1 Kings

Thomson^{(i) 1} When king David was old; far advanced in years, they covered him with clothes, but he was not warmed; ² therefore his servants said, Let a young virgin be sought out for the king, that she may attend him, and chafe him, and lie in his bosom, that my lord the king may be warmed. ³ So they sought for a beautiful virgin, through all the borders of Israel, and having found Abisag, the Somanite, they brought her to the king. ⁴ The young woman was indeed very beautiful, and she chafed the king, and waited on him, but the king knew her not. ⁵ Then Adonias, son of Aggith, took upon him state, saying, I shall be king; and provided himself with chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. ⁶ And his father did not in the least restrain him nor say, Why hast thou done so? Now in person he was very comely, and by birth next after Abessalom. ⁷ And his plans were concerted with Joab, son of Saruia, and with Abiathar, the priest, and they abetted him. ⁸ But Sadok the priest, and Banaias, son of Jodae, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Resi, and the worthies of David, were not of his party. ⁹ So having slain sheep, and oxen, and lambs, at the fires of Zaelethi, which is near Rogel, Adonias invited all his brothers, and all the nobles of Juda, the king's servants; ¹⁰ but did not invite Nathan the prophet, nor Banaias, nor the worthies, nor Solomon his brother. ¹¹ Thereupon Nathan spoke to Bersabe, the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonias, son of Aggith, doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? ¹² Now therefore come, I pray thee, let me advise thee. Save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. ¹³ Go immediately to king David, and say to him, Didst thou not, my lord the king, swear to thy servant saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then doth Adonias reign? ¹⁴ And behold whilst thou art speaking with the king, I will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. ¹⁵ So Bersabe went to the king, into the inner chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abisag the Somanite was waiting on him. ¹⁶ And when Bersabe had bowed down, and made obeisance to the king, the king said to her, What is thy will? ¹⁷ And she said, My lord, Thou didst swear to thy servant, by the Lord thy God, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and sit on my throne. ¹⁸ But now behold Adonias reigneth, and thou my lord the king dost not know it. ¹⁹ He hath sacrificed oxen, and lambs, and sheep for the multitude, and invited all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain general of the army, but hath not invited thy servant Solomon. ²⁰ Now therefore my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him; ²¹ otherwise when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, I, and Solomon my son, shall be deemed offenders. ²² And behold while she was yet speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet came, and was announced to the king, ²³ Here is Nathan the prophet. And when he came into the king's presence, and had made obeisance to the king, with his face to the ground, ²⁴ Nathan said, My lord the king, hast thou said, Adonias shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? ²⁵ For he is gone down to-day, and hath sacrificed bullocks, and lambs, and sheep, for the multitude, and invited all the king's sons, and the chiefs of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and behold they are eating and drinking in his presence, and have said, Long live king Adonias. ²⁶ But me thy servant, and Sadok the priest, and Banaias, son of Jodae, and Solomon thy servant, he hath not invited. ²⁷ If this is done by order of my lord the king, why hast thou not made known to thy servant who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? ²⁸ And king David in reply said, Call Bersabe to me. And when she came in before the king, and stood in his presence, ²⁹ the king swore, saying, As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all affliction, ³⁰ as I have sworn to thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my stead, even so will I do this very day. ³¹ Thereupon Bersabe bowed down, with her face to the ground, and made obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live forever. ³² Then king David said, Call to me Sadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias, son of Jodae. And when they came in before the king, ³³ he said to them, Take the servants of your lord the king with you, and mount my son Solomon on my mule, and conduct him down to Gion, ³⁴ and let Sadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, anoint him to be king over Israel. Then sound the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. ³⁵ And let him sit on my throne, and reign in my stead, as I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Juda. ³⁶ Thereupon Banaias, son of Jodae, answered the king and said, Be it so! May the Lord the God of my lord the king confirm it! ³⁷ As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and magnify his throne above the throne of my lord king David! ³⁸ Then Sadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias, son of Jodae, went down with the Cherethites, and the Phelethites, and having mounted Solomon on king David's mule, they conducted him to Gion. ³⁹ And Sadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and having anointed Solomon, he blew the trumpet, and all the people shouted, Live king Solomon! ⁴⁰ Then all the people followed him up, and danced in choirs, and made great rejoicings, so that the earth was rent with their shouting. ⁴¹ And Adonias, and all his guests, heard it just as they had done eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, What is this sound of the city in an uproar? ⁴² And while he was speaking, behold Jonathan, son of Abiathar the priest, entered. And Adonias said, Come in, for thou art a man of valour, and must have brought good news. ⁴³ To which Jonathan replied, saying, Quite the reverse. Our lord king David hath made Solomon king. ⁴⁴ The king sent with him Sadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias son of Jodae, and the Cherethites and the Phelethites, and they mounted him on the king's mule. ⁴⁵ And Sadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, anointed him at Gion, and all the people went up thence rejoicing, so that the city resounded. This is the noise which you have heard. ⁴⁶ And while Solomon sat on the throne of the kingdom, ⁴⁷ the king's servants went in to congratulate our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and magnify his throne above thy throne! And the king bowed on his bed. ⁴⁸ And the king said to this effect. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath this day set one of my seed on my throne, and my eyes see it. ⁴⁹ Upon this all the guests of Adonias, were struck with consternation, and went every man his way, ⁵⁰ And Adonias, being afraid of Solomon, arose and went, and took hold of the horns of the altar. ⁵¹ And when they told Solomon, saying, Behold Adonias is afraid of king Solomon, and hath hold of the horns of the altar, saying, Let Solomon this day swear to me that he will not slay his servant with the sword, ⁵² Solomon said, If he shew himself a virtuous man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the ground; but if wickedness be found in him he shall be put to death. ⁵³ Then king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar; and when he came, and had done homage to king Solomon, Solomon said to him, Go to thy house.