1 Kings Chapter 1

David in Old Age

1Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. 2So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her 1attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the 2Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not 3cohabit with her.

5Now 4Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So 5he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. 6His father had never 6crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and 78he was born after Absalom. 79He had conferred with 10Joab the son of Zeruiah and with 11Abiathar the priest; and following 12Adonijah they helped him. 8But 13Zadok the priest, 14Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 15Nathan the prophet, 16Shimei, Rei, and 17the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the 18stone of Zoheleth, which is beside 19En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and 20Solomon his brother.

Nathan and Bathsheba

11Then Nathan spoke to 21Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12So now come, please let me 22give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go 23at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “24Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”

15So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now 25the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself 26before the king. And the king said, “What 27do you wish?” 17She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘28Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 1929He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings 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 he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise it will come about, 30as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered 31offenders.”

22Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23They told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself 32before the king with his face to the ground. 24Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 2533For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘34Long live King Adonijah!’ 2635But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. 27Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your 36servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

28Then King David said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29The king vowed and said, “37As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30surely as 38I vowed to you by the Lord the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so this day.” 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself 39before the king and said, “40May my lord King David live forever.”

32Then King David said, “Call to me 41Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. 33The king said to them, “Take with you 42the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to 43Gihon. 34Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet 44anoint him there as king over Israel, and 45blow the trumpet and say, ‘46Long live King Solomon!’ 35Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say. 3747As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and 48make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

Solomon Anointed King

38So 49Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 50the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to 51Gihon. 39Zadok the priest then 52took the horn of oil from the tent and 53anointed Solomon. Then they 54blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “55Long live King Solomon!” 40All the people went up after him, and the people 56were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth 57shook at their noise.

41Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why 58is the city making such an uproar?” 42While he was still speaking, behold, 59Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for 60you are a valiant man and bring good news.” 43But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, 61so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard. 46Besides, 62Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May 63your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And 64the king bowed himself on the bed. 48The king has also said thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who 65has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”

49Then all the guests of Adonijah were terrified; and they arose and each went on his way. 50And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went and 66took hold of the horns of the altar. 51Now it was told Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, 67not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.” 53So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself 68before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”