1Now king David was old and stricken in years ; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat . 2Wherefore his servants said unto him , Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin : and let her stand before the king , and cherish him ; and let her lie in thy bosom , that my lord the king may get heat . 3So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel , and found Abishag the Shunammite , and brought her to the king . 4And the damsel was very fair ; and she cherished the king , and ministered to him ; but the king knew her not . 5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself , saying, I will be king : and he prepared him chariots and horsemen , and fifty men to run before him . 6And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so ? and he was also a very goodly man ; and he was born after Absalom. 7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah , and with Abiathar the priest : and they following Adonijah helped him . 8But Zadok the priest , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and Nathan the prophet , and Shimei , and Rei , and the mighty men that belonged to David , were not with Adonijah. 9And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth , which is beside En-rogel ; and he called all his brethren, the king ’s sons , and all the men of Judah , the king ’s servants : 10but Nathan the prophet , and Benaiah , and the mighty men , and Solomon his brother, he called not .
Nathan and Bathsheba's Intervention
11Then Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon , saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign , and David our lord knoweth it not ? 12Now therefore come , let me , I pray thee , give thee counsel , that thou mayest save thine own life , and the life of thy son Solomon . 13Go and get thee in unto king David , and say unto him , Didst not thou , my lord, O king , swear unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me , and he shall sit upon my throne ? why then doth Adonijah reign ? 14Behold , while thou yet talkest there with the king , I also will come in after thee , and confirm thy words . 15And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber : and the king was very old ; and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering unto the king . 16And Bath-sheba bowed , and did obeisance unto the king . And the king said, What wouldest thou ? 17And she said unto him , My lord , thou swarest by Jehovah thy God unto thy handmaid, saying , Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me , and he shall sit upon my throne . 18And now , behold , Adonijah reigneth ; and thou , my lord the king , knowest it not : 19and he hath slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance , and hath called all the sons of the king , and Abiathar the priest , and Joab the captain of the host ; but Solomon thy servant hath he not called . 20And thou , my lord the king , the eyes of all Israel are upon thee , that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him . 21Otherwise it will come to pass , when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders . 22And , lo , while she yet talked with the king , Nathan the prophet came in . 23And they told the king , saying, Behold , Nathan the prophet . And when he was come in before the king , he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground . 24And Nathan said, My lord, O king , hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me , and he shall sit upon my throne ? 25For he is gone down this day , and hath slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance , and hath called all the king ’s sons , and the captains of the host , and Abiathar the priest ; and , behold , they are eating and drinking before him , and say, Long live king Adonijah. 26But me , even me thy servant , and Zadok the priest , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and thy servant Solomon , hath he not called . 27Is this thing done by my lord the king , and thou hast not showed unto thy servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him ? 28Then king David answered and said , Call to me Bath-sheba . And she came into the king ’s presence , and stood before the king . 29And the king sware , and said, As Jehovah liveth , who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity , 30verily as I sware unto thee by Jehovah , the God of Israel , saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me , and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead ; verily so will I do this day . 31Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did obeisance to the king , and said, Let my lord king David live for ever .
Solomon Anointed King
32And king David said , Call to me Zadok the priest , and Nathan the prophet , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada . And they came before the king . 33And the king said unto them , Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule , and bring him down to Gihon : 34and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel ; and blow ye the trumpet , and say , Long live king Solomon . 35Then ye shall come up after him , and he shall come and sit upon my throne ; for he shall be king in my stead ; and I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah . 36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king , and said , Amen: Jehovah , the God of my lord the king , say so too . 37As Jehovah hath been with my lord the king , even so be he with Solomon , and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David . 38So Zadok the priest , and Nathan the prophet , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and the Cherethites and the Pelethites , went down , and caused Solomon to ride upon king David ’s mule , and brought him to Gihon . 39And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon . And they blew the trumpet ; and all the people said, Long live king Solomon . 40And all the people came up after him , and the people piped with pipes , and rejoiced with great joy , so that the earth rent with the sound of them . 41And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet , he said , Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar ? 42While he yet spake , behold , Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came : and Adonijah said , Come in ; for thou art a worthy man , and bringest good tidings . 43And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king : 44and the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest , and Nathan the prophet , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and the Cherethites and the Pelethites ; and they have caused him to ride upon the king ’s mule ; 45and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon ; and they are come up from thence rejoicing , so that the city rang again . This is the noise that ye have heard . 46And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom . 47And moreover the king ’s servants came to bless our lord king David , saying, Thy God make the name of Solomon better than thy name , and make his throne greater than thy throne : and the king bowed himself upon the bed . 48And also thus said the king , Blessed be Jehovah , the God of Israel , who hath given one to sit on my throne this day , mine eyes even seeing it . 49And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid , and rose up , and went every man his way .
Adonijah's Plea for Mercy
50And Adonijah feared because of Solomon ; and he arose , and went , and caught hold on the horns of the altar . 51And it was told Solomon , saying, Behold , Adonijah feareth king Solomon ; for , lo , he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar , saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me first that he will not slay his servant with the sword . 52And Solomon said, If he shall show himself a worthy man , there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him , he shall die . 53So king Solomon sent , and they brought him down from the altar . And he came and did obeisance to king Solomon ; and Solomon said unto him , Go to thy house .