The First Book of the Kings

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- Chapter 1 -

Now when King Dauid was olde, and striken in yeeres, they couered him with clothes, but no heate came vnto him.

Wherefore his seruants saide vnto him, Let there be sought for my lord ye King a yong virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him: and let her lie in thy bosome, that my lord the King may get heate.

So they sought for a faire young maide thoroughout all the coastes of Israel, and founde one Abishag a Shunamite, and brought her to the king.

And the maid was exceeding faire, and cherished the king, and ministred to him, but the King knew her not.

Adonijah Usurps the Kingdom

Then Adoniiah the sonne of Haggith exalted himselfe, saying, I will be king. And he gate him charets and horsemen, and fiftie men to run before him.

And his father would not displease him from his childehood, to say, Why hast thou done so? And hee was a very goodly man, and his mother bare him next after Absalom.

And he tooke counsel of Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah, and of Abiathar the Priest: and they helped forward Adoniiah.

But Zadok the Priest, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and Nathan the Prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the men of might, which were with Dauid, were not with Adoniiah.

Then Adoniiah sacrificed sheepe and oxen, and fat cattel by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the kings sonnes, and al the men of Iudah ye Kings seruants,

But Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah, and the mightie men, and Salomon his brother hee called not.

Nathan and Bathsheba before David

Wherefore Nathan spake vnto Bath-sheba the mother of Salomon, saying, Hast thou not heard, that Adoniiah ye sonne of Haggith doeth reigne, and Dauid our lord knoweth it not?

Now therefore come, and I will now giue thee counsell, howe to saue thine owne life, and the life of thy sonne Salomon.

Go, and get thee in vnto King Dauid, and say vnto him, Didest not thou, my lorde, O King, sweare vnto thine handmaide, saying, Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me, and he shall sit vpon my throne? why is then Adoniiah King?

Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the King, I also will come in after thee, and confirme thy wordes.

So Bath-sheba went in vnto the King into the chamber, and the King was verie olde, and Abishag the Shunammite ministred vnto ye King.

And Bath-sheba bowed and made obeisance vnto the King. And the King saide, What is thy matter?

And shee answered him, My lorde, thou swarest by the Lord thy God vnto thine handmaide, saying, Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me, and he shall sit vpon my throne.

And beholde, nowe is Adoniiah king, and now, my lord, O King, thou knowest it not.

And he hath offred many oxen, and fatte cattel, and sheepe, and hath called all the sonnes of the King, and Abiathar the Priest, and Ioab the captaine of the hoste: but Salomon thy seruant hath he not bidden.

And thou, my lorde, O King, knowest that the eyes of all Israel are on thee, that thou shouldest tell them, who shoulde sit on the throne of my lord the King after him.

For els when my lord the King shall sleepe with his fathers, I and my sonne Salomon shalbe reputed vile.

And lo, while she yet talked with the King, Nathan also the Prophet came in.

And they tolde the King, saying, Beholde, Nathan the Prophet. And when he was come in to the King, hee made obeisance before the King vpon his face to the ground.

And Nathan saide, My lorde, O King, hast thou said, Adoniiah shall reigne after mee, and he shall sit vpon my throne?

For hee is gone downe this day, and hath slaine many oxen, and fat cattel, and sheepe, and hath called al the Kings sonnes, and the captaines of the hoste, and Abiathar the Priest: and behold, they eate and drinke before him, and say, God saue King Adoniiah.

But me thy seruant, and Zadok the Priest, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and thy seruant Salomon hath he not called.

Is this thing done by my lord the King, and thou hast not shewed it vnto thy seruant, who should sitte on the throne of my lorde the King after him?

David Renews His Oath to Bathsheba

Then King Dauid answered, and saide, Call me Bath-sheba. And shee came into ye Kings presence, and stoode before the King.

And the King sware, saying, As the Lord liueth, who hath redeemed my soule out of all aduersitie,

That as I sware vnto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me, and hee shall sit vpon my throne in my place, so will I certainely doe this day.

Then Bath-sheba bowed her face to the earth, and did reuerence vnto the King, and said, God saue my lord King Dauid for euer.

Solomon Anointed King

(1 Chronicles 29:21–25)

And King Dauid saide, Call mee Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada. And they came before the King.

Then the King said vnto them, Take with you the seruants of your lorde, and cause Salomon my sonne to ride vpon mine owne mule, and carie him downe to Gihon.

And let Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anoint him there King ouer Israel, and blowe ye the trumpet, and say, God saue king Salomon.

Then come vp after him, that hee may come and sit vpon my throne: and hee shall bee King in my steade: for I haue appointed him to be prince ouer Israel and ouer Iudah.

Then Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada answered the King, and said, So be it, and the Lord God of my lord the King ratifie it.

