1 Kings 1
Christian Standard Bible
David’s Last Days
1 Now King David was old and advanced in age.(A) Although they covered him with bedclothes, he could not get warm.(B) 2 So his servants said to him, “Let us[a] search for a young virgin for my lord the king.(C) She is to attend the king and be his caregiver. She is to lie by your side so that my lord the king will get warm.” 3 They searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel; they found Abishag(D) the Shunammite[b](E) and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was of unsurpassed beauty,(F) and she became the king’s caregiver. She attended to him, but he was not intimate with[c] her.
Adonijah’s Bid for Power
5 Adonijah son of Haggith(G) kept exalting himself, saying, “I will be king!” He prepared chariots, cavalry, and fifty men to run ahead of him.[d](H) 6 But his father had never once infuriated(I) him by asking, “Why did you do that?” (J) In addition, he was quite handsome(K) and was born after Absalom.(L) 7 He conspired[e] with Joab son of Zeruiah(M) and with the priest Abiathar.(N) They supported(O) Adonijah, 8 but the priest Zadok,(P) Benaiah son of Jehoiada,(Q) the prophet Nathan,(R) Shimei,(S) Rei, and David’s royal guard[f](T) did not side with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, goats, cattle, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel.(U) He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king,(V) 10 but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, the royal guard, or his brother Solomon.(W)
Nathan’s and Bathsheba’s Appeals
11 Then Nathan(X) said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother,(Y) “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king(Z) and our lord David does not know it?(AA) 12 Now please come and let me advise you.(AB) Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.(AC) 13 Go, approach King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne?(AD) So why has Adonijah become king?’ 14 At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm your words.”(AE)
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him.(AF) 16 Bathsheba knelt low and paid homage to the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”
17 She replied, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.’ 18 Now look, Adonijah has become king. And,[g] my lord the king, you didn’t know it. 19 He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon. 20 Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors,(AG) I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”(AH)
22 At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan arrived,(AI) 23 and it was announced to the king, “The prophet Nathan is here.” He came into the king’s presence and paid homage to him with his face to the ground.
24 “My lord the king,” Nathan said, “did you say, ‘Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne’? 25 For today he went down and lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and the priest Abiathar. And look! They’re eating and drinking in his presence, and they’re saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he did not invite me—me, your servant—or the priest Zadok or Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon. 27 I’m certain my lord the king would not have let this happen without letting your servant[h] know who will sit on my lord the king’s throne after him.”
Solomon Confirmed King
28 King David responded by saying, “Call in Bathsheba for me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. 29 The king swore an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every difficulty,(AJ) 30 just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne in my place,(AK) that is exactly what I will do this very day.”(AL)
31 Bathsheba knelt low with her face to the ground, paying homage to the king,(AM) and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” (AN)
32 King David then said, “Call in the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me.”(AO) So they came into the king’s presence. 33 The king said to them, “Take my servants(AP) with you, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule,(AQ) and take him down to Gihon.(AR) 34 There, the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan are to anoint him as king over Israel.(AS) You are to blow the ram’s horn(AT) and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ (AU) 35 You are to come up after him, and he is to come in and sit on my throne. He is the one who is to become king in my place; he is the one I have commanded to be ruler(AV) over Israel and Judah.”(AW)
36 “Amen,” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied to the king. “May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so affirm it.(AX) 37 Just as the Lord was with my lord the king,(AY) so may he[i] be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”(AZ)
38 Then the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites(BA) went down, had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 The priest Zadok took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon.(BB) Then they blew the ram’s horn,(BC) and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!” (BD) 40 All the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy(BE) that the earth split open from the sound.[j]
Adonijah Hears of Solomon’s Coronation
41 Adonijah and all the invited guests who were with him(BF) heard the noise as they finished eating. Joab heard the sound of the ram’s horn and said, “Why is the town in such an uproar?” (BG) 42 He was still speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest,(BH) suddenly arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are an important man, and you must be bringing good news.”(BI)
43 “Unfortunately not,” Jonathan answered him. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 And with Solomon, the king has sent the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have had him ride on the king’s mule. 45 The priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan have anointed him king in Gihon.(BJ) They have gone up from there rejoicing. The town has been in an uproar; that’s the noise you heard. 46 Solomon has even taken his seat on the royal throne.(BK)
47 “The king’s servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more well known than your name, and may he make his throne greater than your throne.’(BL) Then the king bowed in worship on his bed.(BM) 48 And the king went on to say this: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel! Today he has provided one to sit on my throne,(BN) and I am a witness.’”[k]
49 Then all of Adonijah’s guests got up trembling and went their separate ways. 50 Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.(BO)
51 It was reported to Solomon, “Look, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first[l] swear to me that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”
52 Then Solomon said, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground,(BP) but if evil is found in him, he dies.”(BQ) 53 So King Solomon sent for him, and they took him down from the altar. He came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your home.”
Footnotes
- 1:2 Lit them
- 1:3 Shunem was a town in the hill country of Issachar at the foot of Mt. Moreh; Jos 19:17–18.
- 1:4 Lit he did not know
- 1:5 Heralds announcing his procession
- 1:7 Lit His words were
- 1:8 Lit David’s warriors
- 1:18 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Syr; other Hb mss read And now
- 1:27 Some Hb mss, LXX; alt Hb tradition reads servants
- 1:37 Alt Hb tradition reads so he will
- 1:40 LXX reads the land resounded with their noise
- 1:48 Lit and my eyes are seeing
- 1:51 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg read today
1 Kings 1
Living Bible
1 In his old age King David was confined to his bed; but no matter how many blankets were heaped upon him, he was always cold.
