1 Now King David had become very old, and he couldn’t keep warm even when covered with blankets, 2 so his servants suggested, “Allow us search for a young woman who can wait on you and take care of your needs. She can sleep beside you and keep our master, the king, warm.” 3 So they searched throughout Israel and found a beautiful young woman called Avishag (a Shunammite) and brought her to the king. 4 She was incredibly beautiful and she took care of the king, but he didn’t have sexual relations with her.

5 Then David and Haggit’s son Adoniyyah promoted himself saying, “I, myself, will reign.” He acquired a chariot and horsemen and fifty men who ran along in front.[ref] 6 Haggit had given birth to him after Avshalom. He was a good-looker, but his father had never disciplined him or ever asked, “Why did you do that?” 7 He had spoken with Tseruyah’s son Yoav and the priest Evyatar and they had both agreed to support him. 8 But the priest Tsadok and Yehoyada’s son Benayah, the prophet Natan, Shimei and Rei, and David’s top warriors were all against Adoniyyah.

9 Then Adoniyyah sacrificed sheep and cattle and fattened calves near the Zohelet stone (which is beside Eyn-Rogel), and he invited all his brothers (the king’s sons), and all the men of Yehudah including the king’s servants. 10 However, he didn’t invite the prophet Natan, Benayah, the top warriors, or his brother Shelomoh.

11 Then Natan asked Shelomoh’s mother Batsheva, “Haven’t you heard that Haggit’s son Adoniyyah has made himself king, and our master David doesn’t even realise?[ref] 12 So please let me advise you now so that you can save your own life and that of your son Shelomoh (Solomon). 13 Go and ask King David, ‘My master the king, didn’t you promise your female servant, saying, “Surely your son Shelomoh will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne?” So why has Adoniyyah become king?’ 14 Then while you’re still there talking to the king, I’ll come in behind you and confirm what you said.”

15 So Batsheva went to the king’s bedroom where Avishag (the Shunammite) was attending him in his old age. 16 Batsheva bowed low to show respect to the king, and he asked her what she wanted.

17 “My master,” she replied, “you yourself promised to your female servant in front of your God Yahweh that your son Shelomoh would be the one to reign after you and sit on your throne. 18 But now, listen, Adoniyyah has become king instead, and you haven’t even been told about it. 19 He’s sacrificing many oxen and calves and sheep, and he invited the priest Evyatar, and Yoav the commander of the army, and all your sons except for your servant Shelomoh. 20 So now everyone’s waiting to see what you’ll do, my master the king. They want you to make it clearly known who’ll be the king on the throne after you. 21 Otherwise, as soon as my master the king passes on to join his ancestors, my son Shelomoh and I will be considered to be ‘in the way’.”

22 Just then, while she was still talking with the king, the prophet Natan appeared 23 and his arrival was announced to the king. He went into the room and knelt in front of the king and bowed his face to the floor. 24 Then he asked, “My master the king, did you announce that Adoniyyah will reign after you and sit on your throne? 25 I ask because today he sacrificed plenty of oxen and calves and sheep. He’d invited all your sons and army commanders, and Evyatar the priest. They’re all eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adoniyyah!’ 26 But as for me, I’m your servant, and nor did he invite Tsadok the priest or Yehoyada’s son Benayah, or Shelomoh your servant. 27 Did my master the king organise that without telling your servants who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him?”

28 Then King David said, “Call Batsheva back in.” So she came back into the king’s room and stood in front of him. 29 Then the king promised, “As Yahweh lives and has rescued me from every danger, 30 I promise you in front of Israel’s God Yahweh that your son Shelomoh will reign after me and will sit on my throne in my place. I’ll put it in action today.”

31 Batsheva knelt down and bowed her face to the floor and said, “May my master, the king David live forever.”

32 Then King David called out, “Summon Tsadok the priest for me, and Natan the prophet, and Yehoyada’s son Benayah.” So they came into the king’s room. 33 “Take some of my servants,” the king instructed them. “and put my son Shelomoh on my mule and lead him to the Gihon Spring. 34 Then you two, Tsadok and Natan, must anoint him there as king over Israel. Then blow the horn and shout, ‘Let King Shelomoh live!’ 35 Then follow him back here where he must come and sit on my throne. Then he’ll reign in my place as ruler of Israel and Yehudah.”

36 “Certainly,” Benayah replied. “Just as Yahweh, the God of my master the king has instructed. 37 Just as Yahweh has been with my master the king, so may he be with Shelomoh. And may his rule be even greater than that of my master, the king David.”

38 So Tsadok the priest and Natan the prophet and Yehoyada’s son Benayah and the kings bodyguards went and put Shelomoh on the king’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 Tsadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Shelomoh with it, and they blew the horn and all the people shouted, “Let King Shelomoh live!” 40 Then all the people followed him back uphill to the city, and the people were playing flutes and were so exuberant in their celebrations that the ground shook with the noise.

41 When Adoniyyah and all his invited guests had finished eating, they heard the noise, and Yoav heard the sound of the horn and asked, “What’s all that commotion in the city?” 42 He was still speaking when Yonatan the son of Evyatar the priest suddenly turned up, and Adoniyyah called him, “Come over here because you’re a good fellow and you’ll bring good news.”

