Abishag cares for King David
1King David was old. His servants covered him with clothes and blankets, but he could not get warm. 2His servants said to him: ‘Your_Majesty, we will get you a young girl who can work for you and serve you. She can lie down in bed with you and warm your body.’ 3They looked in the land_of_Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag from the town of Shunam and they brought her to the king. 4She was a beautiful girl and she served the king and cared for him, but he did not have sex with her.
Adonijah wants to be king
5Adonijah, the son of David and Haggith, thought he was the most important son of David and he wanted to be king. Adonijah got a war-chariot and horses for himself and he told 50 men to run before him. 6From the time he was young, his father had never asked him why he had done something when he was wrong. Adonijah was a good-looking man, and he was Absalom's younger brother. 7Adonijah talked to Joab, son of Zeruiah, and to the priest Abiathar and they promised to help him to become the king. 8But the priest Zadok and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, did not want to help Adonijah. The prophet Nathan, Shimei, Rei and the men who guarded King David also did not want to help him.
9Adonijah took sheep and goats and oxen and fat calves and he sacrificed them at the Stone of Zoheleth near En-Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, to come and eat with him, and also the leaders_of_Judah who were officials of King David, 10but Adonijah did not invite the prophet Nathan or Benaiah or the men who guarded the king or his brother Solomon.
Solomon becomes king
11Nathan went to Solomon's mother, Bathsheba, and he asked her: ‘Have they told you what has happened? Adonijah, son of Haggith, has become king. King David knows nothing about it. 12Listen to me. I will tell you what you must do to save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13You must go to King David and say to him: “Your_Majesty, you have promised me, and the Lord was your Witness, that my son Solomon will become king after you and that he will sit on your throne. Why has Adonijah become king now?” 14While you are talking to the king and telling him this, I will come to you and I will tell the king that what you say is the truth.’
15Bathsheba went to the king in his room. The king was very old and Abishag from the town of Shunem cared for the king. 16Bathsheba bowed down and she knelt before the king and the king asked her: ‘What can I do for you?’ 17Bathsheba said to the king: ‘Your_Majesty, you promised, and the Lord your God was your Witness, that my son Solomon would become king after you and that he would sit on your throne. 18But, Your_Majesty, now Adonijah has become king and you don't even know it. 19Adonijah has sacrificed many cattle, fat calves, sheep and goats and he has invited all the king's sons and the priest Abiathar and Joab the chief of the army, but he did not invite Solomon. 20Your_Majesty, all the people of Israel are waiting for you to say who will sit on your throne after you. 21Your_Majesty, if you don't do it, what will happen when you die, and you are buried with your forefathers? The people will then arrest me and my son Solomon and judge us and say we are guilty.’
22While Bathsheba was talking to the king, the prophet Nathan came to them. 23The people told the king: ‘Nathan the prophet is here to see you.’ Nathan came in and he bowed down before the king with his face to the floor. 24He said: ‘Your_Majesty, did you say that Adonijah must be king after you and sit on your throne? 25Because he went today and he sacrificed a lot of cattle and fat calves and sheep and goats and he invited all the king's sons and the leaders of the army and Abiathar the priest. They are eating and drinking with him now and they say: “We pray that King Adonijah will live for many years.” 26But Adonijah did not invite me or the priest Zadok or Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, or Solomon. 27Your_Majesty, did you say this must happen? Why did you not tell us who must sit on your throne after you?’
28King David answered and said: ‘Call Bathsheba. Tell her she must come here and stand before me.’ 29The king then promised her and said: ‘As sure as the Lord lives, who saved my life when I was in danger, 30I did promise you that your son Solomon would become king after me and that he would sit on my throne. I said that my God, the Lord, was my Witness and I promise it again today.’ 31Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the floor and she knelt before the king and said: ‘I pray that Your_Majesty, David, will live forever.’
32Then King David said: ‘Go and call the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada. Tell them they must come here and stand before me.’ 33The king then said to them: ‘You must take the men who guard the king and let my son Solomon ride on my mule. Take him to Gihon. 34The priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan must anoint him there to be king_of_Israel. Then you must blow the ram's-horn and say: “We pray that King Solomon will live for many years.” 35You must come with him, and he must sit on my throne and rule in my place. I said it is Solomon who must rule over Israel and Judah.’
36Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, said to the king: ‘We will do what you ask. I pray that the Lord, God of my king, will make it happen. 37I pray that the Lord will be with Solomon as He was with you, Your_Majesty. I also pray that King Solomon and his throne will become more important than the throne of Your_Majesty King David.’
38The priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and the Philistine men who guarded the king went and they made Solomon ride on King David's mule and they took him to Gihon. 39Zadok the priest took the horn with olive oil from the holy tent and he anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram's-horn and everyone said: ‘We pray that King Solomon will live for many years.’
40All the people went with Solomon. They were playing flutes and they were very happy. They shouted_so_loudly that the earth trembled.
41Adonijah and all the people that he had invited were finished eating when they heard the people shouting. When Joab heard them blowing the ram's-horn, he asked: ‘What is that noise? What is happening in the city?’ 42While Joab was speaking, Jonathan, son of the priest Abiathar, came to them. Adonijah said to him: ‘Come here. You are an important man and you will bring good news.’
43Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah: ‘No, it is not good news for you. King David has made Solomon king. 44The king sent Zadok the priest with Solomon, and also the prophet Nathan and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and the Philistine men who guarded the king. They made Solomon ride on the king's mule 45and the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anointed Solomon at Gihon to be the new king. They shouted and they were happy when they came back from there, and all the people in the city are now rejoicing. That was the noise you heard. 46Solomon is now sitting on the throne of the king 47and the king's officials came to congratulate King David. They said: “King David, we pray that your God will make Solomon a more important king than you were and that more people will know about him.”
Then King David bowed down on his bed 48and he said: “I praise the Lord, the God of Israel. You made one of my sons king and You let me live to see that.” ’
49All the people who were with Adonijah became afraid. They got up and quickly went away, each one went to a different place. 50Adonijah was afraid that Solomon would kill him and he went to the altar and held onto the horns_of_the_altar. 51Someone told Solomon: ‘King Solomon, Adonijah is afraid of you. He went to the altar and he is holding onto the horns and he said: “King Solomon must promise today, and the Lord must be his Witness, that he will not kill me with a sword.” ’ 52Solomon said: ‘If Adonijah does not do anything wrong, then nothing will happen to him, and not one of his hairs will fall to the ground. But if he does something wrong, then he will die.’
53King Solomon sent men to the altar to get Adonijah. They brought him and he bowed before King Solomon. Solomon said to him: ‘Go home.’
