David in His Old Age
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Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.
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Therefore his servants said to him, "Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms,a that my lord the king may be warm."
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So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the 1Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
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The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.
Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
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Now 2Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king."3And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
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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, 4and he was born next after Absalom.
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He conferred with 5Joab the son of Zeruiah and with 6Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him.
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But 7Zadok the priest and 8Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and 9Nathan the prophet and 10Shimei and Rei and 11David's mighty men were not with Adonijah.
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Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent's Stone, which is beside 12En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah,
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but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or 13Solomon his brother.
Nathan and Bathsheba Before David
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Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, "Have you not heard that 14Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it?
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Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
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Go in at once to King David, and say to him, 'Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, 15"Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne"? Why then is Adonijah king?'
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Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirmb your words."
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So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king).
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Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, "What do you desire?"
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She said to him, "My lord, you swore to your servant by the LORD your God, saying, 16'Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.'
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And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it.
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17He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, 18Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but 19Solomon your servant he has not invited.
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And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
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Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king 20sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders."
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While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
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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.
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And Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne'?
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For he has gone down this day and 21has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the commandersc of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, 22'Long live King Adonijah!'
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23But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited.
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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?"
Solomon Anointed King
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Then King David answered, "Call Bathsheba to me." So she came into the king's presence and stood before the king.
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And the king swore, saying, 24"As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity,
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25as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, 'Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,' even so will I do this day."
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Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, 26"May my lord King David live forever!"
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King David said, "Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." So they came before the king.
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And the king said to them, "Take with you 27the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to 28Gihon.
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And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there 29anoint him king over Israel. 30Then blow the trumpet and say, 31'Long live King Solomon!'
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You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah."
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And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so.
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32As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, 33and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David."
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So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 34and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule and brought him to Gihon.
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There Zadok the priest took the horn of 35oil from the tent and 36anointed Solomon. 37Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, 38"Long live King Solomon!"
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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.
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Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, "What does this uproar in the city mean?"
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While he was still speaking, behold, 39Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, "Come in, 40for you are a worthy man and bring good news."
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Jonathan answered Adonijah, "No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king,
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and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the 41Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king's mule.
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And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at 42Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.
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43Solomon sits on the royal throne.
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Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 44'May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king 45bowed himself on the bed.
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And the king also said, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, 46who has granted someoned to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.'"
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Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way.
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Then it was told Solomon, "Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'"
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And Solomon said, "If he will show himself a worthy man, 49not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die."
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So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house."
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)