1Kings 1
1Now King David was old and getting on in years. Although they covered him with bedclothes, he could not get warm.H4428H1732H2204H935H3117H3680H899H31792So his servants said to him: "Let us search for a young virgin for my lord the king. She is to attend the king and be his caregiver. She is to lie by your side so that my lord the king will get warm."H5650H559H1245H113H4428H5291H1330H5975H6440H4428H5532H7901H2436H113H4428H25523They searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel; they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king.H1245H3303H5291H1366H3478H4672H49H7767H935H44284The girl was of unsurpassed beauty, and she became the king's caregiver. She served him, but he was not intimate with her.H5291H3966H3303H5532H4428H8334H4428H30455Adonijah son of Haggith kept exalting himself, saying, "I will be king!" He also assembled chariots, cavalry, and 50 men to run ahead of him.H138H1121H2294H4984H559H4427H6213H7393H6571H2572H376H7323H64406But his father had never once reprimanded him by saying, "Why do you act this way?" In addition, he was quite handsome and was born after Absalom.H1H6087H3117H559H6213H3966H2896H8389H3205H310H537He conspired with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. They supported Adonijah,H1697H3097H1121H6870H54H3548H310H138H58268but Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's warriors did not side with Adonijah.H6659H3548H1141H1121H3077H5416H5030H8096H7472H1368H1732H1389Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king,H138H2076H6629H1241H4806H68H2120H681H5883H7121H251H4428H1121H582H3063H4428H565010but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the warriors, or his brother Solomon.H5416H5030H1141H1368H8010H251H712111Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our lord David does not know [it]?H5416H559H1339H517H8010H559H8085H138H1121H2294H4427H1732H113H304512Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.H3212H3289H6098H4422H5315H5315H1121H801013Go, approach King David and say to him, 'My lord king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne? So why has Adonijah become king?'H3212H935H4428H1732H559H113H4428H7650H519H559H3588H8010H1121H4427H310H3427H3678H138H442714At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I'll come in after you and confirm your words."H1696H4428H935H310H4390H169715So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him.H1339H935H4428H2315H4428H3966H2204H49H7767H8334H442816Bathsheba bowed down and paid homage to the king, and he asked, "What do you want?"H1339H6915H7812H4428H4428H55917She replied, "My lord, you swore to your servant by the LORD your God, 'Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.'H559H113H7650H3068H430H519H8010H1121H4427H310H3427H367818Now look, Adonijah has become king. And, my lord king, you didn't know [it].H138H4427H113H4428H304519He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon.H2076H7794H4806H6629H7230H7121H1121H4428H54H3548H3097H8269H6635H8010H5650H712120Now, my lord king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.H113H4428H5869H3478H5046H3427H3678H113H4428H31021Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals."H113H4428H7901H1H1121H8010H240022At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived,H1696H4428H5416H5030H93523and it was announced to the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." He came into the king's presence and bowed to him with his face to the ground.H5046H4428H559H5416H5030H935H6440H4428H7812H4428H639H77624"My lord king," Nathan said, "did you say, 'Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne?'H5416H559H113H4428H559H138H4427H310H3427H367825For today he went down and lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And look! They're eating and drinking in his presence, and they're saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!'H3381H3117H2076H7794H4806H6629H7230H7121H4428H1121H8269H6635H54H3548H398H8354H6440H559H2421H4428H13826But he did not invite me— me, your servant— or Zadok the priest or Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon.H5650H6659H3548H1141H1121H3077H5650H8010H712127I'm certain my lord the king would not have let this happen without letting your servant know who will sit on my lord the king's throne after him."H1697H1961H113H4428H3045H5650H3427H3678H113H4428H31028King David responded by saying, "Call in Bathsheba for me." