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1 Kings 1:1-53 — Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King; Solomon Made King

1Kgs.1.1-53

¹Now King David was old, advanced in years, and though they covered him with garments, he could not keep warm. ²So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her attend the king and care for him, and let her lie in your arms, so that my lord the king may keep warm.” ³So they searched for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. ⁴The young woman was extremely beautiful, and she cared for the king and served him, but the king had no relations with her. ⁵Now Adonijah son of Haggith was exalting himself, saying, “I will be king.” He prepared for himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him. ⁶His father had never troubled him by saying, “Why have you done this?” He also was very handsome, and his mother had borne him after Absalom. ⁷He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed Adonijah and helped him. ⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty warriors who belonged to David were not with Adonijah. ⁹Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened animals by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants. ¹⁰But Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty warriors, and Solomon his brother he did not invite. ¹¹Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it? ¹²Now come, please let me give you advice, so that you may save your life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³Go at once to King David and say to him, 'Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Surely Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?' ¹⁴Then, while you are still speaking there with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words." ¹⁵So Bathsheba went in to the king in the chamber. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king. ¹⁶Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king, and the king said, “What do you want?” ¹⁷She said to him, "My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your servant, 'Surely Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.' ¹⁸But now, behold, Adonijah has become king, and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. ¹⁹He has sacrificed oxen, fattened animals, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he has not invited. ²⁰And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹Otherwise, when my lord the king lies down with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as offenders." ²²And behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. ²³So they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And he came before the king and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. ²⁴Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne'? ²⁵For today he has gone down and sacrificed oxen, fattened animals, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!' ²⁶But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Solomon your servant, he has not invited. ²⁷Has this matter come from my lord the king, and have you not informed your servant who is to sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" ²⁸Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came before the king and stood before the king. ²⁹And the king swore and said, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, ³⁰surely as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, 'Surely Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,' so I will do this very day." ³¹Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and prostrated herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” ³²Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. ³³And the king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, and make Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. ³⁴There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, 'Long live King Solomon!' ³⁵Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall reign in my place, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah." ³⁶Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, "Amen. May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so. ³⁷As the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David." ³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and made Solomon ride on King David's mule, and they led him to Gihon. ³⁹Then Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet, and all the people said, 'Long live King Solomon!' ⁴⁰And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split from the sound. ⁴¹Adonijah and all the invited guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the city in such an uproar?” ⁴²While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” ⁴³Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, "No indeed! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. ⁴⁴And the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have made him ride on the king's mule. ⁴⁵And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you heard. ⁴⁶And Solomon has also sat on the royal throne. ⁴⁷And the king's servants have also come to bless our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon greater than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king bowed himself on the bed. ⁴⁸And the king also said this: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted today one to sit on my throne while my own eyes see it.' ⁴⁹Then all the invited guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and they rose and each went his own way. ⁵⁰But Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon, so he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar . ⁵¹And it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'” ⁵²And Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he shall die.” ⁵³So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. Then he came and bowed down before King Solomon , and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Translation Notes

4/11/2026

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