 REV Bible |   |   |
| REV Bible | | |
1Now King David was old, advanced in years, and they covered him with garments, but he could not get warm.
2So his servants said to him, “Let them search for a young virgin for my lord the king. Let her stand before the king and be in his service, and let her lie in your bosom so that my lord the king may keep warm.”
3So 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, and she became his attendant and served the king, but the king did not know her sexually.
5Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, was exalting himself, saying, “I will be king.” Then he prepared chariots and horsemen for himself, and 50 men to run before him.
6His father had never rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why did you do that?” And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.
7He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave help, following after Adonijah.
8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
9And Adonijah killed sheep and cattle and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth which is beside En-rogel, and he called all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants;
10but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he did not call.
11Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns, and David our lord does not know it?
12So now come, let me give you counsel so that you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
13Go to King David and tell him, “Didn’t you yourself, my lord king, swear to your servant, saying, ‘Indeed, Solomon your son is to reign as king after me, and he will sit on my throne?’ Why then does Adonijah reign?”
14Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15So Bathsheba went to the king into the inner room. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.
16And Bathsheba kneeled and bowed down to the king. And the king said, “What can I do for you?”
17So she said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore by Yahweh your God to your servant, ‘Indeed, Solomon your son is to reign as king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’
18But now, behold, Adonijah reigns, but you, my lord the king, do not know it.
19He has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance and has called all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not called Solomon your servant.
20And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21Otherwise, it will be that when my lord the king lies down with his fathers that I and my son Solomon will be considered guilty.”
22Now behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came.
23So they told the king, saying, “Behold, Nathan the prophet!” When he had come in before the king, he bowed down to the king with his face to the ground.
24And Nathan said, “My lord king, have you said, ‘Adonijah is to reign as king after me and he will sit on my throne?’
25For he has gone down this day and has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Behold, they are eating and drinking before him and are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’
26But he has not called me, me your servant, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.
27Is this thing done by my lord the king, and you have not made known to your servants who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28Then king David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
29The king swore and said, “As Yahweh lives who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
30just as I swore to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Indeed, Solomon your son will reign as king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place,’ indeed, so I will do this day.”
31Then Bathsheba kneeled and bowed down with her face to the earth before the king and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”
32Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king.
33And the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my mule and bring him down to Gihon.
34Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel there. Then blow the shofar and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
35Then you are to come up after him and he is to come and to sit on my throne, for he is to reign as king in my place. He is the one I have appointed to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.”
36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen. So says Yahweh, the God of my lord the king!
37As Yahweh 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.”
38So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down; and they had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon.
39Then Zadok the priest took the horn of oil that he had taken from the Tent, and anointed Solomon. They blew the shofar and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”
40All the people went up after him, and the people piped with pipes and rejoiced with great joy so that the earth split with their sound.
41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the shofar, he said, “Why is the city making such an uproar?”
42While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are an honorable man and bring good news.”
43Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “The truth is that our lord King David has made Solomon king.
44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have had him ride on the king’s mule.
45And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. They have come up from there rejoicing so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.
46Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.
47“Also, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and make his throne greater than your throne,’ and the king bowed down on the bed.
48The king also said this: ‘Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, and my eyes see it!’”
49Then all those who were called, who were for Adonijah, were afraid and rose up and each one went his way.
50Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon, and he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
51And it was told to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me this day that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”
52Then Solomon said, “If he proves to be an honorable man, not a hair of his will fall to the earth, but if evil is found in him, he will die.”
53So King Solomon sent and they brought him down from the altar, and he came and bowed down to King Solomon. And Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
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