UST 1KI Chapter 1

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1 When King David was very old, he often felt cold. That was true even though his servants put many blankets on him. 2 His officials told him, “Your Majesty, some people should locate a young female attendant who has never had sex. She will stay near you, and she will take care of you. She will sleep in your bed with you. That will keep you from feeling cold, Your Majesty.”

3 So, people searched throughout the country of Israel for a young female attendant who was pretty. Eventually, they located a woman whose name was Abishag. She was from the town of Shunem. They took her to King David. 4 Abishag was extremely pretty. She took care of the king and served him. However, King David did not have sex with her.

5-6 5-6Now David’s next son after Absalom was Adonijah. His mother’s name was Haggith. He was a very handsome man. However, his father David had never rebuked him for anything that he did. Adonijah decided that he wanted to become king. So, he got a chariot, soldiers who rode horses, and 50 men to run in front of him as an escort.

7 He made plans with Joab, who was Zeruiah’s son and the leader of the army, and with Abiathar the priest. They supported Adonijah as the next king. 8 However, Zadok the priest, Benaiah, who was Jehoiada’s son and the leader of the king’s guards, Nathan, who spoke for God, Shimei, Rei, and David’s most capable soldiers did not support Adonijah as the next king.

9 Now Adonijah went to the large rock that people call Zoheleth, which is near the spring that people call Rogel. He offered as sacrifices some sheep and oxen and fat animals. He invited most of his brothers, King David’s other sons. He also invited most of the king’s officials who were from Judah. 10 However, he did not invite Nathan, who spoke for God, Benaiah, David’s most capable soldiers, or his younger brother Solomon.

11 Then Nathan went to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba and told her, “You should know that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, is trying to become king. Further, King David has not heard about it! 12 So if you want to save yourself and your son Solomon from dying, allow me to tell you what you should do. 13 Leave this place and visit King David. Remind him that he, the king, promised you that your son Solomon would rule as the next king. Then, tell him that Adonijah is trying to be the next king. 14 Then, as you are telling those things to King David, I too will visit. I will tell King David that what you are telling him is true.”

15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his bedroom. He was very old, and Abishag, who was from the town of Shunem, was taking care of him. 16 Bathsheba kneeled before King David to honor him.

Then, he asked her, “What do you want?”

17 She replied, “Your Majesty, you had Yahweh our God authorize it when you solemnly promised me that my son Solomon would certainly rule as the next king. 18 However, listen to this: Adonijah is trying to become king. Further, Your Majesty, you have not heard about it. 19 He has offered as sacrifices many oxen and fat animals and sheep. He has invited most of your sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the leader of the army. However, he has not invited Solomon, who obeys you. 20 So, Your Majesty, all the Israelite people are waiting for you to declare who will rule as the next king. 21 If you do not do that, Your Majesty, when you die, people will punish me and Solomon, my son, as if we had done something wrong.”

22 Then, as Bathsheba was saying that to King David, Nathan, who spoke for God, arrived there. 23 So David’s servants told King David, “Nathan, who speaks for God, is here.” Then Bathsheba left, and Nathan went to where King David was. He knelt before King David to honor him very much.

24 Then Nathan said, “Your Majesty, you must have declared that Adonijah would rule as the next king. 25 I say that because this very day Adonijah has visited Rogel spring. There, he has offered as sacrifices many oxen and fat animals and sheep. He has invited most of your sons, the leaders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. They are feasting with him and declaring, ‘We hope that King Adonijah will live for a long time!’ 26 However, he did not invite me, who obeys you, or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah, who is Jehoiada’s son, or Solomon, who obeys you. 27 Did you, Your Majesty, tell Adonijah and the people with him to do those things without informing us who obey you about who will rule as the next king?”

28 Then King David told his servants, “Have Bathsheba come in here again.” So, Nathan left, and Bathsheba entered in again and waited before King David.

29 Then King David declared, “Whenever anything might have hurt me, Yahweh rescued me. As surely as he lives, I promise solemnly 30 that I will do today what I previously solemnly promised to you and had Yahweh, the God whom we Israelites worship, guarantee. I will declare that your son Solomon will certainly rule as the next king.”

