Adonijah Tries to Become King

1 At this time King David was ·very old [^Lold and advanced in years], and although his servants covered him with ·blankets [bedclothes], he could not keep warm. ² They said to him, “·We will look for [Let us find] a young woman to ·care for you [^Lserve/wait on my lord the king]. She will lie ·close to you [^Lin your bosom] and keep you warm.” ³ After searching everywhere in Israel for a beautiful young woman, they found a girl named Abishag from Shunam and brought her to the king. ⁴ The girl was very beautiful, and she cared for the king and served him. But the king did not have sexual relations with her.

⁵ Adonijah was the son of King David and Haggith, and he ·was very proud [began boasting; ^Lexalted himself]. “I will be the king,” he said. So he got chariots and ·horses [or horsemen; charioteers] for himself and fifty men ·for his personal bodyguard [^Lto run ahead of him]. ⁶ Now David had never ·interfered with [disciplined; crossed; rebuked] Adonijah by ·questioning what he did [^Lasking, “Why are you doing that?”]. Born next after Absalom, Adonijah was a very handsome man.

⁷ Adonijah ·spoke [conferred] with Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest, and they agreed to ·help [support] him. ⁸ But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and King David’s ·special guard [^Lmighty men] did not join Adonijah.

⁹ Then Adonijah killed some sheep, ·cows [oxen], and fat calves for sacrifices at the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the other sons of King David, to come, as well as all the men of Judah. ¹⁰ But Adonijah did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, ·his father’s special guard [^Lthe mighty men], or his brother Solomon.

¹¹ When Nathan heard about this, he went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you heard that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, has ·made himself [become] king?” Nathan asked. “Our ·real king, [lord] David, does not know it. ¹² Now I will give you advice on how to save yourself and your son Solomon. ¹³ Go to King David and tell him, ‘My master and king, ·you promised [^Ldidn’t you promise/vow/swear…?] that my son Solomon would be king and would rule on your throne after you. Why then has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴ While you are still talking to the king, I will come in and ·tell him that what you have said about Adonijah is true [confirm your words].”

¹⁵ So Bathsheba went in to see the aged king in his bedroom, where Abishag, the girl from Shunam, was caring for him. ¹⁶ Bathsheba bowed and knelt before the king. He asked, “What do you ·want [wish]?”

¹⁷ She answered, “My master, you ·made a promise [vowed; swore] to me in the name of the Lord your God. You said, ‘Your son Solomon will surely become king after me, and he will ·rule [sit] on my throne.’ ¹⁸ But now, unknown to you, Adonijah ·has become [is] king. ¹⁹ He has killed many ·cows [oxen], fat calves, and sheep for sacrifices. And he has invited all your sons, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite Solomon, who serves you. ²⁰ My master and king, ·all the Israelites are watching you [^Lthe eyes of Israel are on you], waiting for you to decide who will ·be [^Lsit on the throne of my lord the] king after you. ²¹ Otherwise, as soon as ·you die [^Lmy lord the king sleeps with his fathers/ancestors], Solomon and I will be treated as ·criminals [offenders].”

²² While Bathsheba was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. ²³ The servants told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So Nathan went to the king and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before him.

²⁴ Nathan said, “My ·master and [lord the] king, have you ·said [decreed] that Adonijah will be the king after you and that he will ·rule [sit] on your throne? ²⁵ Today he has sacrificed many ·cows [oxen], fat calves, and sheep, and he has invited all ·your other [the king’s] sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him. They are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ²⁶ But he did not invite me, your own servant, or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your ·son [^Lservant] Solomon. ²⁷ Did ·you [the lord my king] do this? Since we are your servants, why didn’t you tell us who should ·be [^Lsit on the throne of the lord my] king after you?”

David Makes Solomon King

²⁸ Then the king said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in!” So she came in and stood before the king.

²⁹ Then the king ·made this promise [vowed; swore this oath], “The Lord has ·saved [rescued; delivered] me from all ·trouble [adversity; danger; distress]. As surely as he lives, ³⁰ I will do today what I have ·promised [vowed/sworn to] you ·in the name of [by] the Lord, the God of Israel. I ·promised [vowed/swore to] that your son Solomon would be king after me and ·rule [sit] on my throne in my place.”

