1 Kings 1:5-25

5Now 1Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So 2he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. 6His father had never 3crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and 45he was born after Absalom. 76He had conferred with 7Joab the son of Zeruiah and with 8Abiathar the priest; and following 9Adonijah they helped him. 8But 10Zadok the priest, 11Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 12Nathan the prophet, 13Shimei, Rei, and 14the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the 15stone of Zoheleth, which is beside 16En-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 17Solomon his brother.

11Then Nathan spoke to 18Bathsheba 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 19give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go 20at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “21Surely 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 22the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself 23before the king. And the king said, “What 24do you wish?” 17She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘25Surely 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. 1926He 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, 27as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered 28offenders.”

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 29before 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’? 2530For 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, ‘31Long live King Adonijah!’