1 Kings 1:5-18

Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King

5Now ^aAdonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” ^bAnd he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, ^cand he was born next after Absalom. 7He conferred with ^dJoab the son of Zeruiah and with ^eAbiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8But ^fZadok the priest and ^gBenaiah the son of Jehoiada and ^hNathan the prophet and ⁱShimei and Rei and ^jDavid’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.

9Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside ^kEn-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or ^lSolomon his brother.

Nathan and Bathsheba Before David

11Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that ^mAdonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? 12Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, ⁿ“Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ 14Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm ▼

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your words.”

15So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). 16Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” 17She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ^p‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it.

1 Kings 2:13-25

Solomon’s Reign Established

13Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, ^q“Do you come peacefully?” He said, “Peacefully.” 14Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Speak.” 15He said, “You know that ^rthe kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, ^sfor it was his from the Lord. 16And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Speak.” 17And he said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me ^tAbishag the Shunammite as my wife.” 18Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.”

19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother, ^uand she sat on his right. 20Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” 21She said, “Let ^vAbishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.” 22King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask ^wAbishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, ^xfor he is my older brother, and on his side ^yare Abiathar ▼

▼Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew  and for him and for Abiathar

the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” 23Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, ^aa“God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! 24Now therefore ^abas the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, ^acas he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25So King Solomon sent ^adBenaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.