³¹ Then Bathsheba ·bowed facedown [prostrated herself] on the ground and knelt before the king and said, “·Long live [Live forever] my ·master [lord] King David!”

³² Then King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to come in.” When they came before the king, ³³ he said to them, “Take my servants with you and put my son Solomon on my own mule. Take him down to ·the spring called Gihon [Gihon]. ³⁴ There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet should ·pour olive oil on [^Lanoint] him and make him king over Israel. Blow the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵ Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and ·rule [be king] in my place, because he is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to be the ruler over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶ Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “·Amen [So be it]! This is what the Lord, the God of my ·master [lord], has ·declared [decreed; ordained]! ³⁷ The Lord has always ·helped [been with] you, our king. May he also ·help [be with] Solomon and make King Solomon’s throne an even greater throne than ·yours [^Lthe throne of my lord King David].”

³⁸ So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada left with the Kerethites and Pelethites [^Cking’s bodyguard]. They put Solomon on King David’s mule and took him to the spring called Gihon. ³⁹ Zadok the priest took the ·container [flask; horn] of olive oil from the ·Holy Tent [sacred tent; ^Ltent] and ·poured the oil on Solomon’s head to show he was the king [^Lanointed Solomon]. Then they blew the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰ All the people followed Solomon into the city. Playing flutes and ·shouting for joy [^Lrejoicing with great joy], they made so much noise the ·ground [earth] shook.

⁴¹ At this time Adonijah and all the guests with him ·were [heard it while] finishing their meal. When he heard the sound from the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], Joab asked, “·What does all that noise from the city mean [Why is the city in such an uproar]?”

⁴² While Joab was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in! You are an ·important [worthy; honest; valiant] man, so you must be bringing good news.”

⁴³ But Jonathan answered, “No! Our master King David has made Solomon the new king. ⁴⁴ King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the Kerethites and Pelethites [^Cking’s bodyguard] with him, and they have put Solomon on the king’s own mule. ⁴⁵ Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet ·poured olive oil on [^Lanointed] Solomon at Gihon to make him king. After that they went into the city, shouting with joy. Now the whole city is ·excited [celebrating; in an uproar], and that is the noise you hear. ⁴⁶ Solomon has now ·become the king [^Ltaken his seat on the royal throne]. ⁴⁷ All the ·king’s officers [royal officials/servants] have come to ·tell King David that he has done a good thing [congratulate/bless our lord King David]. They are saying, ‘May your God make ·Solomon [^LSolomon’s name] even more famous than ·you [^Lyour name] and ·an even greater king than you [^Lhis throne/reign greater than your throne/reign].’” Jonathan continued, “And King David bowed down on his ·bed to worship God [bed], ⁴⁸ saying, ‘Bless the Lord, the God of Israel. Today he has ·made one of my sons the king [^Lgranted one to sit on my throne] and allowed me to see it.’”

⁴⁹ Then all of Adonijah’s guests were ·afraid [terrified; panicked], and they left quickly and scattered. ⁵⁰ Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went and took hold of the ·corners [^Lhorns; Ex. 27:2] of the altar [^Cin hopes that he would not be killed in a sacred place]. ⁵¹ Then someone told Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you, so he is at the altar, holding on to its ·corners [^Lhorns]. He says, ‘Tell King Solomon to promise me today that he will not ·kill me [^Lput his servant to death with the sword].’”

⁵² So Solomon answered, “·Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise [If he is loyal/honorable/worthy,] he will not lose even a single hair from his head. But if ·he does anything wrong [he makes trouble; ^Levil is found in him], he will die.” ⁵³ Then King Solomon sent some men to get Adonijah. When he was brought from the altar, he came before King Solomon and ·bowed down [prostrated himself]. Solomon told him, “Go home.”

