| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1King David was very old; even when they covered him with blankets, he could not get warm. | 1When David had grown very old, they covered him with blankets, but he could not keep warm, |
| 2His servants advised him, "A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, to take care of the king's needs and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you and keep our master, the king, warm." | 2so his servants suggested to him, "Let's look for a young virgin woman to take care of you, your majesty. She will be of use to you if you have her lie down near you so that your majesty may keep warm." |
| 3So they looked through all Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. | 3So they conducted a search throughout the territory of Israel for a beautiful young woman, and Abishag the Shunammite was located and brought to the king. |
| 4The young woman was very beautiful; she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her. | 4The young woman was absolutely beautiful. She served the king and was very useful to him. The king was not sexually involved with her. |
| 5Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, was promoting himself, boasting, "I will be king!" He managed to acquire chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. | 5Meanwhile, about this time Haggith's son Adonijah began to seek a reputation for himself and decided, "I'm going to be king!" So he prepared chariots, cavalry, and 50 soldiers to serve as a security detail to guard him. |
| 6(Now his father had never corrected him by saying, "Why do you do such things?" He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.) | 6His father had never challenged him at any time during his life by asking him, "Why are you acting like this?" Adonijah was very handsome and had been born after Absalom. |
| 7He collaborated with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported him. | 7He had the support of Zeruiah's son Joab and of Abiathar the priest, who followed Adonijah and assisted him, |
| 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's elite warriors did not ally themselves with Adonijah. | 8but Zadok the priest, Jehoiada's son Benaiah, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's personal elite forces would have nothing to do with Adonijah. |
| 9Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, as well as all the men of Judah, the king's servants. | 9Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the Serpent Stone near En-rogel, inviting all of his relatives, the king's sons, and all of the men of Judah who worked for the king, |
| 10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, or his brother Solomon. | 10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, David's personal elite forces, or his brother Solomon. |
| 11Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Has it been reported to you that Haggith's son Adonijah has become king behind our master David's back? | 11"Haven't you heard?" Nathan asked Solomon's mother Bathsheba. "Haggith's son Adonijah has become king and David, our true king, isn't aware of it. |
| 12Now let me give you some advice as to how you can save your life and your son Solomon's life. | 12If you listen to me, you'll save your life and the life of your son Solomon. |
| 13Visit King David and say to him, 'My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise your servant, "Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne"? So why has Adonijah become king?' | 13Go right now to King David and ask him, 'Your majesty, you promised your servant that "Your son Solomon will certainly become king after me and will sit on my throne," didn't you? So why has Adonijah become king?' |
| 14While you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive and verify your report." | 14Then, while you are still talking to the king, I'll come in after you and verify your statement." |
| 15So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) | 15So Bathsheba went to the king in his private room. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him. |
| 16Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before the king. The king said, "What do you want?" | 16Bathsheba knelt and bowed down to the king, and the king asked her, "What do you wish?" |
| 17She replied to him, "My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the LORD your God, 'Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.' | 17"Your majesty," she replied, "you promised your servant in the name of the LORD your God, 'Your son Solomon will certainly become king after me and will sit on my throne.' |
| 18But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, my master the king, are not even aware of it! | 18Now look, Adonijah has become king, and your majesty is not aware of it. |
| 19He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. | 19Adonijah has sacrificed myriads of oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep, and he has invited all of the king's sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. |
| 20Now, my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. | 20And as for you, your majesty, everyone in Israel is looking to you to tell them who will sit on your majesty's throne after you. |
| 21If a decision is not made, when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be considered state criminals." | 21Otherwise, as soon as your majesty is laid to rest with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be branded as traitors." |
| 22Just then, while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. | 22While she was still talking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. |
| 23The king was told, "Nathan the prophet is here." Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor. | 23They informed the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." When he had been ushered into the presence of the king, Nathan bowed low in front of the king with his face to the ground |
| 24Nathan said, "My master, O king, did you announce, 'Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne'? | 24and asked, "Your majesty, did you say 'Adonijah will be king after me and will sit on my throne'? |
| 25For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king's sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment they are having a feast in his presence, and they have declared, 'Long live King Adonijah!' | 25Well now, he went down today and sacrificed lots of oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep, and has invited all the king's sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. They're having a party together and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!' |
| 26But he did not invite me--your servant--or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. | 26Of course, he never invited me, Zadok the priest, Jehoiada's son Benaiah, nor your servant Solomon. |