43 “Actually, no,” Yonatan answered. “Our master the king David has just made Shelomoh king. 44 The king sent Tsadok the priest and Natan the prophet and Yehoyada’s son Benayah and the king’s bodyguards, and they placed Shelomoh on the king’s mule. 45 Then Tsadok and Natan anointed him as king at Gihon. Now they’ve gone back from there cheering all the way, and the whole city is happily celebrating. That’s the noise that you’re all hearing. 46 What’s more, Shelomoh’s sitting on the royal throne right now. 47 As well as that, the king’s servants went in to bless our master the king David, saying, ‘May God make Shelomoh’s reputation even better than yours, and may he make his reign even greater than yours.’ Then the king in his bed, bowed down 48 and said, ‘Blessed be Israel’s God Yahweh who has provided a son to sit on my throne today, and I’ve been able to see it before my death.’ ”

49 Then all Adoniyyah’s invited guests started trembling, and they all got up and quietly slipped back to their homes. 50 Adoniyyah himself was now afraid of what Shelomoh would do, so he went to the sacred tent and held on to the horns of the altar. 51 Shelomoh was told, “Listen, Adoniyyah is afraid of the new king because he’s grabbed the horns of the altar and said, ‘Let Shelomoh the king promise me as soon as possible, that he won’t execute his servant with the sword.’ ”

52 “If he shows himself as a loyal subject,” Shelomoh responded, “then he’ll be able to keep his head. But if he’s found to be a traitor, then he’ll die.” 53 So King Shelomoh sent for Adoniyyah, and they brought him down from beside the altar. He came and bowed down to Shelomoh the king and Shelomoh told him, “Go home.”

2 When David knew that his death was close, he instructed his son Shelomoh, 2 “I’ll soon be coming to my end, but you must be strong and sensible. 3 You must maintain your God Yahweh’s charge to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commands, his judgments, and his testimonies, according to what is written in Mosheh’s instructions, so that you’ll be wise in everything you do and everywhere that you turn, 4 so that Yahweh’s promise to me that he’d keep one of my descendants on Israel’s throne, will stand because he gave the condition, ‘If your descendants will obey me and worship me in truth with all their hearts and with all their souls.’

5 “Also you’re aware of what Tseruyah’s son Yoav did to me—what he did to two of the commanders of Israel’s armies—to Ner’s son Abner and to Yeter’s son Amasa. He murdered them, shedding blood in peace-time as if it was in a war, and the blood guilt is on him from head to toe.[ref] 6 So use your own wisdom, but don’t let Yoav get old and die peacefully.

7 However, return loyal kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and invite them to join you at your table because they helped me when I was fleeing from your brother Abshalom.[ref]

8 Then there’s Gera’s son Shimei, the Benyamite from Bahurim. He cursed me horribly when I was going to Mahanaim. Then he went down to meet me at the Yordan, and I promised him by Yahweh that I wouldn’t execute him,[ref] 9 so don’t leave him unpunished now. You’re a wise man and you’ll know how to handle him. Although he’s old, make sure he has a bloody death.

10 Then David breathed his last and was buried in the City of David. 11 He had reigned over Israel for forty years—seven years from Hebron and thirty-three years from Yerushalem.[ref] 12 Shelomoh replaced his father David on the throne, and his authority was established with firmness.[ref]

13 Then Haggit’s son Adoniyyah came to Shelomoh’s mother Batsheva and she asked him, “Is your coming peaceful?”

“It is,” he replied. 14 “Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead,” she answered.

15 “You yourself know that the kingship was for me as the oldest son,” he said, “and all Israel wanted me to reign. But then Yahweh decided that it was for my brother, and then everything got turned around. 16 So now, I have only one thing to request from you—please don’t refuse me.”

“Go on,” she said.

17 He said, “Please speak to Shelomoh the king because he wouldn’t refuse you. Ask him to give me Avishag the Shunammite as my wife.”[ref]

18 “Okay,” Batsheva agreed, “I’ll personally speak to the king for you.”

19 So Batsheva went to King Shelomoh to speak to him on Adoniyyah’s behalf. The king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and he had a throne placed on his right for his mother to sit on. 20 Then she said, “I have one small request for you. Please don’t say you won’t do it”

“What’s your request, my mother,” the king responded, “because I couldn’t refuse you.”

21 “Let Avishag the Shunammite,” she said, “be given to your brother Adoniyyah as a wife.”

22 King Shelomoh answered his mother, “You’re requesting Avishag the Shunammite for Adoniyyah! You might as well request the throne for him, because he’s my brother and he’s older than I am! And then he’ll want Evyatar the priest and Tseruyah’s son Yoav!” 23 Then Shelomoh promised by Yahweh, “May God do to me whatever he wants, unless Adoniyyah pays with his life for saying that. 24 And now as Yahweh lives, the one who established me and caused me to sit on the throne of my father David, and who promised David’s descendants to continue reigning, Adoniyyah will certainly be put to death today.”

