Kings III 1:3-32

³So they sought for a fair damsel out of all the coasts of Israel; and they found Abishag the Shunammite, and they brought her to the king.

⁴And the damsel was extremely beautiful, and she cherished the king, and ministered to him, but the king knew her not.

⁵And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king; and he prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

⁶And his father never at any time checked him, saying, Why hast thou done thus? and he was also very handsome in appearance, and his mother bore him after Absalom.

⁷And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed after Adonijah.

⁸But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men of David, did not follow Adonijah.

⁹And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and calves and lambs by the stone of Zoelethi, which was near Rogel: and he called all his brethren, and all the adult men of Judah, servants of the king.

¹⁰But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he did not call.

¹¹And Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns, and our lord David knows it not?

¹²And now come, let me, I pray, give thee counsel, and thou shalt rescue thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

¹³Haste, and go in to King David, and thou shalt speak to him, saying, Hast not thou, my lord, O king, sworn to thy handmaid, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then does Adonijah reign?

¹⁴And behold, while thou art still speaking there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and will confirm thy words.

¹⁵So Bathsheba went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king.

¹⁶And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance to the king; and the king said, What is thy request?

¹⁷And she said, My lord, thou didst swear by the Lord thy God to thy handmaid, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and shall sit upon my throne.

¹⁸And now, behold, Adonijah reigns, and thou, my lord, O king, knowest it not.

¹⁹And he has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons, and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander-in-chief of the host; but Solomon thy servant he has not called.

²⁰And thou, my lord, O king—the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, to tell them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son shall be offenders.

²²And behold, while she was yet talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came. And it was reported to the king,

²³Behold, Nathan the prophet is here: and he came in to the king’s presence, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground.

²⁴And Nathan said, My lord, O king, didst thou say, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

²⁵For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons, and the chiefs of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they said, Long live King Adonijah.

²⁶But he has not invited me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Solomon thy servant.

²⁷Has this matter happened by the authority of my lord the king, and hast thou not made known to thy servant who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him?

²⁸And King David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba: and she came in before the king, and stood before him.

²⁹And the king swore, and said, As the Lord lives who redeemed my soul out of all affliction,

³⁰as I swore to thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day.

³¹And Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord King David live forever.

³²And King David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada: and they came in before the king.