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1 Kings

Adonijah Attempts to Seize the Throne

1
Chapter 1
1 And King David was old, advanced in days, and they covered him with garments, but it did not warm him. 2 And his servants said to him, "Let them seek for our lord the king a young woman, a virgin, and she will stand before the king, and she will be to him an attendant and lie in your bosom, and she will warm our lord the king." 3 And they sought a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and they found Abishag the Shunammite, and they brought her to the king. 4 And the young woman was exceedingly beautiful, and she became an attendant to the king from Shunem, and she served him, but the king did not know her. 5 And Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will reign," and he made for himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him. 6 And his father had never grieved him in his days, saying, "Why have you done this?" He was also very handsome in appearance. And he was born after Absalom. 7 And he conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they helped Adonijah. 8 And Zadok the priest and Benaiah son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and the mighty ones who were to David were not with Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and cattle and fatted ones by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, and he called all his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king. 10 but he did not call Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty ones, or Solomon his brother. 11 Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, "Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know?" 12 And now, go, let me give you some advice, please, and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go and come to King David and say to him, "Is it not you, my lord the king, who swore to your maidservant, saying, 'Solomon your son will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne'? And why has Adonijah become king?" 14 While you are still speaking there with the king, I will come in after you and fulfill your words. 15 Bathsheba came to the king in the inner chamber. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king. 16 And Bathsheba knelt and bowed to the king. And the king said, "What is it to you?" 17 And she said to him, "My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant, 'Solomon your son will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.'" 18 And now Adonijah has become king, and now, my lord the king, you did not know. 19 He sacrificed oxen and fatted ones and sheep in abundance, and he invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the chief of the army, but he did not invite Solomon your servant. 20 And you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 When my lord the king lies down with his fathers, then I and my son Solomon will be considered sinners. 22 And look, she was still speaking with the king, and Nathan the prophet came. 23 They told the king, "Look, Nathan the prophet." He came before the king and bowed to the king with his face to the ground. 24 Nathan said, "My lord the king, you said, 'Adonijah shall reign after me,' and he has sat on my throne." 25 For he went down today and sacrificed an ox and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and he invited all the king's sons and the commanders of the heavenly host and Abiathar the priest. And they were eating and drinking before him, and they said, "Long live King Adonijah!" 26 And he did not call me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Solomon your servant. 27 If this matter has come from my lord the king, why have you not made it known to your servant who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?