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21 “Allow your brother Adonijah to marry Abishag,” she answered.

22 Solomon said:

What? Let my older brother marry Abishag? You may as well ask me to let him rule the kingdom! And why don't you ask such favors for Abiathar and Joab?[a]

23 I swear in the name of the Lord that Adonijah will die because he asked for this! If he doesn't, I pray that God will severely punish me.

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Footnotes

  1. 2.22 And why … Joab: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

21 So she said, “Let Abishag(A) the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”

22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag(B) the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother(C)—yes, for him and for Abiathar(D) the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,(E) if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request!

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