25 So King Shelomoh instructed Yehoyada’s son Benayah and he went and struck Adoniyyah down and he died.

26 Then concerning Evyatar the priest, the king told him, “Go to your fields at Anatot because you’re marked for death, but I won’t do it today because you carried my master Yahweh’s sacred box ahead of my father David, and because you suffered through all that my father suffered.”[ref] 27 That was how Shelomoh banished Evyatar from being a priest to Yahweh. It was done to fulfill what Yahweh had said at Shiloh said about removing Eli’s descendants.[ref]

28 When the news of that reached Yoav, he fled to Yahweh’s tent and held onto the horns of the altar, because he had supported Adoniyyah (even though he hadn’t supported Avshalom). 29 Someone told King Shelomoh that Yoav had fled to Yahweh’s tent and was there beside the altar, so Shelomoh instructed Yehoyada’s son Benayah, “Go and strike him down.” 30 So Benayah entered Yahweh’s tent and he told Yoav, “The king said for you to come out.”

“No, I’ll die here,” he replied.

So Benayah went back to the king and reported both sides of the conversation 31 and the king told him, “Just do what he said. Kill him and bury him, and in that way you’ll remove the blood guilt from me and my descendants for the blood that Yoav shed without cause. 32 Yahweh will return his blood onto his own head, because he attacked two men more righteous and better than himself: Ner’s son Abner, the commander of Israel’s army, and Yeter’s son Amasa, the commander of Yehudah’s army. He killed them with the sword and my father David didn’t have anything to do with it. 33 Their shed blood will return onto Joav’s head and on the heads of his descendants forever. But for David and his family and his descendants and his throne, Yahweh will give peace forever.”

34 So Yehoyada’s son Benayah went and struck Yoav at the altar and killed him. Then he was buried on his property in the wilderness. 35 The king appointed Benayah as army commander to replace Yoav, and appointed Tsadok as priest in place of Evyatar.

36 Then the king summoned Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house here in Yerushalem and live there. But don’t go anywhere else 37 because the day that you leave and cross the Kidron valley, you can be certain that you’ll die. Your blood will be on your own head.”

38 “My master the king,” Shimei responded, “your decision is good and your servant will do just what you said.”

39 However, three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves fled to Maacah’s son, King Akish of Gat, and Shimei was told where they’d gone. 40 So Shimei saddled his donkey and rode it to Akish at Gat to try to find his slaves and he was able to recover them 41 But Shelomoh was told that Shimei left Yerushalem and gone to Gath and then returned. 42 So the king summoned Shimei and asked him, “Didn’t I get you to promise by Yahweh that you heard me say that whenever you leave here, you’ll certainly die? And didn’t you tell me that it was a good decision? 43 So why didn’t you keep the promise by Yahweh and obey what I instructed you? 44 You yourself know all the evil things that you did to my father David, so now Yahweh will return your evil on your head. 45 But despite what you yelled out,[ref] Yahweh will bless me as king, and David’s throne will be established forever in front of Yahweh.”

46 Then the king commanded Yehoyada’s son Benayah, and he went out and put Shimei to death.

In those ways, Shelomoh established his control of the kingdom.

3 Shelomoh made himself the son-in-law of Egypt’s king Far-oh by taking Far-oh’s daughter as a wife and bringing her into the city of David (where she stayed until the completion of the construction of his palace and of Yahweh’s temple, and the wall around Yerushalem). 2 However, the people were sacrificing on various hills because at that time, a temple hadn’t yet been built for Yahweh. 3 Shelomoh demonstrated his love for Yahweh by obeying the instructions of his father David. However, he would offer sacrifices and burn incense on various hills.

4 One time, the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because it was the most popular high place. Shelomoh offered up a thousand burnt up sacrifices on that altar, 5 and that night in Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Shelomoh in a dream and asked, “What would you like me to give you?”

6 Shelomoh replied, “You yourself showed incredible loyalty to your servant David, my father, because he walked in faithfulness and obedience in front of you, and did what he believed was rightyou wanted. And you’ve maintained this loyalty towards him and you allowed him to have a son sitting on his throne as I am today. 7 So now, Yahweh my God, you yourself have caused your servant to reign in place of my father David, but I’m still young—I don’t really know much about anything. 8 Yet your servant is among your chosen people—a numerous people who can’t be counted because there’s so many of us. 9 So please give your servant the ability to listen to your people and to judge them well—discerning between good and evil, because who’s able to judge your people—that’s a heavy task.”

10 Yahweh was very pleased that Shelomoh had requested that 11 and told him, “Because you requested that and didn’t request a long life or riches for yourself, or requested the lives of your enemies, but you requested discernment for yourself when listening and dispensing justice, 12 then I’ve done what you requested. Listen, I’ve given you a wise and discerning mind unlike anyone who’s lived before you or who will live in the future after you. 13 So I’ve also given you what you didn’t request: both riches and honour—there’ll be no other king like you for as long as you live, 14 and if you’ll obey my statutes and commands like your father David did, then I’ll also lengthen your life.”

15 Then Shelomoh woke up, and wow, it had been a dream, and he went into Yerushalem and stood in front of the sacred chest. Then he offered up burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and he held a feast for all his servants.