1 Kings 1:38-2:10

English Standard Version

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, ^(A)and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule and brought him to Gihon. ³⁹There Zadok the priest took the horn of ^(B)oil from the tent and ^(C)anointed Solomon. ^(D)Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, ^(E)“Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.

⁴¹Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” ⁴²While he was still speaking, behold, ^(F)Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, ^(G)for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” ⁴³Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, ⁴⁴and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the ^(H)Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king's mule. ⁴⁵And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at ^(I)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. ⁴⁶^(J)Solomon sits on the royal throne. ⁴⁷Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ^(K)‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king ^(L)bowed himself on the bed. ⁴⁸And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, ^(M)who has granted someone^[a] to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’”

⁴⁹Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. ⁵⁰And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went ^(N)and took hold of ^(O)the horns of the altar. ⁵¹Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” ⁵²And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, ^(P)not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” ⁵³So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

David's Instructions to Solomon

2 ^(Q)When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, ²^(R)“I am about to go the way of all the earth. ^(S)Be strong, and show yourself a man, ³and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, ^(T)that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, ⁴that the Lord may ^(U)establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ^(V)‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, ^(W)to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, ^(X)you shall not lack^[b] a man on the throne of Israel.’

⁵“Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah ^(Y)did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, ^(Z)Abner the son of Ner, ^(AA)and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging^[c] in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war^[d] on the belt around his^[e] waist and on the sandals on his feet. ⁶Act therefore ^(AB)according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. ⁷But deal loyally with the sons of ^(AC)Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be ^(AD)among those who eat at your table, ^(AE)for with such loyalty^[f] they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother. ⁸And there is also with you ^(AF)Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day ^(AG)when I went to Mahanaim. ^(AH)But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ ⁹Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, ^(AI)for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall ^(AJ)bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”