1 Kings 1:5-40

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!’ 2632But 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 33servants 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, “34As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30surely as 35I 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 36before the king and said, “37May my lord King David live forever.”

32Then King David said, “Call to me 38Zadok 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 39the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to 40Gihon. 34Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet 41anoint him there as king over Israel, and 42blow the trumpet and say, ‘43Long 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. 3744As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and 45make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

38So 46Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 47the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to 48Gihon. 39Zadok the priest then 49took the horn of oil from the tent and 50anointed Solomon. Then they 51blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “52Long live King Solomon!” 40All the people went up after him, and the people 53were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth 54shook at their noise.