1 Kings 1:28-53
1 Kings 1:28-53 NCV
Then the king said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in!” So she came in and stood before the king. Then the king made this promise, “The LORD has saved me from all trouble. As surely as he lives, I will do today what I have promised you in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. I promised that your son Solomon would be king after me and rule on my throne in my place.” Then Bathsheba bowed facedown on the ground and knelt before the king and said, “Long live my master King David!” Then King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to come in.” When they came before the king, he said to them, “Take my servants with you and put my son Solomon on my own mule. Take him down to the spring called Gihon. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet should pour olive oil on him and make him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and rule in my place, because he is the one I have chosen to be the ruler over Israel and Judah.” Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! This is what the LORD, the God of my master, has declared! The LORD has always helped you, our king. May he also help Solomon and make King Solomon’s throne an even greater throne than yours.” So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada left with the Kerethites and Pelethites. They put Solomon on King David’s mule and took him to the spring called Gihon. Zadok the priest took the container of olive oil from the Holy Tent and poured the oil on Solomon’s head to show he was the king. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” All the people followed Solomon into the city. Playing flutes and shouting for joy, they made so much noise the ground shook. At this time Adonijah and all the guests with him were finishing their meal. When he heard the sound from the trumpet, Joab asked, “What does all that noise from the city mean?” While Joab was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in! You are an important man, so you must be bringing good news.” But Jonathan answered, “No! Our master King David has made Solomon the new king. King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the king’s bodyguards with him, and they have put Solomon on the king’s own mule. Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet poured olive oil on Solomon at Gihon to make him king. After that they went into the city, shouting with joy. Now the whole city is excited, and that is the noise you hear. Solomon has now become the king. All the king’s officers have come to tell King David that he has done a good thing. They are saying, ‘May your God make Solomon even more famous than you and an even greater king than you.’ ” Jonathan continued, “And King David bowed down on his bed to worship God, saying, ‘Bless the LORD, the God of Israel. Today he has made one of my sons the king and allowed me to see it.’ ” Then all of Adonijah’s guests were afraid, and they left quickly and scattered. Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went and took hold of the corners of the altar. Then someone told Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you, so he is at the altar, holding on to its corners. He says, ‘Tell King Solomon to promise me today that he will not kill me.’ ” So Solomon answered, “Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise he will not lose even a single hair from his head. But if he does anything wrong, he will die.” Then King Solomon sent some men to get Adonijah. When he was brought from the altar, he came before King Solomon and bowed down. Solomon told him, “Go home.”