon to be the king!

He sent Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and his own groups of bodyguards to go with Solomon. They put Solomon on King David’s mule.

They went down to the spring at Gihon, and there Zadok and Nathan have anointed him to become the king. Now they have returned from there to the city, shouting joyfully. That is why there is that great noise that you are hearing.

So Solomon is now our king.

Furthermore, the palace officials came to His Majesty, King David, to tell him that they approved of what he had done. They said, ‘We wish that God will make Solomon even more famous than you have been and enable him to be an even better king than you have been.’ When they said that, the king, lying on his bed, bowed his head to worship Yahweh.

Then he said, ‘I praise Yahweh, the God whom we Israelites worship, because he has allowed one of my sons to become the king today and has permitted me to see it happen.’”

Then all of Adonijah’s guests trembled, so they all immediately got up and left and scattered.

Adonijah was afraid of what Solomon would do, so he went to the sacred tent and grabbed the projections at the corners of the altar, because he thought that no one would kill him there.

But someone told Solomon, “See, Adonijah is afraid of you, so he has gone to the sacred tent and is holding on to the altar. He is saying, ‘Before I leave, I want King Solomon to solemnly promise that he will not command that I be executed.’”

Solomon replied, “If he proves that he is loyal to me, I will not harm him at all. But if he does anything that is wrong, he will be executed.”

So King Solomon sent some men to Adonijah, and they brought him back from the altar. He came to Solomon and bowed down in front of him. Then Solomon said to him, “Go home.”

Now King David was old and advanced in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he couldn’t keep warm.

Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young virgin be sought for my lord the king. Let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.”

So they sought for a beautiful young lady throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

The young lady was very beautiful; and she cherished the king, and served him; but the king didn’t know her intimately.

Adonijah Usurps the Kingdom

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” Then he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, “Why have you done so?” and he was also a very handsome man; and he was born after Absalom.

He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and they followed Adonijah and helped him.

But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

Adonijah killed sheep, cattle, and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel; and he called all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants;

but he didn’t call Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.

Nathan and Bathsheba before David

Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Haven’t you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns, and David our lord doesn’t know it?

Now therefore come, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and your son Solomon’s life.

Go in to King David, and tell him, ‘Didn’t you, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then does Adonijah reign?’

Behold,(a) while you are still talking there with the king, I will also come in after you and confirm your words.”

Bathsheba went in to the king in his room. The king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.

Bathsheba bowed and showed respect to the king. The king said, “What would you like?”

She said to him, “My lord, you swore by the LORD

(b)

your God

(c)

to your servant, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’

Now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and you, my lord the king, don’t know it.

He has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the army; but he hasn’t called Solomon your servant.

You, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered criminals.”

Behold, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.

They told the king, saying, “Behold, Nathan the prophet!” When he had come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

Nathan said, “My lord, King, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?

For he has gone down today, and has slain cattle, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons, the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’

But he hasn’t called me, even me your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon.

Was this thing done by my lord the king, and you haven’t shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

David Renews His Oath to Bathsheba

Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba in to me.” She came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.

The king vowed and said, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

most certainly as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place;’ I will most certainly do this today.”

Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth and showed respect to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”

Solomon Anointed King

(1 Chronicles 29:21–25)

King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king.

The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.

Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel. Blow the trumpet, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

Then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne; for he shall be king in my place. I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah.”

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, “Amen. May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so.

As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.

Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the Tent, and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet; and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”

All the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with their sound.

Adonijah Learns of Solomon’s Kingship

Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is this noise of the city being in an uproar?”

While he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said, “Come in; for you are a worthy man, and bring good news.”

Jonathan answered Adonijah, “Most certainly our lord King David has made Solomon king.

The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they have caused him to ride on the king’s mule.

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. They have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you have heard.

Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.

Moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne;’ and the king bowed himself on the bed.

Also thus said the king, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne today, my eyes even seeing it.’”

All the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and each man went his way.

Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and hung onto the horns of the altar.

Solomon was told, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon; for, behold, he is hanging onto the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”

Solomon said, “If he shows himself a worthy man, not a hair of his shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”

So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Fußnoten

(a)1:14 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

(b)1:17 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.