1 Kings 1:6-8

Contemporary English Version

Adonijah Tries To Become King

^5-6^(A) Adonijah was the son of David and Haggith. He was Absalom's younger brother^[a] and was very handsome. One day, Adonijah started bragging, “I'm going to make myself king!” So he got some chariots and horses, and he hired 50 men as bodyguards. David did not want to hurt his feelings, so he never asked Adonijah why he was doing these things.

⁷Adonijah met with Joab the son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest and asked them if they would help him become king. Both of them agreed to help. ⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei,^[b] and David's bodyguards all refused.

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Footnotes

1.5,6 brother: Since Absalom was dead, Adonijah was now David's oldest living son and would be next in line to be king.
1.8 Shimei, Rei: Or “Shimei his advisor.”