As the Lord hath bene with my lorde the King, so be he with Salomon, and exalt his throne aboue the throne of my lorde king Dauid.

So Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went downe and caused Salomon to ride vpon king Dauids mule, and brought him to Gihon.

And Zadok the Priest tooke an horne of oyle out of the Tabernacle, and anointed Salomon: and they blewe the trumpet, and all the people said, God saue king Salomon.

And all the people came vp after him, and the people piped with pipes, and reioyced with great ioye, so that the earth rang with the sound of them.

Adonijah Learns of Solomon’s Kingship

And Adoniiah and all the ghestes that were with him, heard it: (and they had made an ende of eating) and when Ioab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, What meaneth this noise and vprore in the citie?

And as he yet spake, beholde, Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar the Priest came: and Adoniiah said, Come in: for thou art a worthie man, and bringest good tidings.

And Ionathan answered, and said to Adoniiah, Verely our lord King Dauid hath made Salomon King.

And the King hath sent with him Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they haue caused him to ride vpon the Kings mule.

And Zadok the Priest, and Nathan ye Prophet haue anointed him King in Gihon: and they are gone vp from thence with ioy, and the citie is moued: this is the noise that ye haue heard.

And Salomon also sitteth on the throne of the kingdome.

And moreouer the Kings seruantes came to blesse our lord King Dauid, saying, God make the name of Salomon more famous then thy name, and exalt his throne aboue thy throne: therefore the King worshipped vpon the bed.

And thus sayd the King also, Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel, who hath made one to sit on my throne this day, euen in my sight.

Then all the ghestes that were with Adonijah, were afraide, and rose vp, and went euery man his way.

And Adonijah fearing the presence of Salomon, arose and went, and tooke holde on the hornes of the altar.

And one tolde Salomon, saying, Beholde, Adonijah doeth feare King Salomon: for lo, he hath caught holde on the hornes of the altar, saying, Let King Salomon sweare vnto me this day, that he will not slay his seruant with the sword.

Then Salomon sayd, If he will shewe him selfe a worthy man, there shall not an heare of him fall to the earth, but if wickednes be found in him, he shall dye.

Then King Salomon sent, and they brought him from the altar, and he came and did obeisance vnto King Salomon. And Salomon sayde vnto him, Go to thine house.

Now King David was old and advanced in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he couldn’t keep warm.

Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young virgin be sought for my lord the king. Let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.”

So they sought for a beautiful young lady throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

The young lady was very beautiful; and she cherished the king, and served him; but the king didn’t know her intimately.

Adonijah Usurps the Kingdom

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

His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, “Why have you done so?” and he was also a very handsome man; and he was born after Absalom.

He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and they followed Adonijah and helped him.

But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

Adonijah killed sheep, cattle, and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel; and he called all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants;

but he didn’t call Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.

Nathan and Bathsheba before David

Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Haven’t you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns, and David our lord doesn’t know it?

Now therefore come, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and your son Solomon’s life.

Go in to King David, and tell him, ‘Didn’t you, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then does Adonijah reign?’

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

Bathsheba went in to the king in his room. The king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.

Bathsheba bowed and showed respect to the king. The king said, “What would you like?”

She said to him, “My lord, you swore by the LORD

(b)

your God

(c)

to your servant, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’

Now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and you, my lord the king, don’t know it.

He has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the army; but he hasn’t called Solomon your servant.

You, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered criminals.”

Behold, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.

They told the king, saying, “Behold, Nathan the prophet!” When he had come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

Nathan said, “My lord, King, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?

For he has gone down today, and has slain cattle, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons, the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’

But he hasn’t called me, even me your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon.

Was this thing done by my lord the king, and you haven’t shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

David Renews His Oath to Bathsheba

Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba in to me.” She came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.

The king vowed and said, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

most certainly as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place;’ I will most certainly do this today.”

Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth and showed respect to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”

Solomon Anointed King

(1 Chronicles 29:21–25)

King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king.

The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.

Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel. Blow the trumpet, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

Then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne; for he shall be king in my place. I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah.”

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, “Amen. May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so.

As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

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

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!”

All the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with their sound.

Adonijah Learns of Solomon’s Kingship

Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is this noise of the city being in an uproar?”

While he yet 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.”

Jonathan answered Adonijah, “Most certainly our lord King David has made Solomon king.

The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they have caused him to ride on the king’s mule.

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. They have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you have heard.

Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.

Moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne;’ and the king bowed himself on the bed.

Also thus said the king, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne today, my eyes even seeing it.’”

All the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and each man went his way.

Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and hung onto the horns of the altar.

Solomon was told, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon; for, behold, he is hanging onto the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”

Solomon said, “If he shows himself a worthy man, not a hair of his shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”

So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Footnotes

(a)1:14 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

(b)1:17 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.