³ So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the ^(A)Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

¹⁸ Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, ^(A)Shunem,

⁴ And let the young woman who pleases the king^[a] be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.

² Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king.

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman

⁸ One day Elisha went on to ^(A)Shunem, where a ^(B)wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food.

⁴ The Philistines assembled and came and encamped ^(A)at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped ^(B)at Gilboa.

²⁵ So she set out and came to the man of God ^(A)at Mount Carmel.

When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite.

¹⁷ And he said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me ^(A)Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” ¹⁸ Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.”

¹⁹ So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king's mother, ^(B)and she sat on his right. ²⁰ Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” ²¹ She said, “Let ^(C)Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.” ²² King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask ^(D)Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, ^(E)for he is my older brother, and on his side ^(F)are Abiathar^[a] the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” ²³ Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, ^(G)“God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! ²⁴ Now therefore ^(H)as the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, ^(I)as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.” ²⁵ So King Solomon sent ^(J)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.