¶ Now king David was old¹ and stricken in years²; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought³ for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him,⁴ and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat⁵.

So⁶ they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag⁷ a Shunammite⁸, and brought her to the king.

And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not⁹.

¶ Then Adonijah¹⁰ the son of Haggith exalted¹¹ himself, saying, I will¹² be king¹³: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

And his father had not¹⁴ displeased him at any time¹⁵ in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him¹⁶ after Absalom.

And he conferred¹⁷ with Joab¹⁸ the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar¹⁹ the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him²⁰.

But Zadok²¹ the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan²² the prophet, and Shimei²³, and Rei, and the mighty²⁴ men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

And Adonijah²⁵ slew²⁶ sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel²⁷, and called²⁸ all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:

¶²⁹But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

¶ Wherefore Nathan³⁰ spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah³¹ the son of Haggith³² doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?

Now therefore come, let me,³³ I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save³⁴ thine own life, and the life³⁵ of thy son Solomon.

Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly³⁶ Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit³⁷ upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also³⁸ will come in after thee, and confirm³⁹ thy words.

And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old⁴⁰; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

And Bathsheba bowed⁴¹, and did obeisance unto the king. And the⁴² king said, What wouldest thou⁴³?

And she said unto him, My lord⁴⁴, thou swarest⁴⁵ by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

And now, behold, Adonijah⁴⁶ reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest⁴⁷ it not:

⁴⁸And he hath 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.

¶ And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes⁴⁹ of all Israel are upon thee, that thou⁵⁰ shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep⁵¹ with his fathers, that I⁵² and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders⁵³.

⁵⁴And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.

And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed⁵⁵ himself before the king with his face to the ground.

And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou⁵⁶ said, Adonijah shall reign⁵⁷ after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

For he is gone down this day, and hath slain⁵⁸ 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, God save king Adonijah⁵⁹.

⁶⁰But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.

Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou⁶¹ hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

Then king David answered and said, Call me⁶² Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence⁶³, and stood before the king.

And the king sware, and said, As the⁶⁴ LORD liveth, that hath⁶⁵ redeemed my soul out of all distress,

¶ Even as I sware⁶⁶ 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.

Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence⁶⁷ to the king, and said, Let my⁶⁸ lord king David live for ever.

¶ And king David said, Call me Zadok⁶⁹ the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

The king also said unto them, Take⁷⁰ with you the servants of your lord, and cause⁷¹ Solomon my son to ride⁷² upon mine own mule⁷³, and bring him down to Gihon⁷⁴:

And let Zadok⁷⁵ the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye⁷⁶ with the trumpet, and say, God⁷⁷ save king Solomon.

Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit⁷⁸ upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have⁷⁹ appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen⁸⁰: the LORD⁸¹ God of my lord the king say so too.

As the⁸² LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make⁸³ his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

So Zadok⁸⁴ the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites⁸⁵, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's⁸⁶ mule, and brought him to Gihon.

And Zadok the priest took an horn⁸⁷ of oil out⁸⁸ of the tabernacle, and anointed⁸⁹ Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people⁹⁰ said, God save king Solomon.

¶ And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes⁹¹, and rejoiced⁹² with great joy, so that the earth rent⁹³ with the sound of them.

¶ And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they⁹⁴ had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore⁹⁵ is this noise of the city⁹⁶ being in an uproar?

And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan⁹⁷ the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant⁹⁸ man, and bringest good tidings.

And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily⁹⁹ our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

¹⁰⁰And the 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:

And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon¹⁰¹: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city¹⁰² rang again. This is¹⁰³ the noise that ye have heard.

¹⁰⁴And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

And moreover the king's servants came to bless¹⁰⁵ our lord king David, saying, God¹⁰⁶ make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed¹⁰⁷ himself upon the bed.

And also thus said the king, Blessed¹⁰⁸ be the LORD God of Israel, which¹⁰⁹ hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes¹¹⁰ even seeing it.

¹¹¹And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

¶ And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught¹¹² hold on the horns of the altar.

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.

And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall¹¹³ not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness¹¹⁴ shall be found in him, he shall die.

So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself¹¹⁵ to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to¹¹⁶ thine house.