David in Old Age

1Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. 2So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4Now the young woman was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and attended him, but the king did not [†]know her.

5Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men as runners before him. 6But his father had never [†]grieved him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man in form, and [†]he was born after Absalom. 7[†]And he had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah, they helped him. 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the [†]stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.

Nathan Speaks to Bathsheba

11Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12So now come, please let me give you counsel and provide escape for your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go [†]at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and fully confirm your words.”

15So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself [†]before the king. And the king said, “What [†]do you wish?” 17And she said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by [†]Yahweh your God, saying, ‘Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18But now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 19And he has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise it will be, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered [†]offenders.”

22Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23Then they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And then he came in before the king and prostrated himself [†]before the king with his [†]face to the ground. 24Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. 27Has this thing happened by my lord the king, and you have not made known to your [†]servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

28Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29And the king swore and said, “As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30surely as I swore to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will surely do so this day.” 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her [†]face to the ground, and prostrated herself [†]before the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”

32Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. 33And the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. 34And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet shall anoint him there as king over Israel and blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne. And he shall be king in my place; for I have commanded him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say. 37As Yahweh has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

Solomon Anointed King

38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him, and the people [†]were playing on flutes and were glad with great gladness, so that the earth [†]shook at their sound.

41And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. Then Joab heard the sound of the trumpet and said, “Why is the sound of the city such an uproar?” 42While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news.” 43But Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there with gladness, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the sound which you have heard. 46And also, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47And also, the king’s servants came to bless 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 bowed himself on the bed. 48And also, the king said thus, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”

49Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled; and they arose and each went on his way. 50And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went, and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51Then it was told to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52And Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself [†]before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”