1 Kings 1

1 Kings Chapter 1 KJV

1Abishag cherisheth David in his extreme old age. 5Adonijah, having gained over Joab and Abiathar, inviteth his friends to a feast in order to make himself king. 11Nathan's advice to Bathsheba thereupon; 15who moveth the king on the behalf of Solomon. 22She is seconded by Nathan. 28David sweareth to Bathsheba to make Solomon king that same day; 32and issueth out orders accordingly. 38Solomon is anointed and proclaimed king, the people rejoicing. 41Adonijah and his guests hearing the news betake themselves to flight. 50Adonijah, laying hold on the horns of the altar, is dismissed by Solomon in peace, on condition of his good behaviour.
1 Now king David was 1old and astricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.
2 Wherefore his 1servants said unto him, aLet there be sought for my lord the king ba young virgin: and let her 2stand before the king, and let her ccherish him, and 3let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king 4may get heat.
3 So they 1sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found 2Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king 1knew her not.
5 ¶ Then 1Adonijah the son of Haggith 2exalted himself, saying, I will abe king: and 3he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
6 And his father 1had not displeased him aat any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very 2goodly man; and his mother 3bare him after Absalom.
7 And ahe 1conferred with 2Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with 3Abiathar the priest: and they bfollowing Adonijah helped him.
8 But 1Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the 2mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah 1slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by aEn-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 1Solomon his brother, he called not.
11 ¶ Wherefore Nathan 1spake 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, 1let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou 2mayest save thine own life, and the life 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 thine handmaid, saying, 1Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall 2sit upon 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 aconfirm thy words.
15 ¶ And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the 1king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.
16 And Bath-sheba 1bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, aWhat wouldest thou?
17 And she said unto him, 1My lord, thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, 2Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
18 And now, behold, 1Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:
19 And he 1hath 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, the 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 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall 1sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted aoffenders.
22 ¶ And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, 1Nathan the prophet also came in.
23 And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he 1bowed 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 1he is gone 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, aGod save king Adonijah.
26 But me, even 1me 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 1shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
28 ¶ Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came ainto the king's presence, and stood before the king.
29 And the king sware, and said, As 1the Lord liveth, that hath 2redeemed my soul out of all distress,
30 Even as 1I 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 1bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, 2Let my lord king David live for ever.
32 ¶ And king David said, Call me 1Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
33 The king also said unto them, Take with you 1the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to 2ride upon amine own mule, and bring him down to 3Gihon:
34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet 1anoint him there king over Israel: and 2blow 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 1I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, 1Amen: the Lord God of my lord the king say so too.
37 As 1the Lord hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and 2make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.
38 So 1Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the 2Cherethites, 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 1horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and 2all the people said, God save king Solomon.
40 And 1all the people came up after him, and the people piped with apipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
41 ¶ And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an 1end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?
42 And while he yet spake, behold, 1Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for 2thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.
43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, 1Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.
44 And 1the 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 come 1up from thence rejoicing, so that the city 2rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.
46 And also Solomon 1sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.
47 And moreover the king's servants came to 1bless our lord king David, saying, 2God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king 3bowed himself upon the bed.
48 And also thus said the king, 1Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
49 And 1all 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, 1and caught hold on the horns of 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 that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
52 And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there 1shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if 2wickedness 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, 1Go to thine house.
1 Kings 1