King David’s Son, Solomon, Rules Instead of Adonijah |
1 Kings 1:1-53 1 Kings [in Smaller Chunks] |
Now, King David was old & stricken in years & could get [warm, even when] they covered him with [cloth blankets]. [Therefore,] his servants said to him, Let [us search] for a young [innocent maiden] to serve & cherish [you] & lie in your [arms,] so [you,] my lord, the king, may get [warmth]. |
They searched for an [attractive maiden] throughout the coasts of Israel & found Abishag, a Shunammite & brought her to the king. She was very [attractive] & cherished the king & [served] him, but king [David wasn’t intimate with] her. |
Then, Adonijah, [David’s 4th] son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king. He prepared chariots, horsemen & 50 men to run [in front] of him. His father, [David,] hadn’t displeased [Adonijah] at any time saying, Why have you done [this]? |
[Adonijah] was a very [handsome] man & his mother [gave birth to] him after Absalom. He [talked] with Joab, [Jeruiah’s] son & with Abiathar, the priest & they [followed] Adonijah [helping] him. |
But Zadok, the priest; Benaiah, [Jehoiada’s] son; Nathan, the prophet; & David’s mighty men: Shimei & Rei, weren’t with Adonijah. |
Adonijah [killed] sheep, oxen & [fattened] cattle by the Stone of Zoheleth [near] Enrogel & called all his [brothers,] the king’s sons & all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. [But] he didn’t call Nathan, the prophet, Benaiah & the mighty men & Solomon, his brother. |
[Therefore,] Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, [Solomon’s] mother, saying Haven’t you heard that Adonijah, [Haggith’s] son [rules] & David, our lord, doesn’t know it? [Therefore] come, I pray [that you] let me give you [advice, so] you may save your life & the life of your son, Solomon. |
Go to king David & say to him, Didn’t you, my lord, O king, swear to [me,] your handmaid, saying, [Certainly,] your son, Solomon shall [rule] after me & he shall sit upon my throne? So why does Adonijah [rule]? |
While you are [still] talking with the king, I will come in after you & confirm your words. Bathsheba went into the [room to see the] king & Abishag [was taking care of] the king, [who] was very old. |
Bathsheba bowed [to honor] the king & [he] said, What [is your wish]? [Bathsheba] said to him, My lord, you swore to [me,] your handmaid, by the Lord your God, saying, [Certainly,] your son, Solomon, shall [rule] after me & he should sit on my throne. |
[Look,] Adonijah [rules & you,] my lord don’t know it. He has [killed lots of:] oxen, sheep & [fattened] cattle & called Abiathar, the priest; Joab, the captain of the [army;] & all the [king’s] sons, but hasn’t called Solomon, your servant. |
The eyes of all Israel are on you, my lord, O king, [so] that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord, the king, after him. Otherwise, it shall [happen] when you [die,] my son, Solomon & I shall be [considered] offenders. |
While she [continued] to talk with king [David,] Nathan, the prophet, also came in. They told the king, [Look,] Nathan, the prophet [is here]. When he [came] in, he bowed [facing the ground in front of] the king. |
Nathan said, My lord, O king, Have you said Adonijah shall [rule] after me & shall sit on my throne? For he has gone down this day & [killed lots of:] oxen, [fattened] cattle & sheep & called all the king’s sons, the captains of the [army] & Abiathar, the priest. |
[See] they eat & drink before him & say, God save the king, Adonijah. But he hasn’t called me, your servant & Zadok, the priest; Benaiah, [Jeoiada’s] son; & your servant, Solomon. |
[Has] this thing [been] done by my lord, the king & you haven’t shown it to [me,] your servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord, the king, after [you]? Then, king David answered, Call Bathsheba [to] me & she came & stood in the king’s presence. |
King [David] swore & said, As the Lord lives, [who] has redeemed by soul out of all distress, I swear to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, [Certainly,] Solomon, your son, shall [rule] after me & shall sit upon my throne in my [place] & I will certainly do so [today]. |
Then, Bathsheba bowed [facing the ground to honor] the king & said, Let my lord, king David, live forever. King David said, Call me Zadok, the priest; Nathan, the prophet & Benaiah, [Jehoiada’s] son & they came before the king. |
Also, the king said to them, Take [my] servant with you & [have] Solomon, my son, ride upon my own mule & bring him down to Gihon & let Zadok, the priest & Nathan, the prophet, anoint [Solomon] there [as] king over Israel. |
[Then,] blow the trumpet & say, God save king Solomon.Then, you shall [follow] him, [so] he may come & sit upon my throne; for [Solomon] shall be king in my [place]. I have appointed him to be [the] ruler over Israel & Judah. |
Benaiah, [Jehoiada’s] son, answered the king & said, Amen: the Lord God of my lord, the king, [says] so, too. As the Lord [God] has been with my lord, the king, He [shall also] be with Solomon & make his throne greater than the throne of my lord, king David. |
So, Zadok, the priest, Nathan, the prophet & Benaiah, [Jehoiada’s] son, the Cherethites & the Pelethites went down & [had] Solomon ride upon king David’s mule & brought him to Gihon. |
Zadok, the priest, took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle & anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet & all the people said, God save king Solomon. All the people [went] up after [Solomon] & [played] pipes & rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth [was split] with the sound of them. |
Adonijah & all the guests with him heard it [when they finished] eating. When Joab heard the trumpet, he said, [Why] is [there a noisy] uproar in the city? While he [still] spoke [he could see] Jonathan, [Abiathar’s] son, the priest, came. |
Adonijah said to him, Come in & bring good [news], for you are a valiant man. Jonathan answered Adonijah & said, Our lord, king David, has made Solomon king. |
The king has sent with him Zadok, the priest, Nathan, the prophet, Benaiah, [Jehoiada’s] son, the Cherethites & the Pelethites & they have [had] him ride on the king’s mule. |
Zadok, the priest, & Nathan, the prophet, anointed [Solomon] king in Gihon & they [came] up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is that noise you heard. |
Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom & the king’s servants came to bless our lord, king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than your name & make his throne greater than your throne. |
King David bowed [while] on the bed & said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, [who] has given [me someone] to sit on my throne today & to see it with my [own] eyes. All Adonijah’s guests were afraid & rose up & went his own way. |
Adonijah was [afraid,] because of Solomon & arose & went & [grabbed] hold of the horns of the altar. Solomon was told, [See,] Adonijah is [fearful of] Solomon, so he has [grabbed hold] of the horns on the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me today that he won’t [kill me,] his servant, with a sword. |
Solomon said, If [Adonijah shows] he’s a worthy man, not a hair of [his head will] fall to the [ground]. But if wickedness is found in him, he shall die. |
So, Solomon sent & [had Adonijah] brought down from the altar. Adonijah bowed himself to king Solomon & Solomon said, Go to your house. |