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1 Now King David was old, he had advanced in the days, and they covered him with the garments, but it was not warm enough for him.
2 So his servants said to him, “They are searching for a young woman, a virgin, for my lord the king, and she will stand before the king. Thus she may be a caregiver for him, and she will lie in your bosom so that it will be warm for my master the king.”
3 They searched for a beautiful young woman within all the territory of Israel. They found Abishag the Shunammite and they brought her to the king.
4 The girl was very, exceptionally, beautiful. She became a caregiver for the king and she served him, but the king did not know her.
5 Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, “I, myself, will be king.” So he prepared for himself a chariot along with teams of horses and fifty men to run in front of him.
6 His father did not rebuke him in his days, saying, “Why have you done so?” Also, he was very good- looking in appearance. She had borne him after Absalom.
7 His discussions were with Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar, the priest. They helped, following after Adonijah.
8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who were for David were not with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened steer by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel. He invited all of his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king.
10 He did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.
11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our master does not know?
12 Now therefore, come, please let me offer you counsel! Save your soul and the soul of your son Solomon!
13 Go, enter in before King David, and you should say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord the king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “Surely Solomon your son will reign as king after me, and he will sit on my throne?” So why has Adonijah become king?’
14 Look, while you are yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after you and I will confirm your words.”
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in the bed chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.
16 Bathsheba bowed and she prostrated herself before the king. Then the king said, “What concerns you?”
17 She said to him, “My master, you have sworn to your maidservant by Yahweh your God, saying, ‘Surely Solomon your son will become king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’
18 But now, look, Adonijah is king, yet now, my master the king, you do not know.
19 He has sacrificed oxen, fatted calves, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.
20 As for you, my master the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.
21 Otherwise it will happen, when my master the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”
22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
23 They told the king saying, “Behold, Nathan the prophet.” When he came in before the king, he prostrated himself before the king with his nose to the ground.
24 Nathan said, “My master the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne?’
25 For he has gone down today and sacrificed oxen, fatted calves, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’
26 But as for me, your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, he has not invited us.
27 Has my master the king done this thing without informing us, your servants, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba back to me.” She came into the presence of the king and stood before the king.
29 The king made an oath and said, “As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my life out of all trouble,
30 as indeed I vowed to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place,’ for surely I will do this today.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her nose to the ground and prostrated herself before the king and said, “May my master King David live forever!”
32 King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king.
33 The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your master, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gihon.
34 Have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel and blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
35 Then you will come up after him, and he will come and sit on my throne; for he will be king in my place. I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.”
36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, “So let it be! May Yahweh, the God of my master the king, say.
37 As Yahweh has been with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my master King David.”
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride upon the mule of King David; they brought him to Gihon.
39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”
40 Then all the people went up after him, and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, and the earth shook with their sound.
41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the sound of the city an uproar?”
42 While he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest came. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.”
43 Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our master King David has made Solomon the king,
44 and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Kerethites and the Pelethites. They have had him ride on the mule of the king.
45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.
46 Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.
47 Moreover, the servants of the king came to bless our master King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed down on the bed.
48 The king also said, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, and that my own eyes see it.’”
49 Then all the guests of Adonijah were terrified. They arose and each man went his way.
50 Adonijah was afraid of the face of Solomon and rose up, went, and took hold of the horns of the altar.
51 Then it was told Solomon, saying, “See, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for he has laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”
52 Solomon said, “If he will be a son of virtue, not a hair of his will fall to the earth, but if evil is found in him, he will die.”
53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
The First Book of Kings