The Death of David^(A)

2 ·Since it was almost time [As the time approached] for David to die, he gave ·his son Solomon his last commands [this charge to Solomon]. ² David said, “·My time to die is near [^LI am going the way of all the earth]. Be ·a good and strong leader [^Lstrong and show yourself a man]. ³ ·Obey [Observe the injunctions/requirements of] the Lord your God. ·Follow him [Walk in his ways] by obeying his demands, his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements], his laws, and his ·rules [regulations] that are written in the ·teachings [Law; ^LTorah] of Moses. If you do these things, you will ·be successful [prosper] in all you do and wherever you ·go [turn]. ⁴ And if you obey the Lord, he will ·keep the promise he made to [fulfill the word he spoke concerning] me. He said: ‘If your descendants ·live as I tell them [^Lare careful of their way] and ·have complete faith in me [^Lwalk in truth/faith before me], ·a man from your family will always be king over the people [^Lthey will never fail to have a man on the throne] of Israel.’

⁵ “Also, you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the two commanders of Israel’s armies: Abner son of Ner [2 Sam. 3:22–39] and Amasa son of Jether [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. ·He did this as if he and they were at war, although it was a time of peace [or…retaliating in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war]. He ·put their blood on [stained with their blood] the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. ⁶ ·Punish him in [^LAct] the way you think is wisest, but do not let him ·die peacefully of old age [go to Sheol/the grave in peace; ^Cthe place of the dead].

⁷ “·Be kind [Show love] to the children of Barzillai of Gilead, and allow them to eat at your table. They ·welcomed [cared for; stood by] me when I ·ran away [fled] from your brother Absalom.

⁸ “And remember, Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, is here with you. He cursed ·me [^Lme violently/with a terrible curse] the day I went to Mahanaim [2 Sam. 16:5–19]. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I ·promised [vowed/swore to] him before the Lord, ‘Shimei, I will not ·kill you [^Lput you to death by the sword; 2 Sam 19:16–23].’ ⁹ But you should not ·leave him unpunished [consider him innocent/guiltless]. You are a wise man, and you will know what to do to him, ·but you must be sure he is killed [^Land will bring his bloody gray head to Sheol/the grave; 2:6].”

¹⁰ Then David ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David [^CJerusalem]. ¹¹ He had ·ruled [reigned] over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

¹² Solomon ·became king after [^Lsat on the throne of] David, his father, and ·he was in firm control of [firmly established] his ·kingdom [rule].

Solomon’s Reign Begins

¹³ At this time Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Do you come in peace?” Bathsheba asked.

“Yes, ·this is a peaceful visit [^Lin peace],” Adonijah answered. ¹⁴ “I have something to say to you.”

“You may speak,” she said.

¹⁵ “You ·remember [know] that at one time the kingdom was mine,” Adonijah said. “All the people of Israel ·recognized [wanted; looked to; expected] me as their king, but ·things have changed [^Lthe kingdom has turned]. Now my brother is the king, because ·the Lord chose him [^Lit was his from the Lord]. ¹⁶ Now I have one ·thing [request; favor] to ask you; please do not refuse me.”

Bathsheba answered, “What do you want?”

¹⁷ “I know King Solomon will ·do anything you ask him [not refuse you],” Adonijah continued. “Please ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite [1 Kin. 1:3–4] to be my wife.”

¹⁸ “Very well,” she answered. “I will speak to the king for you.”

¹⁹ So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. When Solomon saw her, he stood up to meet her, then bowed down, and sat on the throne. He told some servants to bring another throne for his mother. Then she sat down at his right ·side [hand].

²⁰ Bathsheba said, “I have one small thing to ask you. Please do not ·refuse me [turn me down].”

“Ask, mother,” the king answered. “I will not ·refuse you [turn you down].”

²¹ So she said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to ·marry [be given to] your brother Adonijah.”

²² King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask me to give him Abishag? ·Why don’t you also [You may as well] ask for him to become the king since he is my older brother? Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah ·would support him [are on his side]!”

