| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm. | 1When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. |
| 2Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.” | 2So his attendants said to him, "Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm." |
| 3So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. | 3Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. |
| 4The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her. | 4The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her. |
| 5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. | 5Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, "I will be king." So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. |
| 6(And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.) | 6(His father had never rebuked him by asking, "Why do you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.) |
| 7Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah. | 7Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. |
| 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. | 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David's special guard did not join Adonijah. |
| 9And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Rogel; he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. | 9Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, |
| 10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or Solomon his brother. | 10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon. |
| 11So 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? | 11Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? |
| 12Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. | 12Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. |
| 13Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ | 13Go in to King David and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' |
| 14Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.” | 14While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said." |
| 15So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) | 15So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. |
| 16And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?” | 16Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king. "What is it you want?" the king asked. |
| 17Then she said to him, “My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ | 17She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the LORD your God: 'Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.' |
| 18So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it. | 18But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. |
| 19He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited. | 19He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. |
| 20And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. | 20My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. |
| 21Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.” | 21Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals." |
| 22And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. | 22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. |
| 23So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. | 23And the king was told, "Nathan the prophet is here." So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground. |
| 24And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? | 24Nathan said, "Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? |
| 25For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ | 25Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!' |
| 26But he has not invited me—me your servant—nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. | 26But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. |
| 27Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” | 27Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" |
| 28Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. | 28Then King David said, "Call in Bathsheba." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him. |
| 29And the king took an oath and said, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, | 29The king then took an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, |
| 30just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.” | 30I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place." |
| 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!” | 31Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, "May my lord King David live forever!" |
| 32And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. | 32King David said, "Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." When they came before the king, |
| 33The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. | 33he said to them: "Take your lord's servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. |
| 34There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ | 34There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, '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 appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” | 35Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah." |
| 36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. | 36Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. |
| 37As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.” | 37As the LORD was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!" |
| 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 took him to Gihon. | 38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David's mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. |
| 39Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” | 39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" |
| 40And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound. | 40And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound. |
| 41Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?” | 41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, "What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?" |
| 42While he was still speaking, there came Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring good news.” | 42Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news." |
| 43Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. | 43"Not at all!" Jonathan answered. "Our lord King David has made Solomon king. |
| 44The king has 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. | 44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king's mule, |
| 45So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. | 45and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That's the noise you hear. |
| 46Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. | 46Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. |
| 47And moreover the king’s servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed himself on the bed. | 47Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make Solomon's name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!' And the king bowed in worship on his bed |
| 48Also the king said thus, ‘Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!’ ” | 48and said, 'Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.'" |
| 49So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way. | 49At this, all Adonijah's guests rose in alarm and dispersed. |
| 50Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. | 50But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. |
| 51And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, 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.’ ” | 51Then Solomon was told, "Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'" |
| 52Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” | 52Solomon replied, "If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die." |
| 53So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.” | 53Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, "Go to your home." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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