1 Kings - Chapter 1

Passage

Now king David was old, and advanced in years: and when he was covered with clothes he was not warm. His servants therefore, said to him: Let us seek for our Lord the king, a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him, and sleep in his bosom and warm our lord the king. So they sought a beautiful young woman, in all the coasts of Israel and they found Abisag, a Sunamitess, and brought her to the king. And the girl was exceedingly beautiful, and she slept with the king, and served him, but the king did not know her. And Adonias, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying: I will be king. And he made himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. Neither did his father rebuke him at any time, saying: Why have you done this? And he also was very beautiful, the next in birth after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab, the son of Sarvia, and with Abiathar, the priest, who furthered Adonias's side. But Sadoc, the priest, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and Nathan, the prophet, and Semei, and Rei, and the strength of David's army, was not with Adonias. And Adonias having slain rams and calves, and all fat cattle, by the stone of Zoheleth, which was near the fountain Rogel, invited all his brethren, the king's sons, and all the men of Juda, the king's servants: But Nathan, the prophet, and Banaias, and all the valiant men, and Solomon, his brother, he invited not. And Nathan said to Bethsabee, the mother of Solomon: Have you not heard that Adonias, the son of Haggith, reigns, and our lord David knows it not? Now then, come, take my counsel, and save your life, and the life of your son Solomon. Go, and get you in to king David, and say to him: Did not you, my lord, O king, swear to me, your handmaid, saying: Solomon, your son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then does Adonias reign? And while you are yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after you, and will fill up your words. So Bethsabee went in to the king into the chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abisag, the Sunamitess, ministered to him. Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is your will? She answered, and said: My lord, you did swear to your handmaid, by the Lord your God, saying: Solomon, your son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne. And behold, now Adonias reigns, and you, my lord the king, know nothing of it. He has killed oxen, and all fat cattle, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the general of the army: but Solomon, your servant, he invited not. And now, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, that you should tell them, who shall sit on your throne, my lord the king, after you. Otherwise it shall happen, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I, and my son, Solomon, shall be accounted offenders. As she was yet speaking with the king, Nathan, the prophet, came. And they told the king, saying: Nathan, the prophet, is here. And when he was come in before the king, and had worshipped, bowing down to the ground, Nathan said: My lord, O king, have you said: Let Adonias reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne? Because he is gone down to day, and has killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest: and they are eating and drinking before him, and saying: God save king Adonias: But me, your servant, and Sadoc, the priest, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and Solomon, your servant, he has not invited. Is this word come out from my lord the king, and have you not told me, your servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? And king David answered, and said: Call to me Bethsabee. And when she was come in to the king, and stood before him, The king swore, and said: As the Lord lives, who has delivered my soul out of all distress, Even as I swore to you, by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: Solomon your son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day. And Bethsabee, bowing with her face to the earth, worshipped the king, saying: May my lord David live for ever. King David also said: Call me Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Banaias, the son of Joiada. And when they were come in before the king, He said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, and set my son Solomon upon my mule: and bring him to Gihon: And let Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, anoint him there king over Israel: and you shall sound the trumpet, and shall say: God save king Solomon. And you shall come up after him, and he shall come, and shall sit upon my throne, and he shall reign in my stead: and I will appoint him to be ruler over Israel, and over Juda. And Banaias, the son of Joiada, answered the king, saying: Amen: so say the Lord, the God of my lord the king. As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so be he with Solomon, and make his throne higher than the throne of my lord king David. So Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, went down, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi: and they set Solomon upon the mule of king David, and brought him to Gihon. And Sadoc, the priest, took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon: and they sounded the trumpet, and all the people said: God save king Solomon. And all the multitude went up after him, and the people played with pipes, and rejoiced with a great joy, and the earth rang with the noise of their cry. And Adonias, and all that were invited by him, heard it, and now the feast was at an end. Joab also, hearing the sound of the trumpet, said: What means this noise of the city in an uproar? While he yet spoke, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, the priest, came: and Adonias said to him: Come in, because you are a valiant man, and bring good news. And Jonathan answered Adonias: Not so: for our lord, king David, has appointed Solomon king; And has sent with him Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and they have set him upon the king's mule: And Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, have anointed him king, in Gihon: and they are gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again: this is the noise that you have heard. Moreover, Solomon sits upon the throne of the kingdom. And the king's servants going in, have blessed our lord king David, saying: May God make the name of Solomon greater than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne. And the king adored in his bed: And he said: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has given this day one to sit on my throne, my eyes seeing it. Then all the guests of Adonias were afraid, and they all arose, and every man went his way. And Adonias fearing Solomon, arose and went, and took hold of the horn of the altar. And they told Solomon, saying: Behold Adonias fearing king Solomon, has taken hold of the horn of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not kill his servant with the sword. And Solomon said: If he be a good man, there shall not so much as one hair of his head fall to the ground: but if evil be found in him, he shall die. Then king Solomon sent, and brought him out from the altar: and going in, he worshipped king Solomon: and Solomon said to him: Go to your house.