1 Now King David had grown old and was far on in days. They would cover him with garments, yet he could not keep warm.
2 His servants said to him, "Let them look for a young woman, a virgin, for my lord the king. She will wait on the king and be a nurse to him, and she will lie in your bosom, and my lord the king will be warm."
3 So they looked for a beautiful young woman through all the borders of Israel, found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 The girl was exceedingly beautiful; she became a nurse to the king and ministered to him, but the king had no relations with her.
5 Meanwhile Adonijah son of Haggith kept putting himself forward, saying, "I am the one who will be king." He got himself a chariot and horsemen, with fifty men running ahead of him.
6 In all his days his father had never troubled him by asking, "Why have you acted like this?" He was also very fine-looking, and he had been born next after Absalom.
7 He held talks with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed Adonijah and lent him their help.
8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David did not side with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah offered sacrifices of sheep, cattle and fatlings at the stone of Zoheleth, which lies next to En-rogel. He invited all his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah who served the king.
10 Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men and his brother Solomon, however, he left uninvited.
11 Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother: "Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has made himself king, and our lord David knows nothing of it?
12 So come now, let me counsel you, so that you can save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
13 Go, go in to King David and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, "Solomon your son will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Then why has Adonijah become king?'
14 And look, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in behind you and fill out your words."
15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in his room. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending him.
16 Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. The king said, "What is it you want?"
17 She answered him, "My lord, you yourself swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God: 'Solomon your son will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.'
18 Now, though, Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, are unaware of it.
19 He has sacrificed oxen, fatlings and sheep in great numbers and has invited all the king's sons, along with Abiathar the priest and Joab the army commander, but your servant Solomon he did not invite.
20 As for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, waiting for you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21 Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king lies down with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be treated as offenders."
22 And look, she was still talking with the king when Nathan the prophet came in.
23 The king was told, "Here is Nathan the prophet." He came before the king and bowed down to him, face to the ground.
24 Nathan said, "My lord the king, did you yourself say, 'Adonijah will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne'?
25 For today he went down and sacrificed oxen, fatlings and sheep in great numbers, and he invited all the king's sons, the army commanders and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking in his presence and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!'
26 But me, your servant, he did not invite, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor Solomon your servant.
27 Has this matter come from my lord the king without your letting your servants know who is to sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"
28 King David answered, "Call Bathsheba for me." She came in before the king and stood in his presence.
29 Then the king took an oath: "As the LORD lives, who has rescued my life from every trouble,
30 just as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Solomon your son will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne in my stead,' so I will carry it out this very day."
31 Bathsheba bowed low, face to the ground, and knelt before the king, saying, "Let my lord King David live forever!"
32 Then King David said, "Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me." And they came in before the king.
33 The king told them, "Take your lord's servants with you. Set my son Solomon on my own mule and take him down to Gihon.
34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Sound the trumpet and say, 'Long live King Solomon!'
35 Then come up behind him, and he is to come in and sit on my throne. He will be king in my stead, for I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah."
36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! So may the LORD, the God of my lord the king, declare it.
37 Just as the LORD was with my lord the king, may he be with Solomon, and may he make his throne greater still than the throne of my lord King David."
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down. They mounted Solomon on King David's mule and led him to Gihon.
39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. They sounded the trumpet, and the whole people cried, "Long live King Solomon!"
40 All the people went up behind him, piping on pipes and rejoicing so greatly that the ground split apart at their noise.
41 Adonijah and all the guests with him heard it just as they had finished their meal. When Joab heard the trumpet's sound, he said, "What is this noise of a city in commotion?"
42 He was still speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest came. Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are a man of worth, and you are bringing good news."
43 Jonathan answered Adonijah, "No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king.
44 The king sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites and the Pelethites with him, and they mounted him on the king's mule.
45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king in Gihon, and from there they came up rejoicing, and the city is in commotion. That is the noise you heard.
46 What is more, Solomon has sat down on the throne of the kingdom.
47 The king's servants also came to bless our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make Solomon's name better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!' And the king bowed down on his bed.
48 And the king spoke thus: 'Blessed is the LORD, the God of Israel, who has today given one to sit on my throne, and my eyes are seeing it.'"
49 At that all Adonijah's guests were seized with trembling; they got up and each man went off on his way.
50 Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went and grasped the horns of the altar.
51 Solomon received word: "Adonijah fears King Solomon. He has grasped the horns of the altar and says, 'Let King Solomon first swear to me that he will not kill his servant with the sword.'"
52 Solomon said, "If he shows himself a man of worth, not a hair of his will fall to the earth. But if evil is found in him, he will die."
53 King Solomon sent men, who brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed before King Solomon, and Solomon told him, "Go home."