| 27Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants who should succeed my master the king on his throne?" | 27Were you behind this, your majesty, without letting your servants know who would sit on your majesty's throne after him?" |
| 28King David responded, "Summon Bathsheba!" She came and stood before the king. | 28"Call Bathsheba for me," King David replied. So she came in and stood in front of the king. |
| 29The king swore an oath: "As certainly as the LORD lives (he who has rescued me from every danger), | 29"As the LORD lives," the king said with an oath, "who has redeemed me from all sorts of troubles, |
| 30I will keep today the oath I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel: 'Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.'" | 30I certainly did tell you in the name of the LORD God of Israel, 'Your son Solomon will be king after me and will sit on my throne in my place.' I'm certainly going to make this happen today!" |
| 31Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor and said, "May my master, King David, live forever!" | 31"King David," Bathsheba said as she bowed low in front of the king with her face to the ground, "your majesty, may you live forever." |
| 32King David said, "Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." They came before the king, | 32"Get me Zadok the priest," King David said, "along with Nathan the prophet, and Jehoiada's son Benaiah." So they were ushered into the king's presence |
| 33and he told them, "Take your master's servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. | 33and David addressed them. "Take your lord's servants, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. |
| 34There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, 'Long live King Solomon!' | 34Have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel. Then sound a trumpet and declare 'Long live King Solomon!' |
| 35Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah." | 35After this, you are to follow him back here, and he is to come and sit on my throne and take my place as king, because I've appointed him to be Commander-in-Chief over Israel and Judah." |
| 36Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded to the king: "So be it! May the LORD God of my master the king confirm it! | 36"Amen!" replied Jehoiada's son Benaiah to the king. "May the LORD God of your majesty make this happen! |
| 37As the LORD is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!" | 37As the LORD has been with your majesty the king, so may he be with Solomon. May he make his throne greater than the throne of your majesty, King David." |
| 38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites went down, put Solomon on King David's mule, and led him to Gihon. | 38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Jehoiada's son Benaiah, the special forces and mercenaries went out and had Solomon ride the king's mule all the way to Gihon. |
| 39Zadok the priest took a horn filled with olive oil from the tent and poured it on Solomon; the trumpet was blown and all the people declared, "Long live King Solomon!" | 39Zadok the priest brought from his tent a horn filled with oil and anointed Solomon, a trumpet was sounded, and everybody yelled out, "Long live King Solomon!" |
| 40All the people followed him up, playing flutes and celebrating so loudly they made the ground shake. | 40All the people followed after him, playing on wind pipes and so full of joy that the earth shook because of all the noise! |
| 41Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, "Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city?" | 41Right about then, Adonijah and all of his guests were just finishing their meal when they heard all the noise. "Why is the city in such an uproar?" Joab asked as he heard the trumpet sounds. |
| 42As he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in, for an important man like you must be bringing good news." | 42While he was still asking that question, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest arrived, so Adonijah told him, "Come on in, since you're a worthy man and are bringing us good news!" |
| 43Jonathan replied to Adonijah: "No! Our master King David has made Solomon king. | 43"No," Jonathan answered. "Our lord King David has installed Solomon as king. |
| 44The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the king's mule. | 44The king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Jehoiada's son Benaiah, the special forces and mercenaries, along with Solomon, who is riding the king's personal mule. |
| 45Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king in Gihon. They went up from there rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you hear. | 45Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him in Gihon, and they just left from there rejoicing, and that's why the city is all in an uproar. That's the noise that you've been hearing! |
| 46Furthermore, Solomon has assumed the royal throne. | 46Solomon now sits on the royal throne. |
| 47The king's servants have even come to congratulate our master King David, saying, 'May your God make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you!' Then the king leaned on the bed | 47In addition to all of this, the king's servants have come along to congratulate our lord King David. They've been telling David 'May your God make Solomon's reputation even more famous than yours, and may he make his throne greater than yours!' The king has himself bowed in worship on his own bed |
| 48and said this: 'The LORD God of Israel is worthy of praise because today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it.'" | 48and said 'Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has provided someone to sit on my throne today. I've seen it with my own eyes!'" |
| 49All of Adonijah's guests panicked; they jumped up and rushed off their separate ways. | 49Terrified, all of Adonijah's guests jumped up and ran away. |
| 50Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. | 50Afraid of Solomon, Adonijah also jumped up and headed straight for the horns of the altar. |
| 51Solomon was told, "Look, Adonijah fears you; see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'May King Solomon solemnly promise me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.'" | 51"Hey look!" somebody informed Solomon. "Adonijah is terrified of King Solomon! He's gone out, grabbed hold of the horns of the altar, and now he's begging King Solomon, 'Swear to me that you won't put your servant to death with a sword!'" |
| 52Solomon said, "If he is a loyal subject, not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, he will die." | 52"If he's done nothing wrong, not a hair of his head will be harmed," Solomon replied. "But if we find evil in him, he's a dead man." |
| 53King Solomon sent men to bring him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, "Go home." | 53So King Solomon sent for him, and he was brought down from the altar. When he had arrived, he fell on his face in front of King Solomon, so Solomon told him, "Go home!" |
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