1 Kings 2:13-25

New American Standard Bible

¹³ Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. So she said, “^(A)Do you come peacefully?” And he said, “Peacefully.” ¹⁴ Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” ¹⁵ So he said, “You yourself know that ^(B)the kingdom was mine and ^(C)that all Israel ^[a]intended for me to be king; ^(D)however, the kingdom has turned around and become my brother’s, ^(E)for it was his from the Lord. ¹⁶ So now I am making one request of you; do not ^[b]refuse me.” And she said to him, “Speak.” ¹⁷ Then he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king—for he will not ^[c]refuse you—that he may give me ^(F)Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” ¹⁸ And Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”

Adonijah Executed

¹⁹ So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king stood to meet her, bowed to her, and sat on his throne; then he ^(G)had a throne set up for the king’s mother, and ^(H)she sat on his right. ²⁰ Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; ^(I)do not ^[d]refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not ^[e]refuse you.” ²¹ So she said, “^(J)Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.” ²² But King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ^(K)Request for him the kingdom as well—^(L)since he is my older brother—for him, for ^(M)Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!” ²³ Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do so to me and more so, if Adonijah has ^(N)not spoken this word against his own ^[f]life! ²⁴ Now then, as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and ^(O)has made me a house just as He ^[g]promised, Adonijah certainly shall be put to death today!” ²⁵ Then King Solomon ^(P)sent the order by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he ^[h]struck him so that he died.