1 Kings

Solomon Succeeds David

King David was already a very old man who could no longer keep warm even in very thick clothing.

So his servants said to him: “They should get for my lord king a virgin girl to attend the king and nurse him. She could sleep with you, my lord king, and make you feel warm.”

And so they looked for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel. They found Abishag the Shunamite, a very beautiful girl, and brought her to the king.

She attended to him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.

Now Adonijah, son of Haggith, had in mind that he would be king. So he provided himself with a chariot, horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

His father had never interfered by questioning his conduct: “Why have you done this or that?” He was a very handsome man born of Haggith after Absalom.

Adonijah conferred with Joab, Zeruiah’s son, and Abiathar, the priest. These two sided with him,

but Zadok, the priest, and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s warriors did not join Adonijah.

Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves at the stone Zoheleth, beside En-Rogel, and invited his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah to join him;

but not Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the warriors, or his brother Solomon.

Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, mother of Solomon: “Have you heard that Adonijah, son of Haggith, acts as a king, unknown to David, our lord?

Let me then give you advice that could save both your life and Solomon, your son.

Go, see King David immediately and tell him this, ‘Did you not, my lord king, swear to your handmaid that Solomon, my son, would reign after you and sit on your throne? Why, then, does Adonijah act as a king?’

Then, while you are still speaking with the king, I will confirm what you say.”

So Bathsheba went to the king, straight into his room. (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunamite was attending to him.)

Bathsheba bowed in homage to the king, who asked her, “What do you want?”

She answered him: “My lord, you swore to your handmaid by the Lord your God that Solomon, my son, would reign after you and sit on your throne.

But now, Adonijah acts as king without your knowing it, my lord king.

He has sacrificed oxen, fattened calves, and plenty of sheep, inviting all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, army commander, but he did not invite Solomon, your servant.

And now, my lord king, all Israel is waiting for your decision about who shall reign as your successor.

If this is not known when my lord the king passes away, I and my son Solomon will be numbered among the criminals.”

While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.

They told the king: “Here is Nathan the prophet.” When Nathan came in before the king, he bowed with his face to the ground

and said: “My lord king, have you decided that Adonijah shall reign after you and sit on your throne?

He has sacrificed oxen, fattened calves, and plenty of sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, Joab, the army’s commander, and Abiathar, the priest. They are now eating and drinking with him and proclaiming, ‘Long live king Adonijah!’

But he has not invited me, your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.

Has my lord king decided this without telling us, your servants, who will sit on your throne after you?”

King David then answered: “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came to the king. As she stood before him,

the king swore an oath and said: “As the Lord lives, he who has delivered me from all adversity,

so will I fulfill today the oath I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, when I said, ‘Solomon, your son, shall reign after me; he shall sit on my throne in my place.’”

Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king as she said: “May my lord King David live forever!”

King David said: “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came to the king,

who said: “Take with you the servants of your lord and make my son Solomon ride on my mule. Then bring him down to Gihon

and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king of Israel. Once this is done, sound the horn and proclaim, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

Then he shall sit on my throne in your presence. From now on, he will be king in my place, for I have made him ruler of Israel and Judah.”

Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, answered the king: “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord, the king, confirm this.

As the Lord has been with my lord, the king, may he also be with Solomon and make his reign even greater than my lord King David’s.”

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and made Solomon ride on King David’s mule to Gihon.

There, Zadok, the priest, took the oil horn in the Holy Tent and anointed Solomon.

They then sounded the horn, and everyone shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” They all went up after him, playing on pipes, and their shouts were so great that the noise seemed to rent the earth.

Adonijah and all his guests heard this as they finished feasting. On hearing the sound of the horn, Joab asked: “What is all this commotion in the city?”

While he was still speaking, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, the priest, arrived, and Adonijah said: “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.”

Jonathan answered Adonijah: “Not at all, for our lord King David has made Solomon king.

The king sent him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites, who made him ride on the king’s mule.

Then Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, anointed him as king at Gihon. As they returned, the whole city cheered; this was the noise you had heard.

Solomon already sits on the royal throne,

and the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord, King David, saying: ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours and his reign greater than yours.’ At this, the king bowed in worship on his bed and said:

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted one of my offspring to sit on my throne this day when I can still see it.”

All the guests of Adonijah trembled and left, each going his own way.

In his fear of Solomon, Adonijah went and held onto the altar’s horns.

This was reported to Solomon: “Adonijah is so afraid of King Solomon that he has held onto the horns of the altar, and he says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not slay me with the sword.’”

Solomon replied: “If he proves to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head shall perish. But if he acts like a wicked man, he shall die.”

So King Solomon sent for him, and they brought him down from the altar. He came before King Solomon and paid him homage; after that, Solomon sent him home.