31 Then Bathsheba knelt before King David to honor him very much. She declared, “Your Majesty, I hope that you will live for a long time!”

32 Then King David told his servants, “Have Zadok the priest, Nathan, who speaks for God, and Benaiah, who is Jehoiada’s son, come in here.” So, these three men entered in to where King David was. 33 King David commanded them, “Assemble my officials. Have my son Solomon ride on my own mule. Then, all of you must go to the spring that people call Gihon. 34 There, you two, Zadok the priest and Nathan who speaks for God, must pour olive oil on Solomon’s head to show that he will be the next king of the Israelite people. Then, you must have people play trumpets loudly. You must declare, ‘We hope that King Solomon will live for a long time!’ 35 After that, you must follow him back here, where he must sit down on my throne. That way, he will be the next king. Further, I have appointed him to rule over both the region of Israel and the region of Judah.”

36 Benaiah, who was Jehoiada’s son, replied, “May it be so! What you have said is what Yahweh, the God whom Your Majesty and I worship, also has declared. 37 Your Majesty, Yahweh has helped you. I hope that Yahweh will help Solomon in the same way. I hope that Yahweh will enable Solomon to become an even greater king than you have been, Your Majesty.”

38 After that, Zadok the priest, Nathan who spoke for God, Benaiah who was Jehoiada’s son, and the Kerethites and Pelethites, who were the king’s guards, went to Solomon. They had him ride on King David’s mule. Then, all of them went to the spring that people call Gihon. 39 Now Zadok the priest had taken olive oil in a special container from the sacred tent. He poured the olive oil on Solomon’s head to show that he would be the next king. Then, some people played trumpets loudly. Everyone who was there declared, “We hope that King Solomon will live for a long time!” 40 Then, they followed Solomon back into the city of Jerusalem. They played musical instruments, and they were very happy. They were extremely loud!

41 While Adonijah and the people he had invited were almost done feasting, they heard the loud noise. When Joab noticed that people were playing trumpets, he asked, “Why are people in the city of Jerusalem being so loud?”

42 As he was asking that, Jonathan, who was Abiathar the priest’s son, arrived. Adonijah said, “I welcome you! You are a capable man, so you must have something good to tell us.”

43 Jonathan replied, “I do not have something good to tell you. His Majesty, King David, has declared that Solomon will be the next king! 44 Here is what has happened: King David told Zadok the priest, Nathan who speaks for God, Benaiah who is Jehoiada’s son, and the Kerethites and Pelethites, who are the king’s guards, to go with Solomon. They had Solomon ride on King David’s mule. 45 They went to the spring that people call Gihon. There, Zadok the priest and Nathan who speaks for God poured olive oil on Solomon’s head to show that he would be the next king. Then, all the people there walked back to the city of Jerusalem, and they were very happy. Many people in the city of Jerusalem are shouting. That is why you can hear loud noises. 46 Further, Solomon has sat down on the throne as the next king. 47 In addition, the king’s officials visited His Majesty, King David, to praise him for what he had done. They told King David that they wished that God would make Solomon even more famous than he was and that God would enable Solomon to become an even greater king than he had been. Then, King David, who was sitting on his bed, bowed down to honor God. 48 Even more, King David praised Yahweh, the God whom we Israelites worship. He thanked Yahweh for appointing someone this very day to be the next king while he was still alive.”

49 Then all the people whom Adonijah had invited and who had supported him as the next king were very afraid. They left Rogel spring, and each person went to a different place. 50 Adonijah was afraid of what Solomon would do. So, he went to the sacred tent and held onto the projections of the altar because he thought that no one would kill him there. 51 Then someone informed Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you, the king. So, he has gone to the sacred tent and is holding onto the projections of the altar because he thinks that no one will kill him there. He asks you, the king, to solemnly promise right now that you will not have someone execute him.”

52 Solomon replied, “Suppose that he proves that he is trustworthy. In that case, I will not punish him at all. However, suppose that he does anything that is wrong. In that case, I will have someone execute him.” 53 Then King Solomon sent some men to the sacred tent. They took Adonijah from the altar. Then, Adonijah visited King Solomon and knelt before him to honor him. Solomon told him, “Return home.”

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