The First Book of Kings (WEB)
The First Book of Kings
1:1Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no
heat. 1:2Therefore 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 cherish him; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the
king may keep warm. 1:3So they sought for a beautiful young lady throughout all the borders of
Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 1:4The young lady was
very beautiful; and she cherished the king, and ministered to him; but the king didn't know her
intimately. 1:5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he
prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 1:6His father had not
displeased him at any time in saying, Why have you done so? and he was also a very goodly man;
and he was born after Absalom. 1:7He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar
the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 1:8But 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. 1:9Adonijah killed 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: 1:10but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and
Solomon his brother, he didn't call. 1:11Then Nathan spoke to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon,
saying, Haven't you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns, and David our lord doesn't
know it? 1:12Now therefore come, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life,
and the life of your son Solomon. 1:13Go and get you in to king David, and tell him, Didn't you, my
lord, king, swear to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and
he shall sit on my throne? why then does Adonijah reign? 1:14Behold, while you yet talk there with
the king, I also will come in after you, and confirm your words. 1:15Bath-sheba went in to the king
into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the
king. 1:16Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance to the king. The king said, What would you? 1:17She
said to him, My lord, you swore by Yahweh your God to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly
Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne. 1:18Now, behold, Adonijah
reigns; and you, my lord the king, don't know it: 1:19and he has slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in
abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of
the host; but he hasn't called Solomon your servant. 1:20You, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel
are on you, that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
1:21Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son
Solomon shall be counted offenders. 1:22Behold, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the
prophet came in. 1:23They told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. When he was come in
before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 1:24Nathan said, My
lord, king, have you said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? 1:25For he is
gone down this day, and has slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the
king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and
drinking before him, and say, Long live king Adonijah. 1:26But he hasn't called me, even me your
servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon. 1:27Is
this thing done by my lord the king, and you haven't shown to your servants who should sit on the
throne of my lord the king after him? 1:28Then king David answered, Call to me Bath-sheba. She
came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. 1:29The king swore, and said, As Yahweh
lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 1:30most assuredly as I swore to you by
Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall
sit on my throne in my place; most assuredly so will I do this day. 1:31Then Bath-sheba bowed with
her face to the earth, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live forever.
1:32King David said, Call to me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada. They came before the king. 1:33The king said to them, Take with you the servants of your
lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 1:34and let
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow you the
trumpet, and say, Long live king Solomon. 1:35Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come
and sit on my throne; for he shall be king in my place; and I have appointed him to be prince over
Israel and over Judah. 1:36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen:
Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say so too. 1:37As Yahweh has been with my lord the king,
even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.
1:38So 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 on king David's mule, and
brought him to Gihon. 1:39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed
Solomon. They blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Long live king Solomon. 1:40All the
people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the
earth shook with the sound of them. 1:41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as
they had made an end of eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Why is this
noise of the city being in an uproar? 1:42While he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar
the priest came: and Adonijah said, Come in; for you are a worthy man, and bring good news.
1:43Jonathan answered Adonijah, Most assuredly our lord king David has made Solomon king:
1:44and 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 on the king's
mule; 1:45and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they
are come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you have heard.
1:46Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. 1:47Moreover the king's servants came to bless
our lord king David, saying, Your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and
make his throne greater than your throne: and the king bowed himself on the bed. 1:48Also thus said
the king, Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day,
my eyes even seeing it. 1:49All the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man
his way. 1:50Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the
horns of the altar. 1:51It was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears king Solomon; for,
behold, he has laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me first that
he will not kill his servant with the sword. 1:52Solomon said, If he shall show himself a worthy
man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.
1:53So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and did obeisance to
king Solomon; and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.
World English Bible