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him.H4428H1732H6030H559H7121H1339H935H4428H6440H5975H6440H442829The king swore an oath and said, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every difficulty,H4428H7650H559H3068H2416H6299H5315H686930just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne in my place, that is exactly what I will do this very day."H7650H3068H430H3478H559H8010H1121H4427H310H3427H3678H6213H311731Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, paying homage to the king, and said, "May my lord King David live forever!"H1339H6915H639H776H7812H4428H559H113H4428H1732H2421H576932King David then said, "Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me." So they came into the king's presence.H4428H1732H559H7121H6659H3548H5416H5030H1141H1121H3077H935H6440H442833The king said to them, "Take my servants with you, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.H4428H559H3947H5650H113H8010H1121H7392H6506H3381H152134There, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him as king over Israel. You are to blow the ram's horn and say, 'Long live King Solomon!'H6659H3548H5416H5030H4886H4428H3478H8628H7782H559H2421H4428H801035You are to come up after him, and he is to come in and sit on my throne. He is the one who is to become king in my place; he is the one I have commanded to be ruler over Israel and Judah."H5927H310H935H3427H3678H4427H6680H5057H3478H306336" Amen," Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied to the king. "May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so affirm it.H1141H1121H3077H6030H4428H559H543H3068H430H113H4428H55937Just as the LORD was with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David."H3068H113H4428H8010H1431H3678H1431H3678H113H4428H173238Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down, had Solomon ride on King David's mule, and took him to Gihon.H6659H3548H5416H5030H1141H1121H3077H3774H6432H3381H8010H7392H4428H1732H6506H3212H152139Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram's horn, and all the people proclaimed, "Long live King Solomon!"H6659H3548H3947H7161H8081H168H4886H8010H8628H7782H5971H559H2421H4428H801040All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth split open from the sound.H5971H5927H310H5971H2490H2485H8056H1419H8057H776H1234H696341Adonijah and all the invited guests who were with him heard [the noise] as they finished eating. Joab heard the sound of the ram's horn and said, "Why is the town in such an uproar?"H138H7121H8085H3615H398H3097H8085H6963H7782H559H6963H7151H199342He was still speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, suddenly arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are an excellent man, and you must be bringing good news."H1696H3129H1121H54H3548H935H138H559H935H2428H376H381H1319H2896H131943"Unfortunately not," Jonathan answered him. "Our lord King David has made Solomon king.H3129H6030H559H138H61H113H4428H1732H8010H442744And with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have had him ride on the king's mule.H4428H7971H6659H3548H5416H5030H1141H1121H3077H3774H6432H7392H4428H650645Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. They have gone from there rejoicing. The town has been in an uproar; that's the noise you heard.H6659H3548H5416H5030H4886H4428H1521H5927H8056H7151H1949H6963H808546Solomon has even taken his seat on the royal throne.H8010H3427H3678H441047"The king's servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.' Then the king bowed in worship on his bed.H4428H5650H935H1288H113H4428H1732H559H430H8034H8010H3190H8034H1431H3678H1431H3678H4428H7812H490448And the king went on to say this: 'May the LORD God of Israel be praised! Today He has provided one to sit on my throne, and I am a witness.'"H559H4428H1288H3068H430H3478H5414H3427H3678H3117H5869H720049Then all of Adonijah's guests got up trembling and went their separate ways.H7121H138H2729H6965H3212H376H187050Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.H138H3372H6440H8010H6965H3212H2388H7161H419651It was reported to Solomon: "Look, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon first swear to me that he will not kill his servant with the sword.'"H5046H8010H559H138H3372H4428H8010H270H7161H4196H559H4428H8010H7650H3117H4191H5650H271952Then Solomon said, "If he is a man of character, then not a single hair of his will fall to the ground, but if evil is found in him, then he dies."H8010H559H2428H1121H8185H5307H776H7451H4672H419153So King Solomon sent for him, and they took him down from the altar. He came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, "Go to your home."H4428H8010H7971H3381H4196H935H7812H4428H8010H8010H559H3212H1004
Columbus, OH
