1 King 1
1
1 Kings 1
The Struggle for the Succession
1King David was old and advanced in years, and although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. 2So his servants said to him, “Let a young virgin be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be his attendant; let her lie in your bosom, so that my lord the king may be warm.” 3#Josh 19.18So they searched for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel and found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. 4The young woman was very beautiful. She became the king’s attendant and served him, but the king did not know her sexually.
5 #
2 Sam 3.4; 15.1 Now Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” He prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6#2 Sam 3.3, 4His father had never at any time reprimanded him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. 7#2 Sam 20.25; 1 Kings 2.22, 28; 1 Chr 11.6He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, and they supported Adonijah. 8#2 Sam 8.18; 12.1; 20.25; 23.8But the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the prophet Nathan, and Shammah#1.8 Lucianic: Heb Shimei and his companions,#1.8 Lucianic: Heb Rei David’s own warriors, did not side with Adonijah.
9 #
2 Sam 17.17
Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the stone Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10#2 Sam 12.24but he did not invite the prophet Nathan or Benaiah or the warriors or his brother Solomon.
11 #
2 Sam 3.4
Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our lord David does not know it? 12Now therefore come, let me give you advice, so that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13#v 30; 1 Chr 22.9–13Go in at once to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne?” Why then is Adonijah king?’ 14Then while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15 #
v 1
So Bathsheba went to the king in his room. The king was very old; Abishag the Shunammite was attending the king. 16Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said, “What do you wish?” 17#vv 13, 30She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18But now suddenly Adonijah has become king, though you, my lord the king, do not know it. 19#v 9He has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance and has invited all the children of the king, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but your servant Solomon he has not invited. 20But you, 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. 21#Deut 31.16; 1 Kings 2.10Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, that my son Solomon and I will be counted offenders.”
22While she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan came in. 23The king was told, “Here is the prophet Nathan.” When he came in before the king, he did obeisance to the king, with his face to the ground. 24Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25#v 9; 1 Sam 10.24For today he has gone down and has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance and has invited all the king’s children, Joab the commander#1.25 Gk: Heb the commanders of the army, and the priest Abiathar, who are now eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26#vv 8, 10But he did not invite me, your servant, and the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon. 27Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not let your servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
The Accession of Solomon
28King David answered, “Summon Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29#2 Sam 4.9The king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has saved my life from every adversity, 30#vv 13, 17as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so will I do this day.” 31#Neh 2.3; Dan 2.4Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and did obeisance to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
32King David said, “Summon to me the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, 33#2 Sam 20.6, 7the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gihon. 34#v 25; 1 Sam 10.1; 16.3, 12; 2 Sam 15.10There let the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35You shall go up following him. Let him enter and sit on my throne; he shall be king in my place, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” 36Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so ordain. 37#v 47; Josh 1.5, 17; 1 Sam 20.13As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”
38 #
vv 8, 33
; 2 Sam 8.18So the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and led him to Gihon. 39#Ex 30.23–32; 1 Chr 29.22; Ps 89.20There the priest Zadok 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!” 40And all the people went up following him, playing on pipes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth quaked at their noise.
41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the city in an uproar?” 42#2 Sam 15.27, 36; 18.27While he was still speaking, Jonathan son of the priest Abiathar arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and surely you bring good news.” 43Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king; 44the king has sent with him the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they had him ride on the king’s mule; 45#v 40the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan 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 heard. 46#1 Chr 29.23Solomon now sits on the royal throne. 47#v 37; Gen 47.31Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours and make his throne greater than your throne.’ The king bowed in worship on the bed 48#2 Sam 7.12; 1 Kings 3.6and went on to pray thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who today has granted one of my offspring#1.48 Gk: Heb one to sit on my throne and permitted me to witness it.’ ”
49Then all the guests of Adonijah got up trembling and went their own ways. 50#1 Kings 2.28Adonijah, fearing Solomon, got up and went to grasp the horns of the altar. 51Solomon was informed, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; see, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’ ” 52#1 Sam 14.45; 2 Sam 14.11So Solomon responded, “If he proves to be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53Then King Solomon sent to have him brought down from the altar. He came to do obeisance to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go home.”
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1 King 1: NRSVUE
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.