1
Now kingDavid was old and stricken[a] in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat .
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Wherefore his servantssaid unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a youngvirgin: and let her standbefore the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat .
3
So they sought for a fairdamsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and foundAbishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
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And the damsel was veryfair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the kingknew her not.
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Then Adonijah the son of Haggithexalted himself, saying , I will be king :[b] and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fiftymen to runbefore him.
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And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying , Why hast thou done so ? and he also was a verygoodlyman; and his mother bare him afterAbsalom.
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And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they followingAdonijahhelped him.
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But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
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And Adonijahslewsheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is byEnrogel,[c] and called all his brethren the king'ssons, and all the men of Judah the king'sservants:
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But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.
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Wherefore Nathanspake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon,saying , Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign , and David our lordknoweth it not?
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Now therefore come , let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel* , that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy sonSolomon.
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Go and get thee in unto kingDavid, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king,swear unto thine handmaid,saying , AssuredlySolomon thy son shall reignafter me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijahreign ?
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Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come inafter thee, and confirm[d] thy words.
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And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was veryold ; and Abishag the Shunammiteministered unto the king.
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And Bathshebabowed , and did obeisance unto the king. And the kingsaid , What wouldest thou?
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And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reignafter me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
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And now, behold, Adonijahreigneth ; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:
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And he hath slainoxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called .
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And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the kingafter him.
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Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my sonSolomon shall be counted offenders.[e]
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And, lo, while she yet talked with the king,Nathan the prophet also came in .
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And they told the king,saying , Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come inbefore the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
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And Nathansaid , My lord, O king, hast thou said , Adonijah shall reignafter me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
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For he is gone down this day, and hath slainoxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king'ssons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drinkbefore him, and say , God savekingAdonijah.
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But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servantSolomon, hath he not called .
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Is this thingdone by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the kingafter him?
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Then kingDavidanswered and said , Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king'spresence, and stoodbefore the king.
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And the kingsware , and said , As the LORDliveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
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Even as I sware unto thee by the LORDGod of Israel,saying , Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reignafter me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
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Then Bathshebabowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said , Let my lordkingDavidlive for ever.
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And kingDavidsaid , Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they camebefore the king.
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The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
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And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophetanoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say , God savekingSolomon.
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Then ye shall come upafter him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
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And Benaiah the son of Jehoiadaanswered the king, and said , Amen: the LORDGod of my lord the kingsay so too.
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As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his thronegreater than the throne of my lordkingDavid.
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So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down , and caused Solomon to ride upon kingDavid'smule, and brought him to Gihon.
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And Zadok the priesttook an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointedSolomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the peoplesaid , God savekingSolomon.
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And all the people came upafter him, and the peoplepiped with pipes,[f] and rejoiced with greatjoy, so that the earthrent with the sound of them.
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And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating . And when Joabheard the sound of the trumpet, he said , Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar ?
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And while he yet spake , behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priestcame : and Adonijahsaid unto him, Come in ; for thou art a valiantman* , and bringestgoodtidings .
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And Jonathananswered and said to Adonijah,Verily our lordkingDavid hath made Solomonking .
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And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king'smule:
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And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again . This is the noise that ye have heard .
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And also Solomonsitteth on the throne of the kingdom.
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And moreover the king'sservantscame to bless our lordkingDavid,saying , God make the name of Solomonbetter than thy name, and make his thronegreater than thy throne. And the kingbowed himself upon the bed.
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And also thus said the king,Blessed be the LORDGod of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
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And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid , and rose up , and went every man his way.
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And Adonijahfearedbecause of Solomon, and arose , and went , and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
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And it was toldSolomon,saying , Behold, AdonijahfearethkingSolomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar,saying , Let kingSolomonswear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
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And Solomonsaid , If he will shew himself a worthyman, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die .
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So kingSolomonsent , and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to kingSolomon: and Solomonsaid unto him, Go to thine house.