THE FIRST BOOK OF
THE KINGS,

1 Kings 1 ©

David, being old, is ministered unto by Abishag, v. 1, etc. His son Adonijah usurps the kingdom, 5. Which is hindered by Bath-sheba, by the advice of Nathan the prophet, 11. David renews his promise, of leaving the kingdom to his son Solomon, 28. Who is anointed king, 32. Tidings thereof is brought to Adonijah, and his party, who leave him, 41. Adonijah is afraid of Solomon, who pardons his fault, and so sends him home to his own house, 50.

1

NOW king David 1was old and 2stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but 3he gat no heat.

2

Wherefore his 4servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand 5before the king, and let her cherish him, and 6let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

3

So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a 7Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

4

And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king 8knew her not.

5

¶Then 9Adonijah the son of 10Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: anda11he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

6

And his father had 12not displeased him 13at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very 14goodly man; and his motherb bare him 15after Absalom.

7

And hec16conferred 17with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah 18helped him.

8

But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with 19Adonijah.

9

And Adonijah 20slew 21sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which isd by 22En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:

10

But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

11

¶Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?

12

Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee 23counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the 24life of thy son Solomon.

13

Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto 25thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit 26upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

14

Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and 27confirm thy words.

15

¶And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

16

And Bath-sheba 28bowed, and 29did obeisancee unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?

17

And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the 30LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

18

And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:

19

And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.

20

And thou, my lord, O king, 31the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21

32Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall 33sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted 34offenders.

22

¶And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.

23

And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was 35come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

24

And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

25

For he is 36gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, 37God save king Adonijah.

26

But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.

27

Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

28

¶Then king David answered and 38said, Call me Bath-sheba. And 39she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.

29

And the king 40sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

30

Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

31

Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, 41Let my lord king David live 42for ever.

32

¶And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of 43Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

33

The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants 44of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to 45ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to 46Gihon:

34

And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet 47anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.

35

Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be 48ruler over Israel and over Judah.

36

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king 49say so too.

37

As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

38

So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and 50the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.

39

And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of 51the tabernacle, and 52anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Godf save king Solomon.

40

And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth 53rent with the sound of them.

41

¶And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the 54sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this 55noise of the city being in an uproar?

42

And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art 56a valiant man, and bringest 57good tidings.

43

And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

44

And the king hath 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 caused him to ride upon the king's mule:

45

And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are 58come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.

46

And also Solomon 59sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

47

And moreover the king's servants came to 60bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon 61better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king 62bowed himself upon the bed.

48

And also thus said the king, 63Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes 64even seeing it.

49

And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

50

¶And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and 65caught hold on the horns 66of the altar.

51

And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day 67that he will not slay 68his servant with the sword.

52

And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a 69worthy man, 70there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

53

So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, 71Go to thine house.