1 Kings 1:1-13 ▼

1 And King David [is] old, entering into days, and they cover him with garments, and he has no heat,

2 and his servants say to him, “Let them seek [for] a young woman, a virgin, for my lord the king, and she has stood before the king, and is a companion to him, and has lain in your bosom, and my lord the king has heat.”

3 And they seek [for] a beautiful young woman in all the border of Israel, and find Abishag the Shunammite, and bring her to the king,

4 and the young woman [is] very, very beautiful, and she is a companion to the king, and serves him, and the king has not known her.

5 And Adonijah son of Haggith is lifting himself up, saying, “I reign”; and he prepares for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men running before him,

6 and his father has not grieved him [all] his days, saying, “Why have you done this?” And he also [is] of a very good form, and [his mother] bore him after Absalom.

7 And his words are with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they help after Adonijah;

8 and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty ones whom David has, have not been with Adonijah.

9 And Adonijah sacrifices sheep and oxen and fatlings near the stone of Zoheleth that [is] by En-Rogel, and calls all his brothers, sons of the king, and for all the men of Judah, servants of the king;

10 and he has not called Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty ones, and his brother Solomon.

11 And Nathan speaks to Bathsheba, mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has reigned, and our lord David has not known?

12 And now, come, please let me counsel you, and deliver your life and the life of your son Solomon;

13 go and enter in to King David, and you have said to him: Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your handmaid, saying, Surely your son Solomon reigns after me, and he sits on my throne? And why has Adonijah reigned?