1Now king David was old and advanced in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not get warm. 2Therefore his servants said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may get warm. 3So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4And the young woman was very beautiful; and she cared for the king, and ministered to him; but the king did not know her. 5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6And his father had never displeased him at any time by saying, Why have you done so? and he was also a very handsome man; and he was born after Absalom. 7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 9And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he called all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants: 10but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he did not call. 11Then Nathan spoke to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12Now therefore come, let me, please, give you counsel, that you may save your own life, and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in to king David, and say to him, Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then does Adonijah reign? 14Behold, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you, and confirm your words. 15And Bath-sheba went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16And Bath-sheba bowed, and paid homage to the king. And the king said, What do you want? 17And she said to him, My lord, you swore by Yehovah your God to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. 18And now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and you, my lord the king, do not know it: 19and he has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not called. 20And you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. 22And, behold, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he had come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 24And Nathan said, My lord, O king, have you said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? 25For he has gone down this day, and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and say, Long live king Adonijah. 26But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, he has not called. 27Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? 28Then king David answered and said, Call to me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king. 29And the king swore, and said, As Yehovah lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 30truly as I swore to you by Yehovah, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my place; truly so will I do this day. 31Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live forever. 32And king David said, Call to me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 33And the king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow the trumpet, and say, Long live king Solomon. 35Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my place; and I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah. 36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: Yehovah, the God of my lord the king, say so too. 37As Yehovah has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. 38So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Long live king Solomon. 40And all the people came up after him, and the people played on pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth split with the sound of them. 41And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Why is this noise of the city in an uproar? 42While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said, Come in; for you are a worthy man, and bring good news. 43And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Truly our lord king David has made Solomon king: 44and the king has 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; 45and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you have heard. 46And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. 47And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne: and the king bowed himself upon the bed. 48And also the king said this, Blessed be Yehovah, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, my eyes even seeing it. 49And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 50And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears king Solomon; for, behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword. 52And Solomon said, If he shows himself a worthy man, not a hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die. 53So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to king Solomon; and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.