1King David was now a very old man, and although his servants covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm.H4428H1732H2204H935H3117H3680H899H3179 2So his officials said to him, "Your Majesty, let us find a young woman to stay with you and take care of you. She will lie close to you and keep you warm."H5650H559H1245H113H4428H5291H1330H5975H6440H4428H5532H7901H2436H113H4428H2552 3A search was made all over Israel for a beautiful young woman, and in Shunem they found such a woman named Abishag, and brought her to the king.H1245H3303H5291H1366H3478H4672H49H7767H935H4428 4She was very beautiful, and waited on the king and took care of him, but he did not have intercourse with her.H5291H3966H3303H5532H4428H8334H4428H3045 5Now that Absalom was dead, Adonijah, the son of David and Haggith, was the oldest surviving son. He was a very handsome man.H138H1121H2294H4984H559H4427H6213H7393H6571H2572H376H7323H6440 6David had never reprimanded him about anything, and he was ambitious to be king. He provided for himself chariots, horses, and an escort of fifty men.H1H6087H3117H559H6213H3966H2896H8389H3205H310H53 7He talked with Joab (whose mother was Zeruiah) and with Abiathar the priest, and they agreed to support his cause.H1697H3097H1121H6870H54H3548H310H138H5826 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's bodyguards were not on Adonijah's side.H6659H3548H1141H1121H3077H5416H5030H8096H7472H1368H1732H138 9One day Adonijah offered a sacrifice of sheep, bulls, and fattened calves at Snake Rock, near the spring of Enrogel. He invited the other sons of King David and the king's officials who were from Judah to come to this sacrificial feast,H138H2076H6629H1241H4806H68H2120H681H5883H7121H251H4428H1121H582H3063H4428H5650 10but he did not invite his half brother Solomon or Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the king's bodyguards.H5416H5030H1141H1368H8010H251H7121 11Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, and asked her, "Haven't you heard that Haggith's son Adonijah has made himself king? And King David doesn't know anything about it!H5416H559H1339H517H8010H559H8085H138H1121H2294H4427H1732H113H3045 12If you want to save your life and the life of your son Solomon, I would advise you toH3212H3289H6098H4422H5315H5315H1121H8010 13go at once to King David and ask him, 'Your Majesty, didn't you solemnly promise me that my son Solomon would succeed you as king? How is it, then, that Adonijah has become king?' "H3212H935H4428H1732H559H113H4428H7650H519H559H3588H8010H1121H4427H310H3427H3678H138H4427 14And Nathan added, "Then, while you are still talking with King David, I will come in and confirm your story."H1696H4428H935H310H4390H1697 15So Bathsheba went to see the king in his bedroom. He was very old, and Abishag, the young woman from Shunem, was taking care of him.H1339H935H4428H2315H4428H3966H2204H49H7767H8334H4428 16Bathsheba bowed low before the king, and he asked, "What do you want?"H1339H6915H7812H4428H4428H559 17She answered, "Your Majesty, you made me a solemn promise in the name of the LORD your God that my son Solomon would be king after you.H559H113H7650H3068H430H519H8010H1121H4427H310H3427H3678 18But Adonijah has already become king, and you don't know anything about it.H138H4427H113H4428H3045 19He has offered a sacrifice of many bulls, sheep, and fattened calves, and he invited your sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of your army to the feast, but he did not invite your son Solomon.H2076H7794H4806H6629H7230H7121H1121H4428H54H3548H3097H8269H6635H8010H5650H7121 20Your Majesty, all the people of Israel are looking to you to tell them who is to succeed you as king.H113H4428H5869H3478H5046H3427H3678H113H4428H310 21If you don't, as soon as you are dead, my son Solomon and I will be treated as traitors."H113H4428H7901H1H1121H8010H2400 22She was still speaking, when Nathan arrived at the palace.H1696H4428H5416H5030H935 23The king was told that the prophet was there, and Nathan went in and bowed low before the king.H5046H4428H559H5416H5030H935H6440H4428H7812H4428H639H776 24Then he said, "Your Majesty, have you announced that Adonijah would succeed you as king?H5416H559H113H4428H559H138H4427H310H3427H3678 25This very day he has gone and offered a sacrifice of many bulls, sheep, and fattened calves. He invited all your sons, Joab the commander of your army, and Abiathar the priest, and right now they are feasting with him and shouting, 'Long live King Adonijah!'H3381H3117H2076H7794H4806H6629H7230H7121H4428H1121H8269H6635H54H3548H398H8354H6440H559H2421H4428H138 26But he did not invite me, sir, or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or Solomon.H5650H6659H3548H1141H1121H3077H5650H8010H7121 27Did Your Majesty approve all this and not even tell your officials who is to succeed you as king?"H1697H1961H113H4428H3045H5650H3427H3678H113H4428H310 28King David said, "Ask Bathsheba to come back in" - and she came and stood before