1 Kings 2:13-25

Amplified Bible

¹³ Now Adonijah the son of [David and] Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. She said, “Do you come in peace?” And he said, “In peace.” ¹⁴ Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” ¹⁵ So he said, “You know that the kingdom belonged to me [as the eldest living son] and all Israel ^[a]looked to me and expected me to be king. However, the kingdom has passed [from me] and became my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord. ¹⁶ So now I am making one request of you; do not ^[b]refuse me.” And she said to him, “Speak.” ¹⁷ He said, “Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you; ask that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.”^{(A) 18} Bathsheba replied, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”

Adonijah Executed

¹⁹ So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat down on his throne; then he had a throne set for her, the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. ²⁰ Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” ²¹ So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” ²² King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking for ^[c]Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask the kingdom for him also—since he is my older brother—[ask it] for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah [his supporters]!” ²³ Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do the same to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not requested this [deplorable] thing against his own ^[d]life. ²⁴ So now, as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house as He promised, Adonijah shall indeed be put to death today.” ²⁵ So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he ^[e]struck Adonijah and he died.