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Now 1Adonijah the son of Haggithexalted himself, saying, "I will be king." So 2he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fiftymen to runbefore him.
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His father had never[a]crossed him at anytime by asking, "Why have you doneso?" And he was also a veryhandsome*man, and [b]3he was bornafterAbsalom.
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[c]He had conferred with 4Joab the son of Zeruiah and with 5Abiathar the priest; and following6Adonijah they helped him.
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But 7Zadok the priest, 8Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 9Nathan the prophet, 10Shimei, Rei, and 11the mightymenwho belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
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Adonijahsacrificedsheep and oxen and fatlings by the [d]stone of Zoheleth, which is beside12En-rogel; and he invitedall his brothers, the king'ssons, and all the men of Judah, the king'sservants.
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But he did not inviteNathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mightymen, and 13Solomon his brother.
Nathan and Bathsheba
11 Then Nathanspoke to 14Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has becomeking, and David our lord does not know it?
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"So nowcome, please let me 15give you counsel and save your life and the life of your sonSolomon.
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"Go[e]at once to KingDavid and say to him, 'Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, "16SurelySolomon your son shall be kingafter me, and he shall sit on my throne "? Why then has Adonijahbecomeking?'
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"Behold, while you are stilltherespeaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words."
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So Bathshebawent in to the king in the bedroom. Now 17the king was veryold, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king.
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Then Bathshebabowed and prostrated herself [f]before the king. And the kingsaid, "What[g]do you wish?"
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She said to him, "My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, saying, '18Surely your sonSolomon shall be kingafter me and he shall sit on my throne.'
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"Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it.
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"19He has sacrificedoxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invitedall the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invitedSolomon your servant.
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"As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of allIsrael are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the kingafter him.
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"Otherwise it will come about, 20as soon as my lord the kingsleeps with his fathers, that I and my sonSolomon will be considered [h]offenders."
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Behold, while she was stillspeaking with the king, Nathan the prophetcame in.
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They told the king, saying, "Here is Nathan the prophet." And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself [i]before the king with his face to the ground.
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Then Nathansaid, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall be kingafter me, and he shall sit on my throne '?
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"21For he has gonedowntoday and has sacrificedoxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invitedall the king'ssons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinkingbefore him; and they say, '22Long liveKingAdonijah!'