him.H4428H1732H6030H559H7121H1339H935H4428H6440H5975H6440H4428 29Then he said to her, "I promise you by the living LORD, who has rescued me from all my troubles,H4428H7650H559H3068H2416H6299H5315H6869 30that today I will keep the promise I made to you in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, that your son Solomon would succeed me as king."H7650H3068H430H3478H559H8010H1121H4427H310H3427H3678H6213H3117 31Bathsheba bowed low and said, "May my lord the king live forever!"H1339H6915H639H776H7812H4428H559H113H4428H1732H2421H5769 32Then King David sent for Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah. When they came in,H4428H1732H559H7121H6659H3548H5416H5030H1141H1121H3077H935H6440H4428 33he said to them, "Take my court officials with you; have my son Solomon ride my own mule, and escort him down to Gihon Spring,H4428H559H3947H5650H113H8010H1121H7392H6506H3381H1521 34where Zadok and Nathan are to anoint him as king of Israel. Then blow the trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!'H6659H3548H5416H5030H4886H4428H3478H8628H7782H559H2421H4428H8010 35Follow him back here when he comes to sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, because he is the one I have chosen to be the ruler of Israel and Judah."H5927H310H935H3427H3678H4427H6680H5057H3478H3063 36"It shall be done," answered Benaiah, "and may the LORD your God confirm it!H1141H1121H3077H6030H4428H559H543H3068H430H113H4428H559 37As the LORD has been with Your Majesty, may he also be with Solomon and make his reign even more prosperous than yours."H3068H113H4428H8010H1431H3678H1431H3678H113H4428H1732 38So Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the royal bodyguards put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon Spring.H6659H3548H5416H5030H1141H1121H3077H3774H6432H3381H8010H7392H4428H1732H6506H3212H1521 39Zadok took the container of olive oil which he had brought from the Tent of the LORD's presence, and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet, and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"H6659H3548H3947H7161H8081H168H4886H8010H8628H7782H5971H559H2421H4428H8010 40Then they all followed him back, shouting for joy and playing flutes, making enough noise to shake the ground.H5971H5927H310H5971H2490H2485H8056H1419H8057H776H1234H6963 41As Adonijah and all his guests were finishing the feast, they heard the noise. And when Joab heard the trumpet, he asked, "What's the meaning of all that noise in the city?"H138H7121H8085H3615H398H3097H8085H6963H7782H559H6963H7151H1993 42Before he finished speaking, Jonathan, the son of the priest Abiathar, arrived. "Come on in," Adonijah said. "You're a good man - you must be bringing good news."H1696H3129H1121H54H3548H935H138H559H935H2428H376H381H1319H2896H1319 43"I'm afraid not," Jonathan answered. "His Majesty King David has made Solomon king.H3129H6030H559H138H61H113H4428H1732H8010H4427 44He sent Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the royal bodyguards to escort him. They had him ride on the king's mule,H4428H7971H6659H3548H5416H5030H1141H1121H3077H3774H6432H7392H4428H6506 45and Zadok and Nathan anointed him as king at Gihon Spring. Then they went into the city, shouting for joy, and the people are now in an uproar. That's the noise you just heard.H6659H3548H5416H5030H4886H4428H1521H5927H8056H7151H1949H6963H8085 46Solomon is now the king.H8010H3427H3678H4410 47What is more, the court officials went in to pay their respects to His Majesty King David and said, 'May your God make Solomon even more famous than you, and may Solomon's reign be even more prosperous than yours.' Then King David bowed in worship on his bedH4428H5650H935H1288H113H4428H1732H559H430H8034H8010H3190H8034H1431H3678H1431H3678H4428H7812H4904 48and prayed, 'Let us praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has today made one of my descendants succeed me as king, and has let me live to see it!' "H559H4428H1288H3068H430H3478H5414H3427H3678H3117H5869H7200 49Then Adonijah's guests were afraid, and they all got up and left, each going his own way.H7121H138H2729H6965H3212H376H1870 50Adonijah, in great fear of Solomon, went to the Tent of the LORD's presence and took hold of the corners of the altar.H138H3372H6440H8010H6965H3212H2388H7161H4196 51King Solomon was told that Adonijah was afraid of him and that he was holding on to the corners of the altar and had said, "First, I want King Solomon to swear to me that he will not have me put to death."H5046H8010H559H138H3372H4428H8010H270H7161H4196H559H4428H8010H7650H3117H4191H5650H2719 52Solomon replied, "If he is loyal, not even a hair on his head will be touched; but if he is not, he will die."H8010H559H2428H1121H8185H5307H776H7451H4672H4191 53King Solomon then sent for Adonijah and had him brought down from the altar. Adonijah went to the king and bowed low before him, and the king said to him, "You may go home."H4428H8010H7971H3381H4196H935H7812H4428H8010H8010H559H3212H1004
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