1 Kings 1

Revised Geneva Translation

1 Now when King David was old and stricken in years, they covered him with clothes, but no heat came to him.

² Therefore, his servants said to him, “Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin. And let her stand before the king and care for him. And let her lie in your bosom, so that my lord the king may get warm.”

³ So they sought for a fair young maid throughout all the territory of Israel, and found one Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

⁴ And the maid was exceedingly fair and cared for the king and ministered to him. But the king did not know her.

⁵ Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he got himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him.

⁶ And his father had never disciplined him since his childhood, to say, “Why have you done this?” And he was a very pleasant man, born next after Absalom.

⁷ And he took counsel from Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and from Abiathar the Priest. And they looked after Adonijah.

⁸ But Zadok the Priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the Prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the men of might who were with David, were not with Adonijah.

⁹ Then, Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Rogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants.

¹⁰ But Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah and the mighty men and Solomon, his brother, he did not call.

¹¹ Therefore, Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, reigns, and David our lord does not know it?

¹² “Now, therefore, come. I will now give you counsel, how to save your own life and the life of your son, Solomon.

¹³ “Go, and get yourself in to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not swear to your handmaid, my lord, O king, saying, “Assuredly, Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?” Why, then, is Adonijah king?’

¹⁴ “Behold, while you are still talking there with the king, I will also come in after you and confirm your words.”

¹⁵ So, Bathsheba went in to the king, into the chamber. And the king was very old. And Abishag the Shunammite ministered to the king.

¹⁶ And Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself to the king. And the king said, “What is your wish?”

¹⁷ And she answered him, “My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your handmaid, ‘Assuredly Solomon (your son) shall reign after me. And he shall sit upon my throne.’

¹⁸ “And behold, now Adonijah is king. And now, my lord, O king, you do not know it.

¹⁹ “And he has offered many oxen and fat cattle and sheep, and has called all the sons of the king and Abiathar the Priest and Joab the captain of the army. But Solomon, your servant, he has not called.

²⁰ “And you, my lord, O king, know that the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you would tell them who would sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹ “For otherwise, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall have reputations as offenders.”

²² And lo, while she still talked with the king, Nathan the Prophet also came in.

²³ And they told the king, saying, “Behold, Nathan the Prophet.” And when he had come in to the king, he prostrated himself before the king upon his face, to the ground.

²⁴ And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne?’

²⁵ “For he has gone down this day and has killed many oxen and fat cattle and sheep and has called all the king’s sons and the captains of the army and Abiathar the Priest. And behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, ‘God save King Adonijah!’

²⁶ “But me, your servant, and Zadok the Priest and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not called.

²⁷ “Is this thing done by my lord the king and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

²⁸ Then, King David answered, and said, “Call Bathsheba.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.

²⁹ And the king swore, saying, “As the LORD lives, Who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

³⁰ “just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne in my place,’ so will I certainly do this day.”

³¹ Then Bathsheba bowed her face to the earth and did reverence to the king, and said, “God save my lord King David forever.”

³² And King David said, “Call Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada.” And they came before the king.

³³ Then the king said to them, “Take the servants of your lord with you and have Solomon, my son, ride upon my own mule. And carry him down to Gihon.

³⁴ “And let Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anoint him king over Israel there. And blow the trumpet, and say, ‘God save King Solomon!’

³⁵ “Then come up after him, so that he may come and sit upon my throne. And he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah.”

³⁶ Then Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered the king, and said, “So be it. The LORD, God of my lord the king, ratify it.

³⁷ “As the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and exalt his throne above the throne of my lord, King David.”

³⁸ So Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride upon King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon.

³⁹ And Zadok the Priest took a horn of oil out of the Tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet. And all the people said, “God save King Solomon!”

⁴⁰ And all the people came up after him. And the people played on flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the Earth rang with the sound of them.

⁴¹ And Adonijah, and all the guests who were with him, heard it (and they had finished eating). And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this noise and uproar in the city mean?”

⁴² And as he spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the Priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in. For you are a worthy man, and bring good news.”

⁴³ And Jonathan answered, and said to Adonijah, “No. Our lord, King David, has made Solomon king.

⁴⁴ “And the king has sent Zadok the Priest with him, and Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they have had him ride upon the king’s mule.

⁴⁵ “And Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. And they have gone up from there with joy. And the city is moved. This is the noise that you have heard.

⁴⁶ “And Solomon also sits on the throne of the kingdom.

⁴⁷ “And moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord, King David, saying, ‘God make the name of Solomon more famous than your name, and exalt his throne above your throne.’ Therefore, the king worshipped upon the bed.

⁴⁸ “And thus said the king also, ‘Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has made one to sit on my throne this day, even in my sight.’”

⁴⁹ Then all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid and rose up and each man went his way.

⁵⁰ And Adonijah, fearing the presence of Solomon, arose and went and took hold of the horns of the Altar.

⁵¹ And someone told Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon. For lo, he has caught hold of the horns of the Altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me this day that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”

⁵² Then Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth. But if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”

⁵³ Then King Solomon sent, and they brought him from the altar. And he came and bowed down before King Solomon. And Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”