1 Kings, 1

1. King David was now a very old man, and though wrapped in bedclothes he could not keep warm.

1. Now King David was old and advanced in years; and although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.

2. So his servants said to him, 'Let us find a young girl for my lord the king, to wait on the king and look after him; she will lie close beside you and this will keep my lord the king warm.'

2. Therefore his servants said to him, "Let a young maiden be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait upon the king, and be his nurse; let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may be warm."

3. Having searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, they found Abishag of Shunem and brought her to the king.

3. So they sought for a beautiful maiden throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Ab'ishag the Shu'nammite, and brought her to the king.

4. The girl was very beautiful. She looked after the king and waited on him but the king did not have intercourse with her.

4. The maiden was very beautiful; and she became the king's nurse and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.

5. Now Adonijah son of Haggith was growing pretentious and saying, 'I shall be king!' Accordingly, he procured a chariot and team with fifty guards to run ahead of him.

5. Now Adoni'jah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

6. Never once in his life had his father crossed him by saying, 'Why are you behaving like that?' He was very handsome too; his mother had given birth to him after Absalom.

6. His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, "Why have you done thus and so?" He was also a very handsome man; and he was born next after Ab'salom.

7. He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, who both rallied to Adonijah's cause;

7. He conferred with Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah and with Abi'athar the priest; and they followed Adoni'jah and helped him.

8. but neither Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor the prophet Nathan, nor Shimei and Rei, nor David's champions, supported Adonijah.

8. But Zadok the priest, and Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shim'e-i, and Re'i, and David's mighty men were not with Adoni'jah.

9. One day when Adonijah was sacrificing sheep, oxen and fattened calves at the Sliding Stone which is beside the Fuller's Spring, he invited all his brothers, the royal princes, and all the men of Judah in the king's service;

9. Adoni'jah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatlings by the Serpent's Stone, which is beside En-ro'gel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah,

10. but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, or Benaiah, or the champions, or his brother Solomon.

10. but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benai'ah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.

11. Nathan then said to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, 'Have you not heard that, unknown to our lord David, Adonijah son of Haggith has become king?

11. Then Nathan said to Bathshe'ba the mother of Solomon, "Have you not heard that Adoni'jah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it?

12. Well, this is my advice to you if you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

12. Now therefore come, let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

13. Go straight in to King David and say, "My lord king, did you not make your servant this promise on oath: Your son Solomon is to be king after me; he is the one who is to sit on my throne? How is it, then, that Adonijah is king?"

13. Go in at once to King David, and say to him, `Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your maidservant, saying, "Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne"? Why then is Adoni'jah king?'

14. And while you are still there talking to the king, I shall come in after you and confirm what you say.'

14. Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words."

15. So Bathsheba went to the king in his room (he was very old and Abishag of Shunem was in attendance on him).

15. So Bathshe'ba went to the king into his chamber (now the king was very old, and Ab'ishag the Shu'nammite was ministering to the king).

16. She knelt, prostrated herself before the king, and the king said, 'What do you want?'

16. Bathshe'ba bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said, "What do you desire?"

17. 'My lord,' she replied, 'you swore to your servant by Yahweh your God, "Your son Solomon is to be king after me; he is the one who is to sit on my throne."

17. She said to him, "My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, saying, `Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.'

18. And now here is Adonijah king, and you, my lord king, knowing nothing about it!

18. And now, behold, Adoni'jah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it.

19. He has sacrificed quantities of oxen, fattened calves and sheep, and invited all the royal princes, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the army commander; but he has not invited your servant Solomon.

19. He has sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abi'athar the priest, and Jo'ab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited.

20. Yet you are the man, my lord king, to whom all Israel looks, to tell them who is to succeed my lord the king.

20. And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21. And when my lord the king falls asleep with his ancestors, Solomon and I shall be made to suffer for this.'

21. Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders."

22. She was still speaking to the king when the prophet Nathan came in.

22. While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.

23. The king was told, 'The prophet Nathan is here'; and he came into the king's presence and prostrated himself on his face before the king.

23. And they told the king, "Here is Nathan the prophet." And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground.

24. 'My lord king,' said Nathan, 'is this, then, your decree, "Adonijah is to be king after me; he is the one who is to sit on my throne"?

24. And Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, `Adoni'jah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne'?

25. For he has gone down today and sacrificed quantities of oxen, fattened calves and sheep, and invited all the royal princes, the army commanders, and the priest Abiathar; and they are there now, eating and drinking in his presence and shouting, "Long live King Adonijah!"

