13 Then Hagit’s son Adoniyah came to Shelomoh’s (Solomon’s) mother Bat-Sheva (Bathsheba) 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 Yisrael (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 Shunamit[ref] as my wife.”

18 “Okay,” Bat-Sheva (Bathsheba) agreed, “I’ll personally speak to the king for you.”

19 So Bat-Sheva went to King Shelomoh to speak to him on Adoniyah’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 Shunamit,” she said, “be given to your brother Adoniyah as a wife.”

22 King Shelomoh answered his mother, “You’re requesting Avishag the Shunamit for Adoniyah! 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 (Joab)!” 23 Then Shelomoh promised by Yahweh, “May God do to me whatever he wants, unless Adoniyah 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, Adoniyah will certainly be put to death today.”

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