1Kings:1

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* Now King David was old , advanced in years ; and they put covers on him , but he could not get warm . * Therefore his servants said to him , "Let a young woman , a virgin , be sought for our lord the king , and let her stand before the king , and let her care for him ; and let her lie in your bosom , that our lord the king may be warm ." * So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel , and found Abishag the Shunammite , and brought her to the king . * The young woman was very lovely ; and she cared for the king , and served him ; but the king did not know her . * Then Adonijah 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 . * (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying , "Why have you done so ?" He was also very good-looking . His mother had borne him after Absalom .) * Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest , and they followed and helped Adonijah . * 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 . * And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth , which is by En Rogel ; he also invited all his brothers , the king 's sons , and all the men of Judah , the king 's servants . * But he did not invite Nathan the prophet , Benaiah , the mighty men , or Solomon his brother . * So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon , saying , "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king , and David our lord does not know it ? * Come , please , let me now give you advice , that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon . * Go immediately to King David and say to him , "Did you not , my lord , O king , swear to your maidservant , saying , "Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me , and he shall sit on my throne "? Why then has Adonijah become king ?' * Then , while you are still talking there with the king , I also will come in after you and confirm your words ." * So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king . (Now the king was very old , and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king .) * And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king . Then the king said , "What is your wish ?" * Then she said to him , "My lord , you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant , saying , "Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me , and he shall sit on my throne .' * So now , look ! Adonijah has become king ; and now , my lord the king , you do not know about it . * He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance , and has invited all the sons of the king , Abiathar the priest , and Joab the commander of the army ; but Solomon your servant he has not invited . * And as for you , my lord , O 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 rests with his fathers , that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders ." * And just then , while she was still talking with the king , Nathan the prophet also came in . * So they told the king , saying , "Here is Nathan the prophet ." And when he came in before the king , he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground . * And Nathan said , "My lord , O king , have you said , "Adonijah shall reign after me , and he shall sit on my throne '? * For he has gone down today , and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance , and has invited all the king 's sons , and the commanders of the army , and Abiathar the priest ; and look ! They are eating and drinking before him ; and they say , "Long live King Adonijah !' * But he has not invited me--me your servant--nor Zadok the priest , nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , nor your servant Solomon . * Has this thing been done by my lord the king , and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him ?" * Then King David answered and said , "Call Bathsheba to me ." So she came into the king 's presence and stood before the king . * And the king took an oath and said , "As the LORD lives , who has redeemed my life from every distress , * just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel , saying , "Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me , and he shall sit on my throne in my place ,' so I certainly will do this day ." * Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth , and paid homage to the king , and said , "Let my lord King David live forever !" * And King David said , "Call to me Zadok the priest , Nathan the prophet , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ." So they came before the king . * The king also said to them , "Take with you the servants of your lord , and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule , and take him down to Gihon . * There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel ; and blow the horn , and say , "Long live King Solomon !' * Then you shall come up after him , and he shall come and sit on my throne , and he shall be king in my place . For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah ." * Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said , "Amen ! May the LORD God of my lord the king say so too . * 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 , the Cherethites , and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David 's mule , and took him to Gihon . * Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon . And they blew the horn , and all the people said , "Long live King Solomon !" * And all the people went up after him ; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy , so that the earth seemed to split with their sound . * Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating . And when Joab heard the sound of the horn , he said , "Why is the city in such a noisy uproar ?" * While he was still speaking , there came Jonathan , the son of Abiathar the priest . And Adonijah said to him , "Come in , for you are a prominent man , and bring good news ." * Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah , "No ! 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 , the Cherethites , and the Pelethites ; and they have made him ride on the king 's mule . * So 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 . * Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom . * And moreover the king 's servants have gone to bless our lord King David , saying , "May God make the name of Solomon better than your name , and may He make his throne greater than your throne .' Then the king bowed himself on the bed . * Also the king said thus , "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel , who has given one to sit on my throne this day , while my eyes see it !"' * So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid , and arose , and each one went his way . * Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon ; so he arose , and went and took hold of the horns of the altar . * And it was told Solomon , saying , "Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon ; for look , 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 ."' * Then Solomon said , "If he proves himself a worthy man , not one hair of him shall fall to the earth ; but if wickedness is found in him , he shall die ." * So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar . And he came and fell down before King Solomon ; and Solomon said to him , "Go to your house ."

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