¹And King David was old, advanced in days; and they covered him with garments, but he could not get warm.

²So his slaves said to him, "Let them search out for my lord the king a girl, a virgin, and let her stand before the king and be a nurse to him, and lie in your bosom, so that my lord the king may get warm.

³So they sought a beautiful girl in all the territory of Israel, and they found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

⁴And the girl was exceedingly beautiful; and she became a nurse to the king and served him, but the king did not know her.

⁵And Adonijah son of Haggith lifted himself up, saying, "I will reign"; and he made for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men ran before his face.

⁶And his father had never grieved him in all his days by saying, "Why have you done so?" And he too was very good in figure, and she bore him after Absalom.

⁷And his words were with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they helped, following after Adonijah.

⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.

⁹And Adonijah sacrificed flock and cattle and fattened beasts by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he called all his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, the slaves of the king.

¹⁰But Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and his brother Solomon he did not call.

¹¹And Nathan said to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know?

¹²And now, come, please, let me give you counsel, and save your being and the being of your son Solomon.

¹³Go, go in to King David, and say to him, 'Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your maidservant, saying, "Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?'

¹⁴Behold, while you are still speaking there with the king, I will come in after you and fill out your words."

¹⁵So Bath-sheba went to the king, into the inner chamber; and the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.

¹⁶And Bath-sheba bowed her head and bowed down to the king. And the king said, "What do you want?"

¹⁷And she said to him, "My lord, you swore by Yahweh your God to your maidservant, 'Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.'

¹⁸And now, behold, Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you did not know.

¹⁹And he has sacrificed ox and fattened beasts and flock in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon your slave he has not called.

²⁰As for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹And it will happen, when my lord the king lies down with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be sinners."

²²And behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came.

²³And they told the king, saying, "Behold, Nathan the prophet." And he came before the face of the king and bowed down to the king, with his face to the land.

²⁴And Nathan said, "My lord the king, did you say, 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne'?

²⁵For he has gone down today and has sacrificed ox and fattened beasts and flock in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they are eating and drinking before his face, and saying, 'May King Adonijah live!'

²⁶But me — I, your slave — and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Solomon your slave he did not call.

²⁷Has this word come about from my lord the king, and you did not make known to your slave who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

²⁸Then King David answered and said, "Call Bath-sheba for me." And she came before the face of the king and stood before the face of the king.

²⁹And the king swore and said, "As Yahweh lives, who redeemed my being from every distress,

³⁰for just as I swore to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, 'Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,' so I will do it this day."

³¹And Bath-sheba bowed her head, her face to the land, and bowed down to the king, and said, "May my lord the king David live forever!"

³²Then King David said, "Summon for me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." So they came before the face of the king.

³³The king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, have Solomon my son ride on the she-mule that is mine, and bring him down to Gihon.

³⁴Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel. Then blow the horn and say, 'May King Solomon live!'

³⁵Then you will go up after him, and he will come in and sit on my throne, and he himself will reign in my place. I have commanded him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah."

³⁶Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, "So be it! Thus may Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say.

³⁷As Yahweh has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David."

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on the she-mule of King David, and led him to Gihon.

³⁹Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the horn, and all the people said, "May King Solomon live!"

⁴⁰All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great gladness, so that the land split open at their sound.

⁴¹Adonijah and all those summoned who were with him heard it, just as they had finished eating. Joab heard the sound of the horn and said, "Why is the sound of the city in an uproar?"

⁴²While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest came. Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are a man of strength, and you bear good news."

⁴³Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, "Indeed, our lord King David has made Solomon king.

⁴⁴The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have had him ride on the she-mule of the king.

⁴⁵Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, and the city is in a stir. That is the sound that you heard.

⁴⁶Moreover, Solomon has sat on the royal throne.

⁴⁷Also the servants of the king have come to bless our lord King David, saying, 'May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king bowed down on the bed.

⁴⁸And also thus has the king said: 'Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who today has given one who sits on my throne, and my own eyes are seeing it.'"

⁴⁹All those summoned who belonged to Adonijah trembled and rose, and each man went on his way.

⁵⁰Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; he got up, went, and took hold of the horns of the altar.

⁵¹It was told to Solomon, saying, "Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'"

⁵²And Solomon said, "If he proves to be a man of worth, not one of his hairs will fall to the land; but if evil is found in him, he will die."

⁵³Then King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar; he came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house."