25. For he has gone down this day, and has sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, Jo'ab the commander of the army, and Abi'athar the priest; and behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, `Long live King Adoni'jah!'

26. He has not, however, invited me your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon.

26. But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada, and your servant Solomon, he has not invited.

27. Can it be that this is done with my lord the king's approval and that you have not told those loyal to you who is to succeed to the throne of my lord the king?'

27. Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

28. King David then spoke. 'Call Bathsheba to me,' he said. And she came into the king's presence and stood before him.

28. Then King David answered, "Call Bathshe'ba to me." So she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.

29. Then the king swore this oath, 'As Yahweh lives, who has delivered me from all adversity,

29. And the king swore, saying, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity,

30. just as I swore to you by Yahweh, God of Israel, that your son Solomon should be king after me and take my place on my throne, so I shall bring it about this very day.'

30. as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, `Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead'; even so will I do this day."

31. Bathsheba knelt down, prostrated herself on her face before the king and said, 'May my lord King David live for ever!'

31. Then Bathshe'ba bowed with her face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, "May my lord King David live for ever!"

32. Then King David said, 'Summon Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.' So they came into the king's presence.

32. King David said, "Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada." So they came before the king.

33. 'Take the royal guard with you,' said the king, 'mount my son Solomon on my own mule and escort him down to Gihon.

33. And 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;

34. There Zadok the priest and the prophet Nathan are to anoint him king of Israel; then sound the trumpet and shout, "Long live King Solomon!"

34. and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet, and say, `Long live King Solomon!'

35. Then you are to escort him back, and he is then to assume my throne and be king in place of me, for he is the man whom I have appointed as ruler of Israel and of Judah.'

35. You shall then 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 ruler over Israel and over Judah."

36. Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king. 'Amen!' he said. 'And may Yahweh, God of my lord the king, confirm it!

36. And Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada answered the king, "Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so.

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

37. 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."

38. Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites then went down; they mounted Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon.

38. So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada, and the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites, went down and caused Solomon to ride on King David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.

39. Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the Tent and anointed Solomon. They sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, 'Long live King Solomon!'

39. There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent, and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon!"

40. The people all escorted him back, with pipes playing and loud rejoicing and shouts to split the earth.

40. And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.

41. Adonijah and his guests, who had by then finished their meal, all heard the noise. Joab too heard the sound of the trumpet and said, 'What is that noise of uproar in the city?'

41. Adoni'jah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Jo'ab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, "What does this uproar in the city mean?"

42. While he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. 'Come in,' Adonijah said, 'you are an honest man, so you must be bringing good news.'

42. While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abi'athar the priest came; and Adoni'jah said, "Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news."

43. 'The truth is,' Jonathan answered, 'our lord King David has made Solomon king.

43. Jonathan answered Adoni'jah, "No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king;

44. With him, the king sent Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada and the Cherethites and Pelethites; they mounted him on the king's mule,

44. and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada, and the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites; and they have caused him to ride on the king's mule;

45. and Zadok the priest and the prophet Nathan have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone back again with shouts of joy and the city is now in an uproar; that was the noise you heard.

45. and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.

46. What is more, Solomon is seated on the royal throne.

46. Solomon sits upon the royal throne.

47. And further, the king's officers have been to congratulate our lord King David with the words, "May your God make the name of Solomon more glorious than yours, and his throne more exalted than your own!" And the king bowed down on his bed,

47. Moreover the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, `Your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king bowed himself upon the bed.

48. and then said, "Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, for setting one of my own sons on the throne while I am still alive to see it!" '

48. And the king also said, `Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one of my offspring to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.'"

49. At this, all Adonijah's guests, taking fright, got up and made off in their several directions.

49. Then all the guests of Adoni'jah trembled, and rose, and each went his own way.

50. Adonijah, in terror of Solomon, got up and ran off to cling to the horns of the altar.

50. And Adoni'jah feared Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

51. Solomon was told, 'You should know that Adonijah is terrified of King Solomon and is now clinging to the horns of the altar, saying, "Let King Solomon first swear to me that he will not have his servant executed." '

51. And it was told Solomon, "Behold, Adoni'jah fears King Solomon; for, lo, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, `Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not slay his servant with the sword.'"

52. 'Should he bear himself honourably,' Solomon answered, 'not one hair of his shall fall to the ground; but if he proves difficult, he shall die.'

52. And Solomon said, "If he prove to be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die."

53. King Solomon then sent for him to be brought down from the altar; he came and threw himself prostrate before King Solomon; Solomon said to him, 'Go to your house.'

53. So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and did obeisance to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house."