²³ Then King Solomon ·swore [vowed; promised] by the name of the Lord, saying, “May God ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; ^Ldo to me, and even more] if ·this doesn’t cost Adonijah [Adonijah doesn’t pay for this request/word with] his life! ²⁴ By the Lord who has ·given me [established/confirmed me on] the throne that belonged to my father David and who has kept his promise and ·given the kingdom to me and my people [established my dynasty; ^Lmade me a house; 2 Sam. 7], Adonijah will die today!” ²⁵ Then King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went and ·killed [struck down] Adonijah.

²⁶ King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “·I should kill you too [You deserve to die], but ·I will allow you to go back [go] to your fields in Anathoth. I will not kill you at this time, because you helped carry the Ark of the Lord God ·while marching with [for; before] my father David. And I know you shared in all the hard times with him.” ²⁷ Then Solomon ·removed [dismissed; banished] Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest. ·This happened as the Lord had said it would […in order to fulfill the word of the Lord], when he was speaking in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his ·descendants [^Lhouse; 1 Sam. 2:34–36].

²⁸ When Joab heard about what had happened, he was afraid. He had supported Adonijah but not Absalom. So Joab ·ran [fled] to the Tent of the Lord [^Cin which the Ark was kept] and took hold of the ·corners [horns; 1:50] of the altar. ²⁹ Someone told King Solomon that Joab had run to the Tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah to go and kill him.

³⁰ Benaiah went into the Tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’”

But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.”

So Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said. ³¹ Then the king ordered Benaiah, “Do as he says! Kill him there and bury him. Then my ·family [^Lfather’s house] and I will ·be free of the guilt of Joab, who has killed innocent people [^Lhave taken away the blood Joab shed without cause]. ³² Without my father knowing it, he killed two men who were ·much [more righteous and] better than he was—Abner son of Ner, the commander of Israel’s army [2 Sam. 3:22–39], and Amasa son of Jether, the commander of Judah’s army [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. So the Lord will ·pay him back [^Lbring his blood on his own head] for those deaths. ³³ Joab and his ·family [descendants] will ·be forever guilty for their deaths [^Lhave their blood on their heads forever], but there will be peace from the Lord for David, his descendants, his ·family [^Lhouse], and his throne forever.”

³⁴ So Benaiah son of Jehoiada killed Joab, and he was buried near his home in the ·desert [wilderness]. ³⁵ The king then ·made [appointed] Benaiah son of Jehoiada commander of the army in Joab’s place. He also ·made [appointed] Zadok the new high priest in Abiathar’s place.

³⁶ Next the king sent for Shimei. Solomon said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Don’t leave the city. ³⁷ The very day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley [^Cbordering Jerusalem], ·someone will kill you [^Lyou will surely die], and ·it will be your own fault [^Lyour blood will be on your own head].”

³⁸ So Shimei answered the king, “·I agree with what you say [Your sentence/demand/word is fair]. I will do what you say, my master and king.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem ·for a long time [^Lmany days].

³⁹ But three years later two of Shimei’s ·slaves [servants] ran away to Achish king of Gath, who was the son of Maacah. Shimei heard that his ·slaves [servants] were in Gath, ⁴⁰ so he put his saddle on his donkey and went to Achish at Gath to find them. Then he brought them back from Gath.

⁴¹ Someone told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. ⁴² So Solomon sent for Shimei and said, “I made you ·promise [vow; swear] in the name of the Lord not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you ·if you went out anywhere you would [^Lthat on the day you left you would surely] die, and you ·agreed to what I said [said, “The sentence/demand/word is fair”]. ⁴³ Why did you break your ·promise [vow; oath] to the Lord and disobey my command?” ⁴⁴ The king also said, “You know the ·many wrong [evil; wicked] things you did to my father David, so now the Lord will ·punish you for those wrongs [^Lreturn your evil on your own head]. ⁴⁵ But the Lord will bless ·me [^LKing Solomon] and ·make the rule of David safe [establish/secure the throne of David] before the Lord forever.”

⁴⁶ Then the king ordered Benaiah to kill Shimei, and he did. Now ·Solomon was in full control of his kingdom [^Lthe kingdom was established/secured in Solomon’s hands].