1 Kings 1:41-53

41Adonijah and all the people who were with him heard the noise. They had just finished eating their feast together. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, ‘Why is there all that noise in the city?’

42While Joab was still speaking, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest, arrived. Adonijah said to him, ‘Come in! You are an honest man, so I am sure that you are bringing good news.’

43Jonathan replied to Adonijah, ‘No, it is not good news! Our master King David has made Solomon king!

44He sent these people to put Solomon onto the king's mule: Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Jehoiada's son Benaiah, and the king's personal guards. They took Solomon to Gihon.

45Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon at Gihon to become king. They have taken him from there into the city with happy shouts. People are shouting everywhere. That is the noise that you can hear.

46So Solomon now sits on the king's throne.

47The king's officers have told our master King David that he has done a good thing. They have said to him, “We pray that your God will make Solomon even more famous than you. We pray that his kingdom will be greater than your kingdom.” After they said that, the king bent his head down as he lay on his bed.

48He said, “We should praise the Lord, Israel's God. He deserves this, because he has chosen one of my sons to become king after me. The Lord has let me see this happen.” ’

49When all the people with Adonijah heard Jonathan's report, they were very afraid. They got up from the feast and they ran away in different directions.

50But Adonijah was afraid of what Solomon would do to punish him. So he ran to the holy tent. He took hold of the horns of the altar there.

51Someone told Solomon, ‘Adonijah is afraid of you. He has taken hold of the horns of the altar. He says, “I want King Solomon to promise me today that he will not punish me with death. I am his servant.” ’

52Solomon said, ‘If he serves me faithfully, I will not hurt him at all. But if he turns against me, he will die.’

53Then King Solomon sent men to the holy tent to bring Adonijah down from the altar. So Adonijah came. He bent down low to respect King Solomon. Solomon said to him, ‘Go to your home.’