2 “The cure for this,” his aides told him, “is to find a young virgin to be your concubine and nurse. She will lie in your arms and keep you warm.”
3-4 So they searched the country from one end to the other to find the most beautiful girl in all the land. Abishag, from Shunam, was finally selected. They brought her to the king, and she lay in his arms to warm him (but he had no sexual relations with her).
5 At about that time, David’s son[a] Adonijah (his mother was Haggith) decided to crown himself king in place of his aged father. So he hired chariots and drivers and recruited fifty men to run down the streets before him as royal footmen. 6 Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time—not so much as by a single scolding! He was a very handsome man and was Absalom’s younger brother. 7 He took General Joab and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. 8 But among those who remained loyal to King David and refused to endorse Adonijah were the priests Zadok and Benaiah, the prophet Nathan, Shimei, Rei, and David’s army chiefs.
9 Adonijah went to En-rogel where he sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fat young goats at the Serpent’s Stone. Then he summoned all of his brothers—the other sons of King David—and all the royal officials of Judah, requesting that they come to his coronation. 10 But he didn’t invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the loyal army officers, or his brother Solomon.
11 Then Nathan the prophet went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and asked her, “Do you realize that Haggith’s son, Adonijah, is now the king and that our lord David doesn’t even know about it? 12 If you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon—do exactly as I say! 13 Go at once to King David and ask him, ‘My lord, didn’t you promise me that my son Solomon would be the next king and would sit upon your throne? Then why is Adonijah reigning?’ 14 And while you are still talking with him, I’ll come and confirm everything you’ve said.”
15 So Bathsheba went into the king’s bedroom. He was an old, old man now, and Abishag was caring for him. 16 Bathsheba bowed low before him.
“What do you want?” he asked her.
17 She replied, “My lord, you vowed to me by the Lord your God that my son Solomon would be the next king and would sit upon your throne. 18 But instead, Adonijah is the new king, and you don’t even know about it. 19 He has celebrated his coronation by sacrificing oxen, fat goats, and many sheep and has invited all your sons and Abiathar the priest and General Joab. But he didn’t invite Solomon. 20 And now, my lord the king, all Israel is waiting for your decision as to whether Adonijah is the one you have chosen to succeed you. 21 If you don’t act, my son Solomon and I will be arrested and executed as criminals as soon as you are dead.”
22-23 While she was speaking, the king’s aides told him, “Nathan the prophet is here to see you.”
Nathan came in and bowed low before the king, 24 and asked, “My lord, have you appointed Adonijah to be the next king? Is he the one you have selected to sit upon your throne? 25 Today he celebrated his coronation by sacrificing oxen, fat goats, and many sheep, and has invited your sons to attend the festivities. He also invited General Joab and Abiathar the priest; and they are feasting and drinking with him and shouting, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah and Solomon and I weren’t invited. 27 Has this been done with your knowledge? For you haven’t said a word as to which of your sons you have chosen to be the next king.”
28 “Call Bathsheba,” David said. So she came back in and stood before the king.
29 And the king vowed, “As the Lord lives who has rescued me from every danger, 30 I decree that your son Solomon shall be the next king and shall sit upon my throne, just as I swore to you before by the Lord God of Israel.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed low before him[b] again and exclaimed, “Oh, thank you, sir. May my lord the king live forever!”
32 “Call Zadok the priest,” the king ordered, “and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah.”
When they arrived, 33 he said to them, “Take Solomon and my officers to Gihon. Solomon is to ride on my personal mule, 34 and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him there as king of Israel. Then blow the trumpets and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 When you bring him back here, place him upon my throne as the new king; for I have appointed him king of Israel and Judah.”
36 “Amen! Praise God!” replied Benaiah, and added, 37 “May the Lord be with Solomon as he has been with you, and may God make Solomon’s reign even greater than yours!”
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, and David’s bodyguard took Solomon to Gihon, riding on King David’s own mule. 39 At Gihon, Zadok took a flask of sacred oil from the Tabernacle and poured it over Solomon; and the trumpets were blown and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!”
40 Then they all returned with him to Jerusalem, making a joyous and noisy celebration all along the way.
41 Adonijah and his guests heard the commotion and shouting just as they were finishing their banquet.
“What’s going on?” Joab demanded. “Why is the city in such an uproar?”
42 And while he was still speaking, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest, rushed in.
“Come in,” Adonijah said to him, “for you are a good man; you must have good news.”
43 “Our lord King David has declared Solomon as king!” Jonathan shouted. 44-45 “The king sent him to Gihon with Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet and Benaiah, protected by the king’s own bodyguard; and he rode on the king’s own mule. And Zadok and Nathan have anointed him as the new king! They have just returned, and the whole city is celebrating and rejoicing. That’s what all the noise is. 46-47 Solomon is sitting on the throne, and all the people are congratulating King David, saying, ‘May God bless you even more through Solomon than he has blessed you personally! May God make Solomon’s reign even greater than yours!’ And the king is lying in bed, acknowledging their blessings. 48 He is saying, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who has selected one of my sons to sit upon my throne while I am still alive to see it.’”
49-50 Then Adonijah and his guests jumped up from the banquet table and fled in panic; for they were fearful for their lives. Adonijah rushed into the Tabernacle and caught hold of the horns of the sacred altar. 51 When word reached Solomon that Adonijah was claiming sanctuary in the Tabernacle, and pleading for clemency, 52 Solomon replied, “If he behaves himself, he will not be harmed; but if he does not, he shall die.” 53 So King Solomon summoned him, and they brought him down from the altar. He came to bow low before the king; and then Solomon curtly dismissed him.
“Go on home,” he said.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 1:5 David’s son, implied.
- 1 Kings 1:31 bowed low before him, literally, “did reverence to the king.”
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