Adonijah Makes Himself King

1 Now King David was old. He had lived many years. They covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. ² So his servants said to him, “Let a young woman who has never had a man be found for my lord the king. Let her help the king and become his nurse. And let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.” ³ So they looked through all the land of Israel for a beautiful girl, and found Abishag the Shunammite. And they brought her to the king. ⁴ The girl was very beautiful. She became the king’s nurse and helped him. But the king did not have sex with her.

⁵ Now Haggith’s son Adonijah honored himself, saying, “I will be king.” So he made war-wagons and horsemen ready for himself, with fifty men to run in front of him. ⁶ His father had never troubled him at any time by asking, “Why have you done this?” He was a very good-looking man also, and was born next after Absalom. ⁷ He spoke with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the religious leader. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. ⁸ But Zadok the religious leader, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the man of God, Shimei, Rei, and David’s strong men, were not with Adonijah.

⁹ Adonijah killed sheep and cattle and fat animals by the stone of Zoheleth, beside En-rogel. He asked all his brothers, the king’s sons and all the king’s men of Judah to come. ¹⁰ But he did not ask Nathan the man of God, Benaiah, the strong men or his brother Solomon to come.

¹¹ Then Nathan said to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it? ¹² So now come, let me give you words of wisdom and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³ Go to King David and say to him, ‘My lord, O king, have you not promised your woman servant, saying, “For sure your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴ While you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and tell him your words are true.”

¹⁵ So Bathsheba went to the king in his room. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was helping him. ¹⁶ Bathsheba put her face to the ground in front of the king. And the king said, “What do you wish?” ¹⁷ She said to him, “My lord, you promised your woman servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘For sure your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne.’ ¹⁸ Now, see, Adonijah is king. And my lord the king, you do not know it. ¹⁹ He has killed many cattle and sheep and fat animals. He has asked all the king’s sons and Abiathar the religious leader and Joab the captain of the army to come. But he has not asked your servant Solomon to come. ²⁰ Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you. They are waiting for you to tell them who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹ Or else as soon as my lord the king is dead, I and my son Solomon will be thought of as wrong-doers.”

²² While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the man of God came in. ²³ They told the king, “Here is Nathan who speaks for God.” When Nathan came in front of the king, he put his face to the ground. ²⁴ Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah will be king after me, and he will sit on my throne’? ²⁵ For he has gone down today and has killed many cattle and sheep and fat animals. He has asked all the king’s sons and the captains of the army and Abiathar the religious leader to come. They are eating and drinking with him, and are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ²⁶ But he has not asked me your servant, Zadok the religious leader, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon, to come. ²⁷ Has this been done by my lord the king? Have you not shown your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

David Makes Solomon King

²⁸ King David said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came and stood in front of the king. ²⁹ The king made a promise and said, “As the Lord lives, Who has saved me from all trouble, ³⁰ I promised you by the Lord the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne in my place.’ And I will even do so this day.” ³¹ Bathsheba put her face to the ground in front of the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”

³² Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the religious leader, Nathan the man of God, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came to the king. ³³ The king said to them, “Take the servants of your lord with you. Have my son Solomon go on my own horse. And bring him down to Gihon. ³⁴ Let Zadok the religious leader and Nathan the man of God set him apart there as king over Israel. Sound the horn and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵ Then come up after him. He will come and sit on my throne and be king in my place. For I have chosen him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” ³⁶ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Let it be so! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so! ³⁷ May the Lord be with Solomon as He has been with my lord the king. May He make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

³⁸ So Zadok the religious leader, Nathan the man of God, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down to Gihon. And they brought Solomon with them, on King David’s horse. ³⁹ There Zadok the religious leader took the horn of oil from the tent and poured it on Solomon. Then they sounded the horn and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰ And all the people went up after him. They were playing music and were filled with joy. The earth shook with all the noise.

⁴¹ Adonijah and all who had been asked to be with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is there such a noise in the city?” ⁴² While he was still speaking, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the religious leader came. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a man to be trusted, and bring good news.” ⁴³ But Jonathan said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. ⁴⁴ The king has sent with him Zadok the religious leader, Nathan the man of God, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they have made him travel on the king’s horse. ⁴⁵ Zadok the religious leader and Nathan the man of God have set him apart as king in Gihon. They have come up from there filled with joy, so there is much noise in the city. This is the noise you have heard. ⁴⁶ Solomon sits upon the throne of the king. ⁴⁷ What is more, the king’s servants came to give honor to our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And the king put his face down upon the bed. ⁴⁸ The king said, ‘Thanks be to the Lord, the God of Israel. He has given one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”

⁴⁹ Then all those with Adonijah were filled with fear. Each of them got up and went his own way. ⁵⁰ And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon. He got up and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. ⁵¹ Solomon was told, “See, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon. See, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon promise me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” ⁵² Solomon said, “If he will be a man of worth, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground. But if he is found to be bad, he will die.” ⁵³ So King Solomon sent men to bring him down from the altar. Adonijah came and put his face to the ground in front of King Solomon. And Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”