¹⁰ but he did not invite^(A) Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.^(B)

¹¹ Then Nathan asked Bathsheba,^(C) Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah,^(D) the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? ¹² Now then, let me advise^(E) you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³ Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear^(F) to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴ While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”

²² While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. ²³ And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

²⁴ Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? ²⁵ Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ²⁶ But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.